New labour law for sick leave

According to the requirements of Article 117 of the Saudi Labor Law, a worker whose illness is established is entitled to a paid sick leave, according to the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD).

The MHRSD went on to say that while an employer cannot deny a worker sick time, they do have the authority to obtain medical records from recognized medical facilities.

In response, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development clarified on its official Twitter account that annual raises are contingent upon an agreement reached between the employer and the employee and the rules authorized by the business.

Saudi Labor Law Article 117:

For the first 30 days of a worker’s illness, whether it is continuous or irregular, they are entitled to full compensation for sick leave. For the following 60 days, they are entitled to three quarters of their wage, and for the final 30 days, they are not. A single year is defined as the period of time starting on the first day of an unwell leave.

An employee is granted a total of 120 days of sick leave, but they must submit a medical certificate for each day that they are ill. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia only requires employers with more than 20 employees to comply with the sick leave regulation.

Earlier, the Ministry of HR made clear that a worker’s employment cannot be terminated owing to illness prior to the expiration of the precise sick leave periods outlined in the Saudi Labor Law.

The worker has the right to ask for a slip of his yearly sick leave, according to the MHRSD. The days of yearly leave must be postponed until the end of the sick leave if the days of sick leave fall on those days. The employee will not be paid for the weekly off days that fall on his sick leave days, and the yearly leave days can then be resumed.

If an employee becomes temporarily disabled due to an accident that occurred while they were working, they are entitled to financial assistance equal to their full salary for 60 days. After that, they are also entitled to financial assistance equal to 75% of their salary for the duration of their treatment.

The injury shall be treated as a permanent handicap and as such, his employment contract may be terminated if the treatment time surpasses one year or if a medical professional determines that the employee is unlikely to recover and his health condition prevents him from working.

According to the Saudi Labor Law, the employer in this situation must compensate the wounded worker and is not entitled to recoup any wages paid to the worker during that year.

After serving a 90-day probationary period with the company, an employee on probation is qualified for sick leave under Saudi Labor Law’s Article (53).

Saudi Labor Law Article (53):

If an employee is required to go through a probationary term, the job contract must specifically and clearly mention this. With the exception of the holidays for Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha and sick days, this probationary period cannot be longer than 90 days.