Saudi Labor Law Article 81: Rights Of Employment Non-Saudis

Article 81 of the Saudi Labor Law includes the cases in which the worker has the right to leave work without prior notice to the employer, while the worker retains all his rights.

Saudi Labor Law Article 81

Article 81 of the Saudi Labor Law states the following: ^[1]

The worker has the right to leave work without notice while retaining all his statutory rights, in any of the following cases:

• If the employer fails to fulfill his essential contractual or statutory obligations towards the worker.
• If it is proven that the employer or his representative has defrauded him at the time of contracting with regard to the terms and conditions of work.
• If the employer assigns him, without his consent, to work that is fundamentally different from the work agreed upon, and contrary to what is stipulated in Article 60 of this system.
• If the employer, a member of his family, or the responsible manager commits a violent assault or immoral behavior towards the worker or a member of his family.
• If the treatment of the employer or the responsible manager is characterized by manifestations of cruelty, injustice, or insult.
• If there is a serious danger in the workplace that threatens the safety or health of the worker, provided that the employer was aware of its existence and did not take measures indicating its removal.
• If the employer or his representative has caused the worker, through his actions and especially his unfair treatment, or his violation of the terms of the contract, to appear to be the worker who has terminated the contract.

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Explanation of Saudi Labor Law Article 81

Below You can find an explanation of the cases of leaving work according to Article 81 of the Saudi Labor Law:

• First case: The worker can leave work if the employer does not fulfill his obligations included in the employment contract or what was agreed upon between the worker and the employer or what is stated in the internal regulations of the establishment as complementary to the employment contract, such as not paying the worker’s salaries on time.
• Second case: The worker can leave work if the employer deceived him regarding the nature of the work when signing the employment contract, such as telling the worker that his job is office work and then it turns out that it requires physical effort.
• Third case: The worker can leave work without notifying the employer if the employer assigns him work that is fundamentally different from what was agreed upon in the employment contract, except with the worker’s written consent or in cases of extreme necessity and for a maximum period of thirty days, such as assigning the accountant with secretarial work.
• Fourth case: The worker has the right to leave work if he or a member of his family is assaulted by the employer or by a member of his family, whether the assault is by beating or by speech that violates public morals.
• Fifth case: The worker can leave his work while retaining his rights if he is subjected to harsh and humiliating treatment, such as being deprived of a bonus that his colleagues received but the worker was deprived of because of his color, race, religion or nationality.
• Sixth case: The worker has the right to leave his work if there is a danger threatening his life in the workplace, but in this case the employer have to be aware of this danger and did not take any action to remove the danger and protect the worker from it.
• Seventh case: The worker can leave work while retaining his rights if he proves that the employer has pushed him to leave work by treating him badly, such as assigning him additional, exhausting tasks.

Download Saudi Labor Law PDF

The Saudi Labor Law can be downloaded in English and in PDF format “from here” and then the articles of the law can be viewed to learn about the rights and duties of the worker and the employer.

Conclusion

Article 81 is one of the articles of the Labor System Law in Saudi Arabia, which is keen to regulate the labor relationship between the employer and the worker so that the rights of each of them are preserved in the event of disputes regarding work.