Russian billionaire pushes 12-hour shifts in six-day workweek proposal
Businessman Oleg Deripaska Proposes Six-Day Workweek with 12-Hour Days
Russian tycoon Oleg Deripaska has suggested switching to a six-day workweek with 12-hour shifts, from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM. He shared the proposal in his Telegram channel.
According to Deripaska, this measure is necessary to accelerate recovery from the ongoing crisis. He argues that since 2026, the world has fundamentally changed for all nations, with the current crisis stemming not from tight monetary policy, high interest rates, or legal institutional failures. "This crisis runs deeper. It is driven by a difficult transformation," he wrote, clarifying that the shift is from global opportunities to regional ones.
To navigate this transformation and overcome the economic downturn, Deripaska believes Russians must rally together and work even harder. He reinforced his stance by sharing a video recitation of Nikolai Zabolotsky's poem "Do Not Let Your Soul Grow Lazy."
The entrepreneur also noted that he knows dozens of people who have worked under such grueling schedules for decades. "I personally know several dozen individuals who have lived by this routine since the 1990s and never left it... Well, they'll have it easier than the rest," he added.
Lawmakers in the State Duma responded to Deripaska's proposal. Yaroslav Nilov, chair of the Duma's Committee on Labor, Social Policy, and Veterans' Affairs, stated that the legislature is not considering any such bills. "I see no future in this idea. The Duma isn't discussing it, and there are no relevant draft laws. In fact, we more often hear proposals for a four-day workweek for certain categories of workers," Nilov told TASS.
Meanwhile, business leaders and officials continue to explore alternative work schedules. Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chair of Russia's Security Council, has repeatedly advocated for a four-day workweek in recent years. In January 2022, he emphasized that reducing work hours should not lead to lower wages.
In 2025, several Russian companies temporarily adopted a four-day workweek, including KAMAZ, VSMPO-Avisma, and Uralvagonzavod. KAMAZ later reverted to a five-day schedule in November of the same year. In October 2025, Labor Minister Anton Kotyakov ruled out a nationwide shift to a four-day workweek, citing labor shortages in key industries as a major obstacle.
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