Given the economic and social developments in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the labor system plays a vital role in organizing the relationship between workers and employers, as well as defining their rights and duties. The Saudi labor system aims to provide a stable and fair work environment that encourages productivity and innovation, while preserving the dignity and rights of workers.
The Saudi leave system achieves the required balance between work and personal life for employees. It allows employees the opportunity to relax and unwind, promoting their mental and physical health and rejuvenating their energy and vitality to return to work with enthusiasm and renewed vigor. The Saudi leave system ensures the rights of workers according to Saudi legislation, allowing them to have paid annual leave, as well as exceptional leave for urgent events and special circumstances. The Saudi government is keen on updating regulations and systems to provide a flexible and balanced work environment that enhances the well-being of workers and ensures the sustainability of productivity and economic development.
Types of Saudi leave system:
Annual leave: Duration and eligibility conditions:
The duration of annual leave in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is 21 paid days, provided that a full year of actual service has been completed.
Calculation of payable salary during leave:
Only the basic salary is calculated without allowances or incentives, and it includes the period the worker spends on leave on official working days.
Accumulation, deferral, and substitution of leave:
Workers are entitled to accumulate leave if they cannot use it during the year, and it can be deferred based on an agreement between the parties. Leave can be substituted with the employer's approval for a monetary amount.
Official holidays: Number and dates:
They include national holidays such as Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, and Saudi National Day.
Provisions for working on holidays:
These days are official paid holidays for all workers in the Kingdom.
Sick leave: Conditions for eligibility:
The worker must be sick and unable to perform their work, and the employer must be informed as soon as possible.
Duration and compensation:
The duration of sick leave varies according to the condition and is paid if it is for a short period.
Required procedures to obtain it:
A medical certificate issued by an accredited health facility must be submitted.
Special leaves:
Marriage leave Death leave Hajj leave Maternity leave
Unpaid leave:
This leave is calculated based on an agreement between the parties and is subject to conditions and regulations determined by the employer according to the Saudi system.
Procedures for requesting leave and notifying it:
In the Saudi leave system, employee leave is a guaranteed right and one of the most important labor rights that companies must respect and implement according to local laws and regulations. This leave allows employees to rest and relax, contributing to improving performance and productivity upon their return to work. In this introduction, we will briefly review the procedures for requesting and notifying leave in the Saudi leave system.
Steps to submit a leave request:
When submitting a leave request in the Saudi leave system, the employee must submit an official leave request to the employer specifying the necessary details for the leave, such as the start date and end date, and the type of leave requested. The request should contain sufficient information needed by the employer to make a decision regarding approval of the leave, facilitating coordination and planning for the employee's absence and ensuring smooth continuity of work during their absence.
Required advance notice period:
Usually, it is preferred to submit the leave request and notification at least one working day before the start of the leave in the Saudi leave system. This allows the employer enough time to organize work and distribute tasks appropriately during the employee's absence. However, it should be noted that some companies may specify a longer notice period according to their internal policies and the amount of work that may be affected by the employee's absence. Therefore, it is necessary to check the company's policy regarding the Saudi leave system and the required notice period before requesting leave.
Required proof documents:
Saudi sick leave system: In the case of sick leave, the employee is required to submit a medical certificate issued by an accredited health facility to prove their inability to perform their work. This certificate includes the worker's health condition diagnosis, necessary treatment recommendations, and is an important tool to confirm the validity of the sick leave request and justify the worker's absence from work.
Saudi special leave system:
In the Saudi leave system, the requirements for special leave vary, where some special leaves may require documents proving the condition that warrants the leave. For example, employees wishing to take marriage leave may be required to submit a marriage certificate as evidence of their new marital status. Similarly, death leave may require a death certificate of a family member as a document proving the sad condition justifying the absence from work. These documents help confirm the condition that warrants the leave and facilitate the process of processing the leave request by the employer.
Employer's role in approving leave requests:
In the Saudi leave system, it is one of the employer's responsibilities to review the leave requests submitted by employees and make a decision on approving them according to the company's policy and the applicable labor laws in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The employer must consider the impact of the employee's absence on the
In the Saudi labor system, the rights of employers regarding vacations are of great importance, as they provide them with the ability to organize and determine the vacations of their employees in line with the needs and requirements of the work. Employers have the right to reject vacation requests in cases of extreme necessity that may negatively affect the work process. They also have the right to recall employees from their vacations in emergency situations to ensure the continuity of work. These rights are essential for employers to ensure the efficient and effective operation of work, reflecting an important balance between workers' rights and work needs.
Employers' rights regarding the Saudi vacation system include:
Determination of Annual Vacation Dates:
Employers have the right to determine the dates of annual vacations for employees according to the needs of the work and the company's policy, ensuring the continuity of work in a regular and effective manner. Determining vacation dates appropriately is an essential part of human resource management, contributing to achieving a balance between work needs and employees' needs, enhancing their satisfaction and productivity. This policy contributes to improving the work environment and enhancing team spirit within the company, benefiting everyone.
Rejection of Vacation Requests in Some Cases:
Employers have the right to reject vacation requests in some necessary cases, when the absence of the worker may have a negative impact on the work process and productivity in the Saudi vacation system. For example, rejecting the request may be justified when there are no alternatives for the worker requesting the vacation, which may lead to work disruption or project delays. The rejection can also be justified in cases of emergencies that require the presence of the worker to deal with unexpected situations that may arise in the work process. This policy aims to ensure the continuity of work and avoid any negative effects on the production process.
Recalling Employees from Vacation in Emergencies:
In the Saudi vacation system, employers have the right to recall employees from their vacations in emergencies that may negatively affect the work process or threaten the safety of employees or property. Employers must take this step when there is an urgent need for the employee's presence that cannot be postponed, such as natural disasters, emergency work accidents, or other situations that require immediate intervention to maintain the work process and everyone's safety. This policy aims to ensure a quick and effective response in emergencies, achieving the highest levels of safety and security within the workplace.
Features of Human Resource Management Programs in Managing the Saudi Vacation System:
Managing the Saudi vacation system is one of the main challenges facing human resource management, requiring precise organization and effective communication between employees and their management. Human resource management programs, such as DocSuite for example, provide integrated solutions for managing vacations in an effective and organized manner.
Automation of Vacation Requests and Approvals:
One of the key aspects of human resource management programs like DocSuite in the Saudi vacation system is the automation of vacation requests and approvals. Employees can easily submit vacation requests through the system at any time via the digital interface, increasing the speed and efficiency of the request submission process. On the other hand, human resource management receives vacation requests automatically, directing them to authorized managers for approval or rejection. Managers can view the details of the requests and the proposed vacation dates, and make their decisions accordingly immediately. This process facilitates vacation coordination and improves communication between employees and management, contributing to improving the work environment and increasing human resource management efficiency.
Tracking Vacation Balances for Each Employee:
Through the vacation registration and management feature in DocSuite system, companies can significantly improve the management of the Saudi vacation system. Employees can easily record vacation requests, and on the other hand, human resource management can track vacation balances for each employee accurately and effectively, ensuring no conflict in vacations and achieving a balance between employees' needs and company needs. This feature also provides detailed reports on the use of the Saudi vacation system, helping companies make strategic decisions regarding human resource management and improving the work environment in general.
Calculating Due Wages During the Saudi Vacation System:
Through the synchronization feature of attendance and leave records online, human resource management systems can ensure the accurate calculation of due wages during vacation periods in the Saudi vacation system. The system automatically documents employees' attendance and departure records, and this documentation is linked to the submitted vacation requests, facilitating the determination of the correct wages based on the actual days the employee is absent from work. This feature allows companies to save the time and effort needed to calculate wages manually, as well as to increase the accuracy of calculations and improve employees' experience regarding salaries and financial entitlements.
Sending Alerts to Employees Regarding Their Vacation Affairs:
The alerts and notifications feature in human resource management systems is a powerful tool to facilitate the management of the Saudi vacation system. This feature sends alerts and notifications to employees regarding their vacation affairs, making it easy for them to follow up on the status of vacation requests and approvals effectively and quickly. For example, the system can send an alert when a new vacation request is submitted, indicating the status of the request (such as pending, approved, rejected) and the proposed start and end dates of the vacation. It can also send reminders to employees before the start of the vacation to remind them of the necessary preparations, as well as after the end of the vacation to ensure their return to work regularly. This feature enhances communication between employees and human resource management, facilitates vacation follow-up and organization, contributing to improving employees' experience and increasing the efficiency of human resource management.
Creating Reports on the Use of the Saudi Vacation System:
The report building package in the human resource management system provides the ability to create comprehensive reports on the use of vacations easily and effectively. Companies can generate detailed reports including the number of used and remaining vacations for each employee, the type of vacation taken, and the distribution of vacations throughout the year. In addition, the report building package helps in generating reports on the number of requests submitted, approved, and rejected, which helps human resource management analyze vacation usage patterns and make strategic decisions based on this data.
In conclusion, the Saudi vacation system is a vital part of the framework that ensures the rights of employees and regulates the vacation process in a way that achieves a balance between work needs and individual rights. This system is characterized by its flexibility and multiple options, allowing employees to benefit from a variety of vacations that suit their needs, while the Saudi law ensures their rights to receive the deserved vacation. Through the use of advanced human resource management techniques and modern applications, companies can facilitate the management of the Saudi vacation system and make it more efficient and transparent. This contributes to enhancing the work environment and employees' well-being, which in turn enhances productivity and achieves the company's goals more effectively. Understanding this system and adhering to its correct implementation is essential to ensure a healthy balance between employees' rights and work requirements, which is the basis for a strong working relationship between companies and their employees.
In short, vacations play a major role in enhancing productivity and improving the work environment, and they are an essential part of workers' rights that must be respected and implemented correctly to ensure the benefit of everyone and achieve the highest level of satisfaction in the workplace.