Fines up to SR25,000 for violating labor rights: Ministry

JEDDAH: Employers will be fined SR25,000 ($6,700) for registering Saudi employees with the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI) without their approval.

Firms can also face a five-day closure in addition to the fine, the Ministry of Labor and Social Development on Tuesday announced.

The ministry posted on its official Twitter account a list of penalties that will be imposed on employers if they violate the rights of their employees.

The announcement includes nine violation scenarios. Companies can receive fines of SR20,000 for recruiting expat workers for jobs allocated for Saudis as well as SR10,000 plus a one-day closure if the firm employs male expat workers for jobs which have been nationalized.

Holding workers’ passports without their approval will result in a SR2,000 fine. Employing a worker without a contract or without giving a copy of the contract can lead to a SR5,000 fine; the same fine applies to not adhering to offering work contracts in Arabic.

The ministry also stated that a SR5,000 fine would imposed for not complying with the conditions mentioned in training contracts; for not keeping workers’ records, including names, salaries, fines, attendance and medical records; as well as for full or partial withholding of a worker’s salary.