Arab News, Thursday, Jan 14, 2021 | Jamadi Al Thani 1, 1442
COVID-related article in Labor Law ‘no longer effective’, says Saudi ministry
Saudi Arabia: The Ministry of Human Resources and Social
Development (HRSD) announced Jan. 13, that Article No. 41 on the COVID-19
pandemic, which was introduced to the Labor Law, is no longer effective.
According to Argaam’s data, the article was introduced in April 2020 to the
executive regulations of the Labor Law, in order to improve and protect the
contractual relationship between employees and employers amid the COVID-19
outbreak.
The article states that, in the event that the state decides to take actions or
precautionary measures that would require reducing working hours, the employer
shall be required to agree with the employee within six months after such
actions and measures become in effect, on either of the following:
- Reducing the employee’s wage, in proportion with the number of actual working
hours;
- Giving the employee a leave that will be deducted from annual leave balances;
- Giving the employees an exceptional leave, as stipulated in Article No. 116 of
the Labor Law.