Labor discipline and disciplinary sanctions

In Uzbekistan, an employer may impose a reprimand, fine, or dismissal (Article 312 of the Labor Code), but only for a culpable breach of duties (Article 301). Before imposing a sanction, the employer must request a written explanation, assess the seriousness of the misconduct, and issue a reasoned order.

In brief:

• the ordinary fine limit is 30% of average monthly pay (Article 312), while cases specified in the internal rules may carry a fine of up to 50%;
• only one disciplinary sanction may be imposed for one act of misconduct;
• the order must be presented to the employee for signature within three working days (Article 313), excluding the employee’s absence;
• a sanction must be imposed within one month after discovery and, as a general rule, within six months after the misconduct;
• the employee may submit an explanation and evidence, examine the order, and challenge the sanction before a labor disputes commission or a court.

Updated: 04 September 2026

What labor discipline includes

Labor discipline means compliance with conduct rules (Article 295) established by labor legislation, collective agreements, the collective agreement at the workplace, the employment contract, internal labor rules, and other local acts. It applies to every employee. The employer must create the social, economic, organizational, and technical conditions required for normal work; discipline is maintained through working conditions, incentives, rewards, and lawful sanctions.

An employee must comply with the following requirements (Article 22):

• labor legislation, other labor-law instruments, and the terms of the employment contract;
• conscientious performance of the duties assigned by the employment contract;
• internal labor rules and labor discipline;
• established work standards;
• occupational safety requirements, technological discipline, workplace safety rules, and industrial hygiene;
• careful treatment of the employer’s property and third-party property held by the employer;
• compensation for material damage within the procedure and limits established by law;
• immediate notice of a threat to human life or health or to the safety of property;
• the prohibition on obstructing other employees in the performance of their duties.

Discipline is also supported by rewards. Their types and application procedure are determined by labor instruments and contracts (Article 299). Salary and payments included in the remuneration system are not rewards in themselves.

Which documents set labor-discipline rules

The principal local document is the internal labor rules. They govern hiring and termination (Article 296), the parties’ rights, duties, and liability, working hours, rest periods, rewards, sanctions, and other employment matters. The employer approves the rules in agreement with the trade union committee.

Before the employment contract is signed, the candidate must be informed about the work, the working conditions, the internal rules, the collective agreement, and relevant local acts (Article 123). The employer must later obtain the employee’s signed acknowledgment of new local acts (Article 25) directly related to the employee’s work. A provision that worsens the employee’s position compared with legislation, an agreement, or the collective agreement has no effect (Article 298).

General disciplinary liability is governed by the Labor Code and the internal labor rules. Special disciplinary liability (Article 300) applies to defined categories. It is established by laws, statutes, or disciplinary regulations that identify the covered employees, their duties, authorized officers, types of rewards and sanctions, and the procedure for applying them (Article 297). A separate regulation, for example, applies to railway transport employees.

A microfirm is subject to an exception. It may dispense with local acts in whole or in part, but it must put the corresponding conditions into employment contracts concluded using the model form (Article 505).

What counts as a breach of labor discipline

Disciplinary misconduct is a culpable and unlawful failure to perform employment duties, or the improper performance of those duties. A sanction may not be imposed (Article 301) if the employer failed to provide the conditions needed for the work, a force-majeure event occurred, or performance was prevented by another reason beyond the employee’s control.

Misconduct may consist of breaching internal rules, a job description, a regulation, a lawful employer order, or technical rules. A lawful refusal is not misconduct. The Supreme Court expressly includes refusal of an unlawful demand, such as an unlawful transfer, continued work under new conditions imposed without the required procedure, an instruction on a matter that requires the employee’s consent, or work posing an immediate threat to life or health.

The employer must identify the specific duty breached, the document establishing that duty, the employee’s fault, and the supporting evidence. Merely recording lateness, absence, or an unfinished assignment is insufficient if the record does not connect the facts to an employment duty and examine the reasons for the employee’s conduct.

Which disciplinary sanctions an employer may impose

For employees subject to general disciplinary liability, the law permits only three sanctions (Article 312). A different sanction is possible only if another law, disciplinary statute, or regulation expressly provides for it.

A disciplinary fine may be deducted without separate consent (Article 269). The aggregate deductions from each payment generally may not exceed 50% (Article 270) of the salary actually accrued. If other deductions apply at the same time, the employer must count them together rather than apply the limit separately to each ground.

Example. The employee’s average monthly pay is UZS 6,000,000. The ordinary maximum disciplinary fine is UZS 6,000,000 × 30% = UZS 1,800,000. If the internal labor rules expressly cover the case, the maximum fine is UZS 6,000,000 × 50% = UZS 3,000,000. With UZS 6,000,000 accrued and no special-case deductions, the ordinary aggregate deduction limit for that payment is also UZS 3,000,000.

This article does not cover the complete calculation made when employment ends. The article on employee dismissal explains the termination order and documents, final settlement, compensation for unused leave, and severance pay. Use it when the chosen disciplinary sanction is termination.

How a disciplinary sanction is imposed

The sanction must be imposed by the person or body authorized to hire employees. The general procedure has a set sequence (Article 313):

1. Record the event and identify the employment duty that was breached.
2. Request a written explanation from the employee. A refusal does not stop the procedure, but it must be documented in an act identifying the witnesses present.
3. Assess the seriousness of the misconduct, its circumstances, and the employee’s previous work and conduct.
4. Select one measure: only one disciplinary sanction may be imposed for each act of misconduct.
5. Issue a reasoned order.
6. Present the order to the employee for signature within three working days after its adoption, excluding the employee’s absence.

An employee who was not informed of the order is treated as having no sanction. If the employee refuses to read or sign the order, the employer draws up an act identifying the witnesses; the employee is then treated as informed.

One disciplinary sanction does not exclude material liability for damage or an employment consequence that the law does not classify as a disciplinary sanction. The employer cannot avoid the one-sanction rule merely by giving a second disciplinary penalty a different label: the legal nature of the consequence matters.

When a service investigation is held

A service investigation examines the misconduct, fault, causes, conditions, and possible damage. The employer may order an investigation (Article 302), but a written explanation is mandatory before a sanction even if no investigation is held. A manager’s report, an application from an individual or legal entity, a media report, or other information may provide grounds; the decision is issued as an order, and the employee must sign an acknowledgment of the order and the commission’s composition (Article 303).

The commission must have at least three members and include a trade union committee member if the organization has such a committee. The commission may not include (Article 304):

• the officer who ordered the investigation;
• employees subordinate to persons whose actions are being investigated;
• relatives of the employee under investigation;
• anyone directly or indirectly interested in the outcome, including a person reasonably suspected of involvement in or concealment of the misconduct;
• a person whose application triggered the investigation;
• an employee who is the subject of the investigation.

The employee has procedural rights (Article 306): to know the reason for the investigation; challenge commission members; give written explanations; file requests; submit documents and physical evidence; propose witnesses; inspect and copy the materials; inspect the final act; and challenge the commission’s decisions and conduct. The employee may also submit a written request for an investigation to refute information damaging their honor and dignity; the employer must consider it within three days.

The investigation may last no more than 15 working days (Article 308). If objective reasons prevent completion, the employer may extend it by no more than a further 15 working days on a reasoned proposal from the commission.

If the employee’s presence could obstruct the investigation, the employer may suspend the employee under a reasoned order for the investigation period. The employee’s average pay is retained (Article 309) throughout that suspension. This differs from suspension on other grounds, for which pay may be regulated differently.

The final act must contain the full set of required information: details of the employee and previous sanctions; the commission’s composition; the grounds; a finding on whether misconduct occurred; supporting documents; the employee’s arguments; the circumstances and consequences; material confirming or excluding fault; and the nature and amount of any damage. The conclusion states the commission’s findings and proposals. The act and materials must be delivered to the employer within three working days (Article 310) after the commission decides the matter.

The employer may add detail to the investigation procedure in internal rules or a separate local act agreed with the trade union committee, but those provisions may not reduce employee rights (Article 311).

Deadlines for imposing a disciplinary sanction

The employer must satisfy both the time limit measured from discovery and the long-stop period measured from the misconduct. All limits are set by one provision (Article 314).

If a commission identifies the misconduct, the discovery date is the date on which it signs the service-investigation act. Ordinary rest days and absence for reasons not listed in Article 314 do not pause the one-month period.

How long a sanction lasts and how it is removed

A sanction remains effective for no more than one year from the date it is imposed. If no new sanction is imposed during that period, the earlier sanction expires automatically (Article 315), without a separate order. The employer may remove it earlier by an order issued on its own initiative, at the request of the employee’s immediate manager or the trade union committee, or at the employee’s request.

While the sanction remains effective, the applicable bonus regulation determines whether a remuneration-system bonus is paid. Rewards and bonuses outside the remuneration system and unrelated to work results may not be granted (Article 299). Those consequences end when the sanction expires or is removed early. The expiry and removal rules do not undo a disciplinary dismissal that has already taken effect.

When misconduct may lead to dismissal

Disciplinary dismissal is possible for a systematic breach or a single gross breach of duties. A systematic breach means repeat misconduct within one year after disciplinary or material liability, or another measure provided by labor-law instruments, for the previous breach (Article 161). If the previous sanction was removed early, it cannot support a finding of systematic breach.

The list of single gross breaches must appear in one of the documents named by law (Article 162):

• the internal labor rules;
• the employment contract between the owner and the head of the organization, and other employment contracts in cases specified by the Code;
• a disciplinary statute or regulation for employees covered by it.

For a microfirm employee, the list may be placed directly in the employment contract (Article 506). The list must reflect the seriousness of the conduct and its possible consequences.

The employee may not be dismissed for a single gross breach if the internal rules are absent, were adopted through an unlawful procedure, or do not list the relevant breach. The Supreme Court treats this as a condition for lawful dismissal. The order must cite the Labor Code and the specific clause of the rules, executive’s contract, or disciplinary statute that defines the gross breach (Article 170).

Special protections for certain employees

Additional restrictions apply when dismissal is selected as the sanction. The full list in part one of Article 163 covers the following periods and cases (Article 163):

• the ground for dismissal is not provided by the Code or another law;
• the prohibition of discrimination has been breached;
• the employee is temporarily incapacitated or on leave;
• the employee is released from work to perform state or public duties;
• the employee is on a business trip;
• the statutory safeguards for a pregnant employee or an employee with a child under three have not been observed.

Dismissal from the original workplace is also prohibited during secondment to another employer. The restrictions relating to absence and family safeguards do not apply on liquidation of the organization or cessation of an individual entrepreneur’s activity within the exception set by the Code.

The rules differ for particular employees:

• a pregnant employee may not be dismissed at the employer’s initiative except on liquidation or cessation by an entrepreneur (Article 408);
• a woman with a child under three, or a father or guardian raising such a child alone, may be dismissed at the employer’s initiative only on the grounds listed in Article 409: liquidation, systematic breach, or a single gross breach;
• dismissal of an employee under 18 requires, in addition to the general procedure, consent of the local labor authority (Article 421).

Prior consent (Article 44) is required for elected non-released employee representatives and certain former representatives. A separate law requires consent of the relevant trade union body or association for trade union officers and heads, and consent of the local labor authority for two years after office. Before imposing a sanction, the employer must determine which safeguards apply to the employee concerned.

What the employer must document

The employer needs an auditable set of records: valid and properly approved internal rules; proof that the employee received them; a record of the event; the request for an explanation and the response or refusal act; materials proving the duty, fault, and circumstances; if applicable, the investigation order, commission act, and materials; the reasoned sanction order; and the signed acknowledgment or refusal act. A dismissal file must also contain the consents and records required for a protected employee.

A violation of labor or occupational safety legislation by an official carries an administrative fine of between 2.200.000 and 4.400.000 BRV (Article 49 of the Code of Administrative Liability), where BRV means the base calculation unit. A repeat violation carries 4.400.000–6.600.000 BRV, and a violation concerning a minor carries 4.400.000–8.800.000 BRV. State labor inspectors (Article 255) hear these cases.

Example. With one BRV equal to 440.000, the range for a first fine against an official is: 440.000 × 5 = 2.200.000; 440.000 × 10 = 4.400.000. This is an administrative fine against the official, not a disciplinary fine against the employee.

If a dismissal is unlawful, the employee may claim reinstatement, pay for enforced absence, appeal expenses, and moral-damage compensation; the employer must prove lawful dismissal (Article 174). For a manifest breach, a court may place the employer’s loss on the responsible official, capped at three months of that official’s salary (Article 564).

A knowingly unlawful dismissal committed after an administrative sanction for the same conduct may result in a fine of up to 11.000.000 BRV (Article 148 of the Criminal Code), disqualification from a specified right for up to three years, or corrective labor for up to three years. The same penalties apply to a knowingly unlawful refusal to hire or dismissal of a woman because of pregnancy, or of a person caring for a child. With one BRV at 440.000, the maximum criminal fine is 440.000 × 25 = 11.000.000.

This section addresses records for the disciplinary procedure. The article on salary and deductions explains the general rules for accrual, payment, and deductions. Use it when a disciplinary fine is deducted together with taxes, maintenance payments, damage compensation, or other amounts.

How an employee challenges a disciplinary sanction

An employee may choose a labor disputes commission or a court, and the dispute may also be referred to a mediator. The choice belongs to the employee (Article 545), so a commission application is not a prerequisite for judicial protection.

The period depends on the claim. A reinstatement claim after disciplinary dismissal must be filed within three months after delivery of the dismissal order. A claim challenging a reprimand, fine, or another employment violation has a six-month period (Article 560) from the date the employee knew or should have known of the violation. The period is suspended during mediation.

Useful supporting records include the employment contract, internal rules and acknowledgment, the explanation request and response, the sanction order, refusal acts, investigation materials, timesheets, and relevant correspondence. Employees bringing claims arising from individual employment relations are exempt from court costs (Article 562). The Supreme Court has explained that a court may award moral-damage compensation, including for an unfounded disciplinary sanction.

Frequently asked questions

Can an employer issue a reprimand without an explanation?

The employer must request a written explanation before imposing a sanction. If the employee refuses, a reprimand remains possible, but the refusal must be recorded in an act identifying the witnesses present. If no explanation was requested, a mandatory procedural step was omitted. In a dispute, the decision-maker examines the order and proof that the employee was in fact invited to explain the circumstances.

Can an employee receive a reprimand and a fine at the same time?

No, if both are imposed for the same disciplinary misconduct: the law permits only one disciplinary sanction. Material liability for direct actual damage, or a consequence that labor legislation does not classify as a disciplinary sanction, may arise separately. The employer must distinguish the ground and legal nature of every measure.

How long does a workplace reprimand remain effective?

No more than one year from the date it is imposed. If no new sanction is imposed in that period, the reprimand expires automatically without an order. The employer may remove it earlier by an order on its own initiative, at the request of the immediate manager or the trade union committee, or at the employee’s request. Once it expires or is removed, the employee is treated as not having been sanctioned.

Can an employee be dismissed for absence if the rules do not define it?

Dismissal for absence as a single gross breach requires valid internal labor rules and a clause specifying what period of absence without a valid reason counts as absence. If the rules are missing, were adopted improperly, or contain no relevant clause, dismissal on that ground is impermissible. The employer must also establish the employee’s actual reason for being absent.

When is a service investigation mandatory?

The Labor Code authorizes the employer to order a service investigation to establish the facts, fault, causes, and possible damage; it does not require a commission investigation before every sanction. Requesting a written explanation remains mandatory. Once an investigation is ordered, the requirements governing the order, commission, employee rights, time limit, and final act must be followed.