Private sector inches closer to 5-day week

The Shoura Council will soon issue an amended Labor Law that would allow private sector employees to enjoy five-day week like their counterparts in the public sector.
“The Shoura is currently finalizing amendments to 20 articles of the Labor Law to fix weekly working hours of employees in the private sector,” an informed source said.
The Administrative and Human Resource Committee at the Shoura has already finalized a study on an insurance scheme against unemployment. The Shoura will discuss this study in one of its coming sessions, the source said.
Higher authorities recently returned a study prepared by the Shoura asking the consultative body to reduce the number of weekly working hours in the private sector from 48 to 40, a measure that was required to provide a two-day weekend to private sector workers.
The Labor Ministry had previously reached an agreement with businesses to reduce the weekly working hours from 48 to 45. “The higher authorities have instructed the Shoura to cut the working hours further to 40 per week,” the source said.
The move was aimed at encouraging Saudi youths to work in the private sector. Most Saudis prefer to work in the public sector where working hours do not exceed 35 weekly.
Abdul Aziz Thankayathil, an IT manager, welcomed the move, saying it would enhance productivity. He said his company had introduced the system a long time ago and it was operating well without affecting the company’s business.