07 April 2020 – Permitted employers to reduce employees” working hours

Intervention Categories: Legal and policy; Enforcement actions; Finance policy and financial aid; Stimulus packages and financial support
Level of Jurisdiction: National

Overview: The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has issued a decision to regulate the contractual relationship between employees and employers during the pandemic.

Where it is necessary to reduce an employee”s working hours due to government pandemic measures, the employer may agree with the employee, within the six months following the start of the enforcement of these procedures, to either reduce the employee”s wage to adjust with the actual work hours, or grant the employee local leave to be deduced from his/her deserved annual vacation, or granting him/her an exceptional leave.

The employer may not terminate the employee”s contract if the employer has benefited from any government subsidy to deal with this situation.

In addition to that, the employee will have the right to terminate his/her work contract.
Full details here: https://www.my.gov.sa/wps/portal/snp/pages/news/newsDetails/CONT-news-070420202