Introduction. The authors examine the institution of secondary employment as a strategic personnel management tool within the internal affairs bodies. The article analyzes the potential for its application and prospects for reform, considering the current objectives of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs amid an ever-increasing personnel shortage. The relevance of this study is twofold: first, the need for flexible instruments that allow law enforcement leadership to respond immediately to changing operational environments; and second, the necessity of identifying solutions to staffing challenges and enhancing the utilization of human resources in conditions of severe understaffing. Materials and Methods. The research draws upon provisions of labour legislation, laws governing civil and military service, and ministerial regulations issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia and other federal executive bodies. The methodological toolkit includes legal analysis, comparative-law, systems-structural and formal-legal approaches, supplemented by a synthesis of law-enforcement practice and scholarly literature on the subject. The Results of the Study. The authors have identified the evolutionary features and modern regulatory framework of secondary employment (part-time work) within the civil service. Key aspects examined include the historical development of this institution, legal grounds for its establishment, and regulatory approaches to working conditions. The study analyzes the similarities and differences between secondary employment and additional internal assignment, detailing their legal regulation across different time periods. Particular focus is placed on critical enforcement issues, specifically the restrictions on using these tools to mitigate personnel shortages and temporarily compensate for understaffing. The article emphasizes the need for an integrated application of various HR instruments, tailored to the intensity and staffing requirements of the service. Findings and Conclusions. The analysis of the legal nature of dual duties and secondary employment, along with their practical application within the daily operations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, has enabled the formulation of specific proposals to expand the scope of these legal instruments. The study emphasizes the importance of increasing opportunities for employees to engage in secondary employment and identifies the need for further clarification and detailed regulation of such activities to maintain a proper balance between the interests of the service and those of the personnel. Given the identified critical aspects of enforcement, the authors also highlight alternative mechanisms aimed at preventing significant staff turnover in the long term.
combining work, secondary employment, working hours, working under abnormal conditions, personnel shortage potential, shortage of personnel
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