RIYADH — Employers are prevented from doing anything that would invalidate or weaken the application of equal opportunities or treatment in jobs, according to the amended Saudi Labor Law. As per the amendments, the probation period should not exceed 180 days under any circumstances and the maternity leave for working women has been extended up to 12 weeks.

The Council of Ministers on Tuesday approved amending 38 articles of the Labor Law, in addition to the deletion of 7 articles, and the addition of two new articles. The amended Labor Law will come into force 180 days after its notification in the official Gazette.

The new amendments included fixing the notice period for terminating an open-ended contract at 30 days if the termination is sought by the worker, and 60 days if the termination is done by the employer. It also specified the probationary period in the employment contract, so that the total period in all cases does not exceed 180 days. The amendments also added a situation to terminate the employment contract related to bankruptcy procedures by stipulating the issuance of a final decision or ruling from the competent court to terminate the worker’s contract in any of the bankruptcy procedures.

There is an amendment to grant 3-day paid leave for the worker in the event of the death of his brother or sister, besides adding the rights and duties of the trainee and the employer in the training contract. It also included increasing the maternity leave for the working woman to 12 weeks, in addition to the possibility of agreeing to obtain paid leave instead of the wage owed to the worker for overtime hours. The amendments also stipulate determining the mechanism for the duration of the contract and its renewal for a non-Saudi worker, if the contract does not state its duration.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development noted that the new amendments take into account the interests of all parties involved in the contractual relationship. These included an expansion of the item on vacations and labor contracts; adding a definition of the terms: resignation and assignment; adding an article specifying the procedures for resignation; amending the grievance procedures for the worker; and adding penalties for practicing the activity of employing workers without a license from the ministry.

The new amendments also stipulate that the employer must formulate a special policy for the training and qualification of employees in order to raise their skills and improve their standard. A number of amendments were also made in the item on maritime work.

The ministry stated that more details about the amendments of the Labor Law articles can be had from its official website. The Saudi Council of Ministers on Tuesday approved key amendments to a number of articles of the Labor Law, which aim to create a more attractive work environment and contribute to achieving sustainable development in accordance with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

The amendments aimed to improve the labor market in the Kingdom, enhance job stability, preserve the rights of parties to the contractual relationship, in addition to developing human cadres, enhancing training opportunities for workers, and increasing job opportunities for Saudi citizens.

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