Article 120 of the Saudi Labor Law
المادة 120 من نظام العمل · الباب السابع: العمل لبعض الوقت
Article 120 authorizes the Minister to set the rules for part-time work and each party's obligations; the law applies to these workers only within the limits he sets, with safety, occupational health and work injury protection fully ensured.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يصدر الوزير القواعد والضوابط اللازمة لتنظيم العمل لبعض الوقت، يحدد فيه الالتزامات المترتبة على كل من العامل لبعض الوقت وصاحب العمل، ولا تسري أحكام هذا النظام إلا في الحدود التي يقررها الوزير، باستثناء الحماية الممنوحة للعاملين طوال الوقت المماثلين، من حيث السلامة والصحة المهنية وإصابات العمل.
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 120 explained in plain English
Article 120 of the Labor Law regulates the status of the "part-time worker," that is, a worker who does not work the full ordinary working day in the establishment. The law itself did not set out the details, but referred to the Minister to issue the rules and controls that regulate this type of work.
The article rests on three pillars:
- Delegation to the Minister: the Minister issues rules organizing part-time work and specifies in them the obligations of the part-time worker and the employer's obligations toward them.
- Limited application of the law: the provisions of the Labor Law are not applied to a part-time worker except within the limits the Minister sets; not everything a full-time worker enjoys automatically passes to a part-time worker.
- An exception that may not be touched: protection relating to occupational safety and health and work injuries applies to the part-time worker to the same extent that it applies to a comparable full-time worker, whatever limits the Minister sets.
The article's position in Part Eight on the prevention of work hazards explains the reason for this exception: the danger to a worker's health is no less because they work fewer hours, and so the employer's duties in Article 121 concerning keeping the establishment in a healthy and clean condition and providing protection and safety rules cover part-time workers like everyone else.
Article 119 completes the picture by specifying who is not a part-time worker: full-time workers whose hours were reduced collectively and temporarily for economic, technical or structural reasons remain full-time workers, and these circumstances do not move them into the category regulated by Article 120.
In practice, the part-time worker and the employer should refer to the decisions the Minister issues to learn the rights and obligations applicable between them, while making sure that occupational safety and health and work injury rights are guaranteed in all cases. If there is a dispute over whether a particular provision applies to a part-time worker, it is advisable to consult a lawyer who specializes in labor cases.
Practical example
Noura works at a packaging factory in Dammam for 4 hours a day under a part-time employment contract. While operating a machine she suffered a hand injury, and the human resources officer told her that the work injury provisions do not apply to her because she is not a full-time employee. This understanding violates Article 120; although the law left it to the Minister to determine the extent to which its provisions apply to a part-time worker, it expressly excepted protection relating to occupational safety and health and work injuries, so Noura is entitled to it to the same extent as her full-time colleague at the same machine. The factory also remains bound toward her by the protection and safety duties in Article 121.
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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Active contributorFrequently asked questions about Article 120 of the Saudi Labor Law
Who determines the rights and obligations of a part-time worker in Saudi Arabia?
Under Article 120 of the Labor Law, the Minister issues the rules and controls needed to organize part-time work and specifies in them the obligations on both the part-time worker and the employer.
Do all provisions of the Labor Law apply to a part-time worker?
No. Article 120 provides that the provisions of the law apply to a part-time worker only within the limits the Minister sets, except for protection in occupational safety and health and work injuries, which applies in full.
Does a part-time worker get protection from work injuries?
Yes. Article 120 guarantees the part-time worker the protection granted to comparable full-time workers in terms of occupational safety and health and work injuries, and this protection may not be restricted by a decision of the Minister.
Is a worker whose hours were temporarily reduced a part-time worker?
No. Article 119 makes clear that full-time workers affected by a collective and temporary reduction in their working hours for economic, technical or structural reasons are not considered part-time workers.
More articles on Part-Time Work
- Article 5Amended (1436 AH)
Article 5 sets the scope of the Labor Law: every paid employment contract under an employer's management, government and public-body workers, charity workers, training contracts, and part-time workers within set limits.
تسري أحكام هذا النظام على الآتي : 1 - كل عقد عمل يلتزم بمقتضاه أي شخص بالعمل لمصلحة صاحب عمل وتحت إدارته أو إشرافه؛ مقابل أجر. 2 - عمال الحكومة والهيئات والمؤسس
- Article 119
A full-time worker does not become a part-time worker if their ordinary hours are reduced collectively and temporarily for economic, technical or structural reasons.
لا يعد العاملون طوال الوقت الذين يتأثرون بتخفيض جماعي ومؤقت لساعات عملهم العادية لأسباب اقتصادية أو تقنية أو هيكلية عاملين لبعض الوقت.
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.