Summary of Court Ruling on Arbitrary Dismissal of Female Employee in Riyadh

Summary of Court Ruling on Arbitrary Dismissal of Female Employee in Riyadh Court Ruling. The labor circuit at the Court of Appeal in Riyadh ruled in favor of a female employee, awarding her SR275,000 in compensation for arbitrary dismissal from her job before the completion of her contract. The compensation covers wages for the notice period, leave balance, end-of-service allowance, and a certificate of experience as required by the Labor Law.

Summary of Court Ruling on Arbitrary Dismissal of Female Employee in Riyadh

Details of the Case:

Reason for Dismissal: The employee was dismissed from a private company after being absent from work due to delayed salary payments for two months. The court ruled that her absence was justified under Article 81 of the Labor Law, which allows employees to leave work without notice if the employer fails to fulfill essential contractual obligations, such as timely payment of wages.
Employee’s Claims: The female employee also claimed she was harassed by the company. Including being subjected to insults, unjustified penalties, and fines. This led her to seek help from the labor office and cease working until her complaint was resolved.
Company’s Defense: The company argued that the employee stopped working and that they acted according to the Labor Law regulations. However, the court found that the employee’s dismissal was unlawful due to the company’s failure to pay her wages on time, making her dismissal arbitrary under Article 77 of the Labor Law.

Legal Expert Commentary:

Worker’s Rights: Legal expert Khaled Abu Rashid emphasized that the Saudi Labor Law grants workers the right to leave work without notice under certain conditions, such as non-payment of wages, mistreatment, or being assigned tasks that differ significantly from the agreed-upon work. Employers are obligated to provide a service certificate upon contract termination and must not include any information that could harm the worker’s reputation or job prospects.