Saudi Arabia: No transfer to worker suspended from duty
Approval of current employer a must for labour transfer
Cairo: Saudi labour authorities have said a worker, who is suspended from duty, is not allowed to have his/her employment transferred until this status is reversed.
"The service of a worker whose status is suspended from work, cannot be transferred. To amend the worker's status, it is necessary to get approval of the current employer," the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources said.
The ministry was responding to a query from a Saudi employer, who said he wants to transfer a suspended worker to his establishment.
Saudi Arabia is home to a large community of expatriate workers.
In recent years, the kingdom has introduced a series of labour reforms to make its job market more attractive and competitive.
To this end, the Saudi government had earlier this year approved a host of substantial labour changes to preserve contractual rights.
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.
According to these amendments, maternity leave has increased from 10 weeks to 12 weeks.
Another amendment puts the duration of work on a trial basis at a maximum of 180 days.
It is now mandatory for employers to cover the return ticket costs for workers after the end of their contractual relationship.
In 2020, Saudi Arabia unveiled 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 expat workers without employers’ approval.