To protect workers throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Labor has implemented new regulations implementing penalties for employers who are abusive to their workers in any way.
For example, it is prohibited in KSA for an employer to retain the passport of their employees and a violator who does that will be fined SAR2,000. On the other hand, employers who do not provide employment contract copies to their employees will be fined SAR5,000.
If an employer asks a worker to fulfill tasks that are obviously outside of a contract’s terms or if the employer requires a worker to pay fees and expenses that he or she alone should shoulder, then that could lead to a fine of SAR15,000.
Workers who experience delayed salary payments, are not paid for their overtime work, or are forced to work extra hours (especially on weekends and holidays) may also complaint about their employers and if proven wrong, they will also be fined.
Employers should also never compromise the health and safety of their employees. For instance, workers should not be asked to work under extreme heat without safety measures. Otherwise, the employer will be fined as well.
Meanwhile, the regulations likewise imposes fines for companies that deprive about 12% of its Saudi workers from receiving training or do not issue recommendation letters for any of their employees.
Along with all these restrictions, companies that falsely claim they employ Saudis or hire expats for work exclusively for Saudis will be fined SAR25,000 plus that company will be closed for 5 days. Those that employ expats without proper license will be subject to a SAR45,000 fine.
The role of women in the workplace is also given importance in KSA since employers who hire men for jobs marked for women will be fined for SAR10,000 for each male employee. Furthermore, the company will be required to suspend their operations for a day. Also, assigning women in mixed areas and forcing them to work during prohibited hours will be fined for SAR5,000 to SAR10,000.
If you are aware of any violations, the offending employer or company should be reported to the Ministry of Labor.
via: pinoy-ofw