Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Eng. Ahmed Al-Rajhi issued a decision to amend the Flexible Work Regulation to raise the number of working hours for a flexible Saudi worker to 160 hours per month in one facility. The ministry said that the new amendments included amendments to Clause 2 of Article 27 of the Executive Regulations of the Labor Law in this respect.

The amendments also included calculating a full point for the facility in Nitaqat Saudization Program upon completion of a total of 160 hours of flexible work by an employee or a group of employees. The number of Saudi men and women who are benefiting from the flexible work system has exceeded more than 35000 since its launch.

The amendments come within the ministry’s ongoing efforts to review labor market regulations, as well as to support the stability and growth of establishments, protect workers’ rights, and increase the attractiveness and flexibility of the labor market.

The ministry affirmed its keenness, through regulating flexible work to create opportunities for job seekers, and to provide jobs for Saudi workers who wish to increase their income, through a flexible contractual regulation in which the wage will be on hour basis. It also worked to preserve the rights of both parties, and raise the rate of safety and credibility by launching the flexible work platform to document employment contracts electronically.

Flexible Work Regulation offers attractive advantages for establishments and individuals, such as increasing the readiness of jobseekers to enter the labor market, as well as enabling them to practice the necessary professional skills, and reducing recruitment costs.

The Flexible Work Regulation is part of the ministry’s program to empower Saudi men and women looking for additional work on an hourly basis. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development announced the beginning of the application of flexible work system contracts that allow companies and establishments to contract with individuals to work during specific hours.

The service aims to document the contractual process between the employer and the employee so that the employee can practice this work in a regular manner. The establishments register the workers with the flexible work system(Mrn) and verify the data through Absher or the worker creates a personal file on the portal website, and the employer searches the portal for employees to choose the most appropriate candidate. Only Saudi citizens can take advantage of this system and it is not applicable in the government and military sectors.