Article 21 of the Saudi Employee Discipline Law
المادة 21 من نظام الانضباط الوظيفي
The article provides that disciplinary penalties imposed on an employee are erased two years after they are issued, unless another penalty is issued in that period, in which case the period runs from the last penalty, subject to other laws.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
مع مراعاة ما تقضي به الأنظمة الأخرى، تمحا الجزاءات التأديبية الموقعة على الموظف بعد مضي سنتين من تاريخ صدورها، ما لم يصدر في حقه جزاء آخر خلال تلك المدة. وفي هذه الحالة تحسب المدة من تاريخ صدور قرار الجزاء الأخير.
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 governs the erasure of disciplinary penalties imposed on an employee.
The rule: disciplinary penalties are erased two years after the date they were issued.
The condition: no other penalty is issued against the employee during that period. If a new penalty is issued within the two years, the period is counted from the date of the last penalty decision.
The qualification: this is subject to what other laws provide, so if another law contains a provision on this matter, it must be taken into account. The article does not name those laws, and it does not detail the effects of erasure.
It follows that an employee who goes two years after a penalty without a new one has the penalties erased, whereas repeated violations delay the erasure.
This article comes after Article 20, which sets out the cases in which a violation or a case lapses, including the passing of two years from discovery of the violation without any investigation or trial step being taken. Note the difference between the two provisions: lapse concerns the violation before a penalty is imposed, while erasure concerns a penalty that has actually been issued. It is followed by Article 22, which allows the Minister to delegate some of his powers except for imposing the penalty of dismissal.
Practical example
An employee of a government entity in Jeddah received a written warning, and a year later received another penalty, a deduction from salary. Under Article 21, erasure is not counted from the date of the warning; rather, the two-year period starts from the date of the deduction decision, unless another penalty is issued against him in the meantime.
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 Employee Discipline Law
When is a disciplinary penalty erased from an employee's record?
It is erased two years after the date it was issued, unless another penalty is issued against the employee in that period, subject to what other laws provide.
What if a new penalty is issued within the two years?
The period is counted from the date of the last penalty decision.
More articles on Disciplinary Penalties for Employees
- Article 5
The article provides that an employee proved to have committed a financial, administrative or conduct violation that breaches his duties is subject to the legal penalty, without prejudice to public-right or private-right claims.
كل موظف ثبت ارتكابه مخالفة مالية أو إدارية أو مسلكية مما يعد إخلالًا بواجب من واجباته الوظيفية، يطبق عليه الجزاء المنصوص عليه في النظام، وذلك دون إخلال بالحق في
- Article 6
The article sets the disciplinary penalties for an employee: a written warning, a salary deduction within limits, forfeiting an annual increment, not considering promotion for up to two years, and dismissal.
الجزاء الذي يجوز إيقاعه على الموظف هو: 1- الإنذار المكتوب. 2- الحسم من الراتب بما لا يتجاوز صافي راتب (ثلاثة) أشهر على ألَّا يتجاوز المحسوم شهريًّا (ثلث) صافي ا
- Article 7
The article relieves the employee of the penalty if it is proved that he committed the violation in executing his superior's order despite alerting his superior to it in writing or by any means recognized by law.
يعفى الموظف من الجزاء إذا ثبت أن ارتكابه المخالفة كان تنفيذًا لأمر صدر من رئيسه، بالرغم من تنبيه الموظف لرئيسه بالمخالفة كتابة أو بأي من الطرق المعتبرة نظامًا.
- Article 8
The article provides that the end of an employee's service does not prevent disciplinary proceedings except in death or total health incapacity, and the penalty is a fine of up to 3 times the last net salary.
في غير حالتي الوفاة أو العجز الصحي الكلي؛ لا يمنع انتهاء خدمة الموظف من اتخاذ الإجراءات المنصوص عليها في النظام، أو الاستمرار فيها. وفي هذه الحالة يكون الجزاء غ
- Article 10
The article regulates referring the employee to the committee and the Minister's approval of its recommendations, considering dismissal in a special committee, proportionality and non-duplication of penalties, and the Minister's right to refer to the Authority.
مع مراعاة ما نصت عليه كلٌّ من المادتين (الحادية عشرة) و(الثانية عشرة) من النظام: 1- إذا ظهر للجهة ارتكاب موظف لمخالفة، فيحال إلى اللجنة للتحقيق معه للنظر في إيق
- Article 16
The article requires the government body to give the Ministry of Human Resources, the Authority, the General Court of Audit and the employee a copy of the penalty decision, with the Regulations setting the procedures.
تزود الجهة الحكومية المختصة وزارة الموارد البشرية والتنمية الاجتماعية، والهيئة، والديوان العام للمحاسبة، والموظف صاحب الشأن؛ بصورة من القرار الصادر عنها بإيقاع
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.