Saudi Arabia's labor authorities have provided clear directives for employers dealing with domestic workers who abscond.
According to a government platform overseeing domestic labor affairs in the kingdom, if a domestic worker goes missing before or after the issuance of an iqama (residency permit), specific steps must be followed.
In cases where the worker disappears before an iqama is issued, the employer is required to file an "absenteeism" report with the General Directorate of Passports. Conversely, if the worker absconds after iqama issuance, the employer should file a related report through their account on the Absher platform linked to the Interior Ministry.
These guidelines come ahead of Ramadan, a period when demand for domestic workers typically surges in Saudi Arabia. In recent times, authorities have made efforts to regulate the domestic labor market.
The Ministry of Human Resources introduced Musaned, a platform dedicated to domestic labor, aimed at informing customers about their rights, duties, and various services, including visa issuance, recruitment requests, and contractual obligations between employers and workers.
Furthermore, the ministry stresses the importance of conducting contracts via Musaned, the official recruitment platform.
In October, Saudi Arabia implemented new regulations for employing domestic workers, including setting the minimum age for workers at 21 years to safeguard contractual rights. The regulations also specify that contractual dates should follow the Gregorian calendar unless stated otherwise, and any terms contradicting these rules are deemed void unless they benefit the worker.
Moreover, according to the new rules, domestic workers are entitled to 10-hour daily shifts and paid 24-hour successive rests weekly. Employers are prohibited from withholding workers' passports, personal documents, or belongings.
Domestic workers in Saudi Arabia encompass various roles such as housekeepers, drivers, maids, cleaners, cooks, guards, farmers, live-in nurses, tutors, and nannies.
