HRSD invites public to express opinions on draft regulation of domestic workers

Logo of Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD) invited public to take their views and observations on the work regulation and controls governing the mechanism of work, rights and duties of domestic workers through “Istitlaa” platform until March 28, 2022.

The regulation stipulated that the relationship between the domestic worker and the employer should be regulated by a written contract, documented on the ministry's approved platform, with the contract and its translation to be edited in three copies, each of which will be kept by both parties and the third at the national recruitment office in accordance with the mechanism adopted by the ministry.

Under the new regulation, it’s prohibited to employ a domestic worker under the age of 21, and the employer may not assign the domestic worker to work for others or work other than the profession for which he was hired and included in his employment contract and residence permit.

The worker may not work for himself, third parties or work in any occupation other than the one recorded in his employment contract and residence permit.

The regulation stressed the need for the contract to include the terms agreed upon by the parties and not contrary to the provisions of this regulation, with a determination of the type of work that the domestic worker is obliged to perform, the wage that the employer is obliged to pay to the domestic worker, and the rights and obligations of the parties.

The contract includes the duration of the probation period, the contract and how it could be extended, the organization of overtime and the necessity to assign additional work beyond the worker’s scope of work but included in the occupations stipulated in this regulation, in addition to the contract insurance.

The regulation indicated that the domestic worker was entitled to a weekly rest day as agreed by the parties to the contract, and that the worker's wages may only be deducted in certain cases, an advance received from the employer, or the costs of what was deliberately or negligently damaged. The deduction must not exceed half of the worker's wage.

The domestic worker is entitled to one month's paid leave after two full years in case he wishes to renew for a similar period and is entitled to an allowance if he does not use it. The worker is also entitled to a paid sick leave of no more than 30 days per year with a medical report proving the need for leave, with the health care to be in accordance with the regulations and instructions in force in the Kingdom.

The domestic employee is entitled to a one-month end-of-service bonus, upon spending four consecutive years serving the employer and a reward for parts of the year for the proportion of time he had spent at work.