This week the spotlight is on employment law developments in Saudi Arabia, where the Kingdom’s Labour and Social Development Minister, Ali Al-Ghafees has announced the Ministry has amended the penalties related to the Labour Law regulations.

Employers will be fined 10,000 Riyals if they violate the holiday entitlement of employees. They will also be fined 10,000 Riyals if they allow a non-Saudi employee to work in a profession other than the one specified in their work permit which is a breach of Article 38 of the Labour Law. In addition, if employers don’t open a file for the firm with the Labour Office or update the firm’s data they will be fined 10,000 Riyals which is a breach of Article 15 of the Labour Law. An employer who fails to submit the Wage Protection file to the Labour Office monthly will be fined 10,000 Riyals. If a firm fails to meet health and occupational safety requirements for its staff, they will be fined 15,000 Riyals. The fine will be doubled for repeat offences. Employers will be fined 2,000 Riyals if they keep an employee’s passport, residency permit or medical insurance card without their consent and 10,000 Riyals for failing to have organisational regulations in place or complying with them. The fine will have to be settled within a month of being issued and if it is not it will be doubled.

Elsewhere the country’s Shoura Council has approved a recommendation for a 40-hour work week. The Council also approved an additional paid day for employees working in activities earmarked for Saudisation. The Council made the decisions last week.