Saudi Arabia: Family deaths entitle worker to paid leave
Worker also has right to 3-day paid holiday on having a baby
Cairo: A worker in Saudi Arabia has the right to a five-day paid leave in the event of a family member’s death, the kingdom’s Ministry of Human Resources has said.
The fully paid leave must be obtained in case of the death of the worker’s spouse or anyone of the “ascendants or descendants”. The ministry explained that under the Saudi labour law, the term “ascendants” refers to the mother, father, the grandfather and the grandmother while “descendants” refers to sons, daughters as well as the grandchildren.
In addition, article 113 of the Saudi labour law stipulates that the worker has the right to get fully paid leave for five days upon his marriage, or in the event of the death of his spouse or one of his ascendants or descendants, and three days in case of a brother’s or sister’s death. This leave is calculated from the date of the case.
Moreover, the worker has the right to obtain a three -day holiday in case of a baby’s birth within seven days from the date of birth. The employer, meanwhile, has the right to request documents corroborating these cases
In recent years, the kingdom has introduced labour reforms to make its job market more attractive and competitive.
To this end, the Saudi government has recently approved a host of substantial labour changes to preserve contractual rights.
Accordingly, a notice for terminating an employment contract with non-specific duration is now put at 30 days if the notice comes from the worker, and 60 days on the employer’s side.
The changes also obligate the employer to shun acts that could undermine or weaken implementation of the principle of equal opportunities among workers.
Maternity leave has also increased from 10 weeks to 12 weeks.
Another amendment puts the duration of work on a trial basis at a maximum of 180 days.
In 2020, Saudi Arabia introduced major labour reforms, drastically improving its sponsorship system. The reforms, which went into effect in the following year, allow job mobility and regulate the exit and re-entry visa issuance for expatriate workers without employers’ approval.
Saudi Arabia, a country of 32.2 million people, is home to a large community of expat workers.