Sunday 15 December 2013

40-hour week for private sector backed

The Shoura Council has proposed a 40-hour week with a two-day weekend for private sector employees. The proposal will be put for voting on Monday.
“A final decision on the matter will be taken on Monday after the Shoura Council listens to the views of administrative and manpower committee members,” an official statement said.
The committee has brought down the total number of working hours per week to 40 instead of 45. The proposal allows employees to have a two-day weekend upon condition that one of the days off should be Friday.
Working hours for Muslims are proposed to be brought down to seven hours a day, or a maximum of 35 hours per week, during Ramadan to help Muslims fulfil their fasting duties with ease.
The amended bill emphasizes that an employee should not work for more than five hours continuously without a minimum 30-minute break for prayer and food. In addition, the amended bill stipulates that an employee should not work for more than 12 hours a day.
The bill also states that a female employee should have the right to five days’ paid leave if her husband, mother, father or offspring dies or in the event that she gets married.
Female employees should also be entitled to 30 days’ paid leave if tasked with caring for sick or handicapped children and be allowed to take an additional month of unpaid leave if needed.
A Muslim woman is entitled to four months and 10 days of paid ‘edda’ leave in the event her husband dies as prescribed in the Qur’an, while non-Muslim women will be allowed 15 days paid leave.
Labor law violators will be fined a maximum of SR100,000 and firms found harbouring illegals will be shut down for a maximum period of one month.

NEWS SOURCE:ARAB NEWS