JEDDAH – It is not permissible for an employer to engage his employee to work more than eight hours in a day or 48 hours in a week, according to the Human Rights Commission. In a statement, the commission has spelled out the rights of workers with regard to their working hours and the period for taking rest. The HRC regulations stipulate that an employer cannot engage his worker in his job for more than eight hours per day, if the employer adopts the daily standard, or more than 48 hours per week if the weekly standard is adopted. The actual working hours during Ramadan for Muslims are reduced to six hours per day or 36 hours per week. The employer has to organize working hours and rest periods during the day in a way so that the worker does not work more than five consecutive hours without a break for rest, prayer and food. The period for rest should not be less than half an hour at a time during the total working hours and the worker does not stay at the workplace for more than 12 hours a day. The HRC also noted that the period for rest, prayer and food shall not be included in the actual working hours. During such periods, the worker shall not be under the authority of the employer. The employer shall not oblige the worker to remain in the workplace during the period. Friday shall be the weekly rest day for all workers. The employer may replace this day with any day of the week for some of his workers after informing the competent Labor Office, and in such case, the employer must enable them to perform their religious duties. The weekly rest day may not be compensated for cash. The commission stipulated that the weekly rest day shall be 24 consecutive hours with full pay. According to the HRC regulations, no amount of wages of the worker may be deducted in case of special rights without his written consent, except in a number of circumstances. These include recovery of the employer's loans, provided that the deduction does not exceed 10 percent of his wage; contributions of social insurance and any other contributions due by the worker and prescribed by the law; worker's contributions to the Provident Fund and loans due to the fund; premiums of any project the employer undertakes to build housing for the purpose of owning by the workers, or any other advantages; and fines imposed on the worker for offenses committed by him as well as the amount deducted from him for what he has damaged. The employer shall collect a debt to enforce any judicial verdict, provided that the monthly deduction for that purpose shall not exceed more than one quarter of the wage owed to the worker unless the judgment stated otherwise. The debt of alimony shall be collected first, then the debt of food, clothing and housing before other debts. The commission explained that in all cases, the percentage of the deductible amount shall not exceed half of the wage, unless it is proved to the Labor Dispute Settlement Authority that the deduction of such percentage may be increased, or that the worker has the necessity for more than half of his wage. In the last case, the worker shall not be paid more than three quarters of his wages under any circumstances.
