The new legislative acts signed by President Ilham Aliyev are aimed at strengthening a safe and healthy environment in workplaces and more clearly defining the scope of employers’ responsibilities in this field.

The legislative acts were prepared and adopted in accordance with the relevant subparagraph of the Action Plan for the implementation of the “State Programme on Combating Illegal Trafficking of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Their Precursors and Drug Addiction for 2025–2030”, approved by the President’s Order dated September 17, 2025.

According to the new amendments made to the Labour Code and the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan “On Narcological Service and Control”:

-       Employees are prohibited from being hired for heavy, harmful, and hazardous working conditions, as well as in food industry, public catering, healthcare, trade, and similar workplaces without a medical certificate regarding their health condition. They are also prohibited from being employed in professions and positions with activity restrictions for narcological patients without a medical examination opinion issued by a narcological medical institution.

-       When applying for professions and positions with activity restrictions for narcological patients, employees must submit a medical examination opinion issued by a state narcological medical institution.

-       If it is discovered that an employment contract has been concluded with a narcological patient for workplaces where restrictions apply, or if a person is identified as a narcological patient during mandatory medical examinations throughout employment, the employment contract will be terminated regardless of the parties’ will or intention.

-       Employees working in the specified professions and positions will undergo periodic mandatory medical examinations at the employer’s expense in accordance with the “List of jobs requiring mandatory medical examinations for employees” approved by the Board of the Ministry of Health. Additionally, if an employee’s behaviour during work indicates possible influence of substances affecting the human psyche, or if there are reasonable suspicions of such influence, the employee will immediately undergo a justified mandatory medical examination.