Labor Ministry Explains Why Kazakhstan Still Has No Harassment Law

Labor and Social Protection Minister Askarbek Yertayev explained why Kazakhstan has not yet adopted legislative amendments on harassment, Orda.kz reports.

According to him, such norms cannot simply be automatically included in a draft law. First, they must be discussed with the public council, experts, human rights organizations, employers, and other stakeholders.

In 2022, the International Labor Organization recommended that Kazakhstan consider such a legislative norm. Since then, it has been discussed at the expert level. In 2023, we submitted an application to the Ministry of Justice to include an initiative bill from the Labor Ministry in the legislative work plan. In 2024, this plan was formed and approved. In 2025, we prepared and developed it, and now we are bringing it to the Kurultai. That is why everything is moving step by step,Yertayev said at a government briefing.

He did not specify why each step takes a year.

Yertayev did not agree with the journalist’s suggestion that employers allegedly oppose the amendments. According to him, employers and the Atameken National Chamber generally understand the need to introduce the norm but propose setting out its application in detail.

In particular, it is necessary to determine what will be regulated by law and what will be regulated by by-laws, what responsibility employers will bear, and what specific types of violations will be covered.

Yertayev noted that the amendments will be discussed in parliament later. According to him, when such initiatives are considered, deputies invite all parties involved.

Original author: Ilya Astakhov

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