In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, all employees – whether locals or expatriates – are required to register with the General Organization of Social Insurance (GOSI). Employers, on the other hand, will have to pay a percentage of the employee’s salary each month as a GOSI contribution. This is an important obligation that leads to many potential benefits.
First and foremost, if an employee is injured while on the job, GOSI will shoulder all the needed medical treatment. If the occupational injury leads to a temporary disability that prevents the employee from working, he or she will be receiving a daily allowance worth the equivalent of his or her daily wages. This allowance, however, will be decreased to 75% if GOSI is shouldering the medical expenses.
As for the cases of a permenent disability or death due to occupational injury, an expatriate will be entitled to a lump sum amount worth 84 months of his or her salary based on the average salary for the last 3 months. The amount, however, should not exceed SR 330,000. For partial disability of an expatriate, the employee can expect to receive a lump sum amount of 60 months worth of his or her salary based on the average salary for the last 3 months. The amount should not exceed SR 165,000.
For Saudi residents, a permanent disability means he or she will be entitled to a lifetime average salary of his or her last 3 months. The salary will be reviewed after 5 years and then again after 10 years.
Of course, it should be clarified that an injury is only considered an occupational injury if it falls in the following categories, according to GOSI:
1. If accident takes place during work or it resulted from the work.
2. If accident takes place on his way to workplace from his home, on the way back to home from workplace, while going somewhere to have lunch or perform prayers from the workplace.
3. If accident takes place during his movements in order to perform the tasks entrusted to him by the employer.
4. Any disease caused by work.
5. Any disease sustained by the contributor specified in the table of occupational diseases.
If you have further questions about occupational injuries and GOSI benefits in general, go visit their website and find additional information.
source: GOSI / image by : life in saudi arabia