Labor Law Issues under the Conditions of Corona Pandemic

Saudi Legislature Efforts to Confront Pandemic Challenges

The Saudi legislative environment is known by keeping pace with new shifts and developments happening in Saudi Arabia and the world. This was clearly demonstrated in combating Covid-19. In this Elm webinar, Fahd Al-Maliki took his audience in a journey to explore recent legislative measures.

Challenges Facing Entrepreneurs

"Where does every entrepreneur place themselves in these exceptional circumstances?"

This is the broader question shows the size of the challenges that faced entrepreneurs legally. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has exerted great efforts to solve the problems emanating from this question. The Human Resources Ministry issued many decisions to protect workers in their workplace, support the private sector with possible facilitations to overcome the crisis, and organize the contractual relationship between employees and employers.

Supportive Legal Framework

In light of the spread and seriousness of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Saudi legislature had to introduce legal concepts that contribute to continuing and facilitating businesses, as the legislature saw that there would be an interdependency between the employer and the employee to reach a mutual agreement. The Saudi legislature gave the employee and employer options for an agreement that would serve the different nature of work, on condition that they do not violate the law or use any of its articles to serve personal purposes.

A National and Moral Responsibility

The new provisions and guidelines were introduced by the Saudi legislature as a part of precautionary and preventive measures to reduce the severity of the crisis and as a severe necessity dictated by the existing circumstances. These measures are a national and moral responsibility that must be adhered to by individuals and various institutions. This is to ensure workflow without delay, taking into account the public interest and employers and mitigating the economic effects on the private sector.