Article 21 of the Saudi Civil Service Law
المادة 21 من نظام الخدمة المدنية · الفصل الثالث: الرواتب والعلاوات
Article 21 links salary to actual work: an employee is not entitled to salary for days and hours in which he does not perform his work, subject to other laws and regulations.
Official text after amendments (Arabic)
Compiled from the original text and every officially published amendment; the amendments are shown in full below for comparison.
مع مراعاة ما تقضي به الأنظمة واللوائح الأخرى، لا يستحق الموظف راتباً عن الأيام والساعات التي لا يباشر فيها عمله
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 21 explained in plain English
This article ties salary to actual work: the employee is not entitled to salary for days and hours in which he does not perform his work. The rule covers both days and hours, so it is not limited to a full day's absence.
But the article opens with an important qualification: "subject to what other laws and regulations provide". This means the rule is not absolute; other laws or regulations may contain special provisions for cases in which the employee does not perform his work. The article does not specify those cases, so they are to be found in those laws and regulations.
The article is connected to neighboring salary provisions: Article 20 provides that an employee's salary may not be attached except by order of the competent authority and within a limit of one-third of the net monthly salary, except for alimony debt. Article 22 deals with the assignment allowance for an employee for each day he spends away from his place of work.
The article does not address the disciplinary consequences of absence; it is limited to its effect on entitlement to salary. Anyone who has had a deduction made from his salary and believes his absence is covered by a provision of another law or regulation would do well to consult a lawyer specializing in administrative cases and civil service matters.
Practical example
An employee at a government entity in Taif is absent from work for two days and arrives two hours late on another day, without this being covered by a provision of another law or regulation. Under this article, he is not entitled to salary for those two days and those two hours.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 21 of the Saudi Civil Service Law
Is a government employee's salary deducted for days of absence?
Article 21 provides that an employee is not entitled to salary for days and hours in which he does not perform his work, subject to what other laws and regulations provide.
Does the rule include hours of lateness?
Yes. The text covers the days and hours in which the employee does not perform his work.
Are there exceptions to this rule?
The article makes the rule subject to what other laws and regulations provide, so those laws and regulations may contain special provisions.
Amendment history
Amendment
Official amendment text (Arabic)
عُدلت المادة (21) لتكون بالنص الآتي:
"مع مراعاة ما تقضي به الأنظمة واللوائح الأخرى، لا يستحق الموظف راتباً عن الأيام والساعات التي لا يباشر فيها عمله".
Original text before the amendments (Arabic)
مع مراعاة ما تقضي به الأنظمة لا يستحق الموظف راتباً عن الأيام التي لا يباشر فيها عمله.
More articles on Employee Salaries and Increments
- Article 16
The article provides that the employee is entitled to his salary from the date he starts work.
يستحق الموظف راتبه اعتباراً من تاريخ مباشرته العمل.
- Article 17
The article provides for granting the employee the allowance by moving him to the step immediately following in the same grade under the salary scale, starting from the first day of each fiscal year.
يمنح الموظف العلاوة وفق سلم الرواتب الملحق بهذا النظام، وذلك بمنحه الدرجة التالية المباشرة للدرجة التي يشغلها في المرتبة نفسها. ويتم ذلك ابتداءً من أول يوم في ك
- Article 18Amended (1438 AH)
The article sets the step an employee is placed on when appointed, promoted or returned to service, ensuring a promoted employee's increase is not less than the allowance of his previous grade.
أ - يمنح الموظف المعين راتب أول درجة في مرتبة الوظيفة التي عين عليها، فإذا كان راتبه عند التعيين يساوي راتب هذه الدرجة أو يزيد عليه؛ يمنح راتب أول درجة تتجاوز ر
- Article 19
The article provides for paying half the net basic salary of an employee suspended from duty, held in precautionary detention or detained in private rights, and states when the other half is paid and when what was paid is not recovered.
أ- يصرف للموظف المكفوف اليد ومن في حكمه، أو الموقوف احتياطياً نصف صافي راتبه الأساسي، فإن برّئ أو عوقب بغير الفصل فيصرف له النصف الباقي منه. ولا يستعاد ما صرف ل
- Article 20Amended
Article 20 bars attachment of an employee's salary except by order of the competent authority, caps it at one-third of net monthly salary (excluding alimony debt), and provides basic salary for an employee detained over a government debt.
لا يجوز الحجز على شيء من راتب الموظف إلا بأمر من الجهة المختصة، ولا يجوز أن يتجاوز المقدار المحجوز في الشهر ثلث صافي راتبه الشهري ما عدا دين النفقة، وإذا كان ال
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.