RIYADH — The Ministry of Labor and Social Development (MLSD) and the Commission for Job Generation and Anti-Employment have called upon all segments of society, interested people and employers in the private sector to provide their feedback on a proposal that concerns regulating flexible work through the ‘Ma3an Lil Qara' portal (http://qarar.ma3an.gov.sa/a/ideas/recent/campaigns/20069). The draft decision allows an employer and a Saudi worker to hold a flexible contract where the wage is determined based on work hours with a minimum wage rate. According to the proposal, the employer is not incumbent to offer paid vacation, medical insurance, end of service award, overtime pay as well as registering the worker with the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI). However, the employer still has to protect workers under the flexible contract against injuries and accidents at work by applying occupational safety and health standards. The ministry said the initiative was the result of joint efforts made by a number of government and private entities. It said the move aims to realize the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 to reduce unemployment and enhance practical experiences of the youth and women in order to allow them to effectively participate in the labor market. The initiative is in a bid to improve the structure of the labor market as part of the authority's orchestrated intervention along with the MLSD, Ministry of Economy and Planning and the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF). Prior to unveiling the proposal, a joint working team conducted a study targeting young people, women and employers, taking into account several international experiences to determine the best regulations in use. The team also defined the challenges that may face the flexible work and proposed solutions, such as the development of a legal framework, which was the key outcome of the study. According to the study, 100,000 job opportunities can be generated for flexible contract workers by 2020 and this number will rise to 300,000 by 2028. Omer Batati, governor at the Commission for Job Generation and Anti-Employment, said questionnaires were distributed among 3,000 individuals and the joint team conducted 32 group interviews, more than 120 personal interviews with company representatives and held workshops, which were attended by 80 officials from the private and public sectors. Batati extended his thanks and appreciation to all participating entities for their efforts in making the initiative come to light, hoping the cooperation and partnership would continue among all parties and stakeholders for the sake of achieving prosperity and growth in the Kingdom. Dr. Ahmed Kattan, deputy minister for labor policies at the MLSD, pointed out that the new regulation will generate job opportunities for Saudi men and women on a flextime system. "This type of work is suitable for women, students and persons with disabilities, in particular. The employers also can benefit from pay per hour workers and reduce expenses," added Kattan. The ministry and the commission are keen to listen to people from all walks of life in order to improve the proposal, urging everyone to visit the Ma3an Lil Qarar portal and comment on it.
