St. Fatima Nogailieva, a practitioner at the Department of Labor and Social Law at a major Russian university, discussed a persistent issue in retirement planning during an interview. She noted that when a person reaches retirement age, they may later discover that portions of their work history were not fully counted. This discrepancy can surface in pension records and affect future benefits.
According to Nogailieva, gaps in work experience usually arise from a mix of simple mistakes by the employee or errors made by the employer. The employer bears responsibility for gathering and transmitting accurate data about an employee’s work activity, and missteps in this process are a common reason why years of service do not appear in pension calculations.
She added that some Russians sign civilian contracts in place of formal employment contracts. This choice can exclude those work hours from insurance records, which means they do not get credited toward pension entitlements. The resulting gap directly impacts the completeness of an individual’s insurance history.
Ultimately, these missing periods may not be reflected in the pensioner’s Individual Personal Account, which is the centralized record used to determine retirement benefits. The integrity of this account hinges on reliable reporting of all paid work and correct contributions from employers.
Nogailieva emphasized that underreporting or using informal wage practices also poses financial risk for workers. When an employer opts to pay lower wages or use gray wages to reduce insurance premiums, the employee’s future pension may be smaller than expected because the credited income is insufficient to maximize benefits.
She also cautioned that some employers neglect their obligation to remit insurance premiums. In such cases, the length of service must be proven through other documentation, and the employer may be compelled to make the necessary contributions through legal proceedings.
When work experience from before the transition to a mandatory pension system in 2002 is missing, the future retiree should contact the regional branch of the Russian Social Fund. Nogailieva advised gathering all supporting materials that demonstrate the omitted hours: an employment book, employment contracts, records from work orders, and pay stubs, which can help restore credited service.
Additionally, a legal professional explained practical steps to increase recognized work experience when addressing the Pension Fund. This guidance covers how to compile evidence and which documents carry the most weight in verifying past employment and ensuring proper pension credit for those years.
Overall, the discussion highlights that maintaining accurate records of work history is essential for building a robust retirement plan. It also underscores the role of both employees and employers in ensuring data integrity and timely contributions, so future retirees receive the benefits they have earned.