The Soviet practice of compelling students to pick cotton was officially banned in 1989. However, due to the lack of fuel and mechanical harvesting equipment, in the fall of 1995 students were again sent to the fields in parts of the country as they were in both 1993 and 1994. According to labor laws, the minimum age for the employment of children is 16, the age at which children may also legally leave school. With the concurrence of the local trade union, employment may begin at the age of 15. Workers under the age of 18 by law work no more than 6 hours a day and 36 hours per week.
Trade unions are responsible for reporting any violations in the employment of minors.
Overtime payment is mandated by law, with the first two hours of overtime to be paid at one and one half times the normal rate and the remaining overtime at double time. The government has established occupational health and safety standards, but these fall far short of international norms and are rarely enforced. Relative to former Soviet standards, Tajikistan at one time provided acceptable standards of work. Workers can leave their jobs with two month's notice but, given the bleak employment situation, few choose to do so. Data for U.S. investment in Tajikistan is not available.