Muscat: More than 750 companies have been fined this year for violating the midday break rule, according to the Ministry of Manpower (MoM).
A total of 2,665 companies were inspected for midday violations from June to August 2018, the ministry’s data revealed.
Of these, 771 companies were found violating the rule, while 1,894 abided by the midday rule.
Last month, a total of 158 companies were found violating the rule. According to the statistics on midday break violations that were released by the Ministry, officials visited 591 companies during an inspection.
Meanwhile, July recorded the highest number of midday violations with 362 companies fined, and the highest number of businesses inspected, with 1,071 companies.
Furthermore, 251 companies violated the rule in June, out of 1,003 establishments visited.
The midday break rule was put into effect from June 1 and lasted until the end of August. The rule bans work at outdoor sites between 12.30pm and 3.30pm when the summer heat is at its peak.
According to Article 118 of the Oman Labour Law, violators can be penalised with fines ranging from OMR100 to OMR500, or a jail term of not more than one month, or both.
The penalty will be doubled for repeat violations.
A Kumar, a construction worker, admitted that it is unbearable to work in the scorching summer sun. “During this time, temperatures hover between 40 and 47 degrees Celsius, so it is very difficult to work,” he said.
Several companies in the Sultanate have changed their work timings to provide a midday break to their workers during these three months.
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