New decision to regulate remote work in Oman
Regulation applies to both partial and full remote work arrangements
Muscat: The Ministry of Labour has issued a decision to regulate remote work in private sector companies, aiming to support digital transformation and modernize the work environment.
The regulation applies to both partial and full remote work arrangements, while prohibiting contracts with workers based outside Oman. Remote work is defined as performing job duties outside the physical workplace within Oman using ICT tools.
Employer responsibilities
Companies implementing remote work must:
Maintain a list of remote workers and provide it to authorities on request.
Supply necessary ICT tools, software, and communication systems, covering installation and maintenance costs unless agreed otherwise.
Grant workers the authority needed to perform their duties.
Provide electronic systems to monitor performance while respecting privacy and protecting personal data.
Employers may not use monitoring systems that violate privacy or misuse workers’ personal data.
Worker responsibilities
Remote workers are required to:
Perform work personally during agreed hours.
Use ICT tools provided by the employer, or their own if compatible with the company’s security systems.
Maintain confidentiality of all work-related information.
Care for ICT tools and return them upon request.
Deliver work as agreed and report any technical or operational issues promptly.
Workers may disconnect from systems if privacy is violated or data is misused without consent. Requests for partial remote work can be approved or denied based on business needs; employers are not obligated to provide ICT tools in such cases.
Remote work contracts
Fully remote contracts must be in writing and include:
Employer and worker details, contract dates, work type and duration.
Remuneration and payment schedule, working hours.
ICT tools and communication arrangements, including responsibilities for installation and maintenance.
Supervision, monitoring, and performance evaluation mechanisms.
Occupational health, safety, information security, and privacy obligations.
Resuming on-site work
Employers may require remote workers to return to the workplace if:
There is a threat to information security or data is compromised.
Workers breach remote work policies.
Agreed working hours are not observed.
Partial remote work period expires.
Remote workers retain all rights and obligations under the Labour Law and its implementing regulations.
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