Saudi Gazette report RIYADH – A Riyadh Shariah court has ordered three Sri Lankan housemaids to pay their sponsors SR43,000, the fees for their recruitment and procurement of residency permits, because they refused to work and insisted on being sent back to their home country, a section of the Arabic press reported on Monday. The sponsors recruited the maids a few months ago and were surprised when they demanded deportation to their home country. The Domestic Servants' Affairs Center at Riyadh police tried several times to talk the housemaids out of quitting their jobs. But when their efforts failed they referring the case to the court. The housemaids even refused to have their sponsorship transferred to another employer. They are still being held at the center and won't be released until they have paid the above amount to the sponsors. Regulations on the rights and duties of domestic helpers and sponsors, which were approved by the Council of Ministers on July 15 last year, came into force last October. According to the regulations, a domestic helper does not have the right to reject work, or leave a job, without a valid reason. It is also the duty of the domestic helper to ensure the safety of the properties of the employer and family members, and not harm anyone of them, especially children and the aged. Workers are also required to keep secrets of the household. They have no right to do any other work for their personal benefits or engage in any activities that are harmful to the family. There are provisions in the bylaw to punish violating employer or domestic helper. If the employer commits a violation, he will face one-year recruitment ban or SR2,000 in fine or both. In case of repetition of the violation, the fine will be increased to SR5,000 in addition to a three-year recruitment ban. If the violation is committed for a third time, permanent recruitment ban will be imposed and fines will be doubled. In case of violation of any provision of the regulations, a fine of SR2,000 will be imposed against the worker besides a ban on working in the Kingdom. The worker will also bear the cost of the final exit trip. The new rules require employers to pay domestic helpers the agreed monthly salary without delay, and give them a day off each week. Employers are also required to provide domestic helpers with suitable accommodations, as well as granting them time to rest for at least nine hours each day. Under the new guidelines, workers are entitled to paid sick leave and a one-month paid vacation after putting in two years of work as well as end of service compensation equal to one month salary after four years. The employer has no right to compel domestic helpers to do a job that does not come under the purview of the labor contract.
