There are different provisions when it comes to administering hours in which one is supposed to work, overtime, and rest days, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
They have a Labor Law, which states the maximum hours a worker should work, the amount to be paid for overtime, and the days one is supposed to rest.
An expert trying to acquire a job in KSA has an added advantage when familiar with the laws in the Labour Law.
In the case that you have no idea of the provisions of labor, it is necessary to have this list to ensure:
1. You’re working on the right days.
2. You get the required compensation.
Maximum Working Hours in Saudi Arabia
An employee should not work more than 8 hours in a given day.
The standard working hours in a day may vary a little sometimes provided that for one week one must work for a total of 48 hours
In some establishments in certain sectors where the employee mostly doesn’t work continuously, the working hours may be allocated up to 9 hours.
During the period of Ramadan, Muslims are required to work for 6 hours a day or a total of 36 hours a week.
Workers whose work is hazardous are to work at least 7 hours in a day which is to be approved by the Minister of Labor.
According to the Ministry of Labor, an employee who’s worked for a consecutive period of 5 hours is subject to a break or rest period.
These rest periods are not considered to be part of the working hours, thus the workers are not subject to work at that given time and should be allowed to go out for snacks and lunch.
Rest days and off days in KSA
In KSA the rest days are scheduled after working for 5 days consecutively.
The normal weekend commences from Friday to Saturday or Thursday.
Overtime Work and Hourly Rate
A worker is considered to have worked overtime when one has worked for more than the normal 48 working hours.
When an employee is required to work on official holidays, he/she is considered to be working overtime.
In the case that an employee is working overtime he/she should be subject to a 50 percent hourly rate for the extra hours worked.
Read about how you can calculate Overtime and Working hours in KSA.
During the pay for overtime, however, there are some exceptions such as:
- High position
- Per project-based employee
- Janitors
- Guards
The basis of this entire knowledge is to be informed in case of instances of abusive employers and for one’s safety and prosperity.
FAQs
I am Saif. I am the founder and chief writer for his own website called KSA Expat Guide and a freelance writer and web developer for many other websites. I live in Saudi Arabia as an ex-pat. Love to research all about KSA. I use my spare time to learn new things, travel, and write about them, especially when it comes to technology and things from the past.