Businesses call labor laws biased

Employers claim that they have been making efforts to legalize workers and meet goals under the Labor Ministry’s new requirements, but have remained unsuccessful in satisfying the criteria.
“The ministry cares more about the interests of employees than those of businesses and even goes as far as imposing sanctions and penalties on the latter. This does not resolve the problem of employee turnover,” read a statement issued by a commercial group.
Badar Saud, the director of a commercial group, said the ministry has taken tough measures on many issues, including implementing wage protection, employing a female work force in women's wear shops and nationalizing jobs. “It has not taken into account other factors,” he argued.
However, spokesman of the Labor Ministry Hatab Al-Anazi defended the decision of his ministry. “The Ministry always takes into consideration the interests of employees and employers alike in its decisions.”
Saud suggested that the ministry publish a guidebook to raise awareness among citizens on their obligations toward their jobs and explain the sanctions imposed on them in case they fail to commit to the regulations of the work system.
“Most firms face problems such as employee absenteeism and noncompliance with regulations of the business,” he added.
He pointed out that if a government agency wishes to issue a decision to affirm the rights of national labor then it should also consider the protection of the entity itself from breaches and waivers of its regulations.
Saud called on the Ministry of Labor to “coordinate with other bodies, such as social insurance corporation and the human resources fund, to deny any employee who quits his job without reason or prior notice his lawful privileges.”
Businessman Yusuf Abdulrahman, the owner of a complex of private schools, said: “We totally support the decisions of the Labor Ministry as they address the unemployment problem. But the decision took into account only one side without forcing employees to adhere to business regulations.”
He noted that negatives such as absenteeism should be addressed to strike a balance in the equation.
Noura Al-Dosari, an employer, said lack of regulations to protect establishments keen on the nationalization process is worrying. “A Cabinet decision must be enacted to address the problem of leaving a job suddenly without notice.”