Saudi Arabia will introduce new fines and penalties for employers in the Kingdom, as per a recent report by the Saudi Gazette. Using the sources of Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD), the Gazette report says that fines will be imposed for labour violations across a variety of employment categories.
The violations include employing foreign workers without a permit, on-site accidents, employing minors, insufficient childcare support, withholding passports and failure to pay wages. For all these infringements, the employers would be fined to different degrees depending upon the nature of violation.
The fines have come after the announcement of a ministerial decision governing violations and penalties of the labour law in Saudi Arabia. The Ministry has amended the schedule of violations and penalties issued in ministerial resolution No. 92768.
Different categories of fines in the report:
· SR 5,000 ($ 1,333) for employing a non-Saudi without the correct work permit
· SR 1,500 ($ 400) to SR 5,000 ($ 1,333) fine for failing to comply with official health and safety rules and not taking the required steps to protect workers
· SR 5,000 ($ 1,333) fine for employers in companies with more than 50 workers not offering designated childcare places
· SR 1,000 ($ 267) to SR 2,000 ($ 533) for hiring children under the age of 15
· SR 1,000 ($ 267) employing women in the first six weeks after childbirth
· SR 1,000 ($ 267) for withholding an employee passport or residency permit
· SR 300 ($ 80) for failing to pay salary in the agreed account on the dates arranged
Further, as per the Gazette report, there will be a fine of SR 3,000 ($ 800) for employers that discriminate between male and female employees, either in the workplace or during recruitment procedures.
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