A regional seminar on the application of Decree No. 6 of the President of the Republic of Belarus dated October 12, 2021, was held in Vitebsk
– Eradicating mismanagement, strengthening production, technological, labor and executive discipline, preventing the employment of unscrupulous citizens – this is the work that we must improve to ensure the life and health of people, – said Alexander Khristoforov, Chairman of the Committee for Labor, Employment and Social Protection of the Regional Executive Committee.
According to Svetlana Zinovieva, Head of the Department of Social and Labor Relations, Wages and Labor Protection of the Committee for Labor, Employment and Social Protection of the Regional Executive Committee, the document amends Decree No. 5 "On Strengthening Requirements for Managers and Employees of Organizations". Among the innovations are special requirements for hiring. In particular, it provides for the employer's obligation, when hiring a candidate for a position in state bodies, state organizations or institutions, in the authorized fund of which 50 percent or more of shares (stakes) are owned by the state, to request a reference from his previous place of work, a reference from state organizations where he has worked for the preceding five years. If there were several such places, the reference is requested from the last one. Also, regarding candidates for management positions, information from the Unified State Register of Offenses is required, which is provided by law enforcement agencies free of charge. Requirements for the reference are also fixed.
– This is an official document that should reflect the employee's professional, business, and moral qualities, information on disciplinary and other liability, and actions contrary to state or public interests. The form of the character reference will be established by the Council of Ministers, – said Svetlana Zinovyeva. – The period within which a character reference must be issued upon a corresponding request has also been extended from 5 to 7 calendar days.
Violations of the procedure for hiring, appointment to a position, issuing character references containing knowingly false information, as well as ignoring the deadlines for their issuance, as provided for by Decree No. 5 (as amended by Decree No. 6), are considered a gross violation of labor standards. Such actions may lead to the dismissal of the head of the organization and (or) other responsible officials.
If such acts have caused damage to state property or significant harm to state or public interests, the perpetrators will be held criminally liable.
– We draw attention to the fact that the new decree expands the employer's powers, granting them the right to suspend a person from work in cases where they call on colleagues to strike without valid reasons, – emphasized Svetlana Zinovyeva.
A new ground for dismissal has also been introduced – the employee's violation of the procedure for collecting, systematizing, storing, modifying, using, anonymizing, blocking, distributing, providing, or deleting personal data. This ground is classified as a discrediting circumstance for dismissal.
Iryna Isakova, head of the information center of the internal affairs department of the regional executive committee, spoke about the provision of information from the unified state database of offenses by employers when hiring for state organizations.