Kuwait sets out when workers can quit without notice and keep end-of-service benefits

Dubai: Kuwait has advised private-sector workers that they may leave their jobs without prior notice and still retain their end-of-service benefits in certain cases, with authorities setting out the circumstances in which an employment contract can legally be terminated.

The Public Authority for Manpower said workers may terminate a contract without notice when an employer breaches the employment agreement or Labour Law, when the worker is assaulted by the employer or the employer’s representative, or when there is a serious threat to the worker’s safety or health, subject to the conditions set by law.

The guidance, issued as part of PAM’s “Know Your Rights” campaign, also outlined circumstances in which an employment contract may end by operation of law.

These include the death of the worker, a proven inability to perform the job, exhaustion of statutory sick leave, permanent closure of the establishment or a final court judgment declaring the employer bankrupt.

Employers also have the right to terminate employment under circumstances specified by Kuwait’s Labour Law.

For indefinite-term contracts, an employer may terminate the agreement by providing the legally required notice. In more serious cases prescribed by law, a worker can be dismissed without notice.

PAM stressed, however, that workers retain the right to challenge a dismissal if they believe it was unjustified.

The authority’s advisory referred to Articles 41, 44, 46, 48, 49 and 50 of Kuwait’s Labour Law, with the applicable provision depending on how and why the employment relationship ends.

The guidance aims to make workers and employers more aware of both their rights and obligations before either side takes steps to end an employment relationship.

“Termination of the employment contract has causes and procedures,” the authority said, adding that understanding the law helps protect both parties and contributes to a fair and safe working environment.