Article 20 of the Saudi Labor Law
المادة 20 من نظام العمل · الفصل الأول: التعريفات
Article 20 bars both employer and worker from misusing the law and its regulations, and from pressuring the freedom of the other or of others in a way contrary to freedom of work or the competence of the body that settles disputes.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا يجوز لصاحب العمل أو العامل أن يقوم بعمل من شأنه إساءة استعمال أحكام هذا النظام أو القرارات واللوائح الصادرة تنفيذًا لأحكامه. كما لا يجوز لأي منهما القيام بعمل من شأنه الضغط على حرية الآخر أو حرية عمال أو أصحاب عمل آخرين لتحقيق أي مصلحة أو وجهة نظر يتبناها مما يتنافى مع حرية العمل أو اختصاص الجهة المختصة بتسوية الخلافات.
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 20 explained in plain English
Article 20 of the Labor Law sets a general rule governing the conduct of both parties to the employment relationship. It does not address the employer alone or the worker alone, but requires both to refrain from two kinds of acts:
- Misusing the provisions of the law: neither party may use the texts of the Labor Law or the decisions and regulations issued to implement it in a way that diverts them from their purpose, or rely on them to reach a result the law does not intend. The rights the law grants are supposed to be used in good faith, not as a tool to harm the other party.
- Pressuring the freedom of others: neither the employer nor the worker may do an act that pressures the freedom of the other party, or the freedom of other workers or employers, in order to achieve an interest or impose a view he holds, where that is contrary to freedom of work or to the competence of the competent body for settling disputes.
The article thus protects two basic values:
- Freedom of work: that is, the freedom of every person to work, contract or refrain without coercion from the other party or from others.
- The competence of the body that settles disputes: labor disputes go to the body competent to settle them, and no party may try to impose a solution by pressure or coercion instead of resorting to it.
This article comes among the general provisions in Chapter One of the law, alongside Article 19, which protects the worker's dues by making them first-degree privileged debts, and Article 21, which requires the Minister to coordinate with the relevant bodies to implement the law. Note that Article 20 states the prohibition without specifying a particular penalty in its text, and it does not name the body competent to settle disputes; these matters are completed from the other articles of the law.
In practice, a person who believes he has been subjected to misuse of the law or to pressure on his freedom would do well to document what happened and consult a lawyer who specializes in labor cases to decide the appropriate step.
Practical example
A dispute arose between Ahmed and a company he works for in Dammam over calculating overtime pay. Instead of presenting the dispute to the body competent to settle it, Ahmed began pressuring his colleagues to stop work until the company met his demand, and in return the company's management tried to force the other workers to sign undertakings not to file any complaint in the future. Both acts conflict with Article 20: Ahmed pressured the freedom of other workers to impose his view away from the body that settles disputes, and the company pressured its workers' freedom to resort to that body. The proper course is for the dispute to be presented to the competent body without coercion from either party.
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 20 of the Saudi Labor Law
Does Article 20 of the Labor Law apply to the worker or only the employer?
It applies to both parties; the text prohibits the employer and the worker alike from misusing the provisions of the law, and also prevents either from pressuring the freedom of the other or of other workers or employers.
What is meant by misusing the provisions of the Labor Law?
It means doing an act that exploits the texts of the law or the decisions and regulations issued to implement it in a way contrary to their purpose, which Article 20 expressly prohibits for both the employer and the worker.
May an employer pressure a worker not to resort to the body that settles disputes?
No. Article 20 prohibits any act that would pressure the freedom of the other party to achieve an interest or impose a view, in a way contrary to freedom of work or the competence of the body competent to settle disputes.
Does Article 20 set a penalty for violating it?
The text of Article 20 does not set a particular penalty; it only states the prohibition, and the consequences of violation are completed from the other articles of the law, and it is advisable to consult a lawyer who specializes in labor cases when needed.
More articles on Definitions and General Provisions of the Labor Law
- Article 1
Article 1 gives this law its official name, the "Labor Law", the name used in contracts, decisions and all other articles of the law.
يسمى هذا النظام نظام العمل.
- Article 2Amended by M/44
Article 2 defines the terms used in the Labor Law, such as worker, employer, basic and actual wage, continuous service, types of work, secondment and resignation.
يقصد بالألفاظ والعبارات الآتية -أينما وردت في هذا النظام- المعاني المبينة أمامها ما لم يقتض السياق خلاف ذلك: الوزارة: وزارة العمل. الوزير: وزير العمل. مكتب العم
- Article 3Amended (1440 AH)
The article provides that work is a right of the citizen, that others may not practice it except on the law's conditions, and that citizens are equal in the right to work without discrimination based on sex, disability, age or otherwise.
العمل حق للمواطن، لا يجوز لغيره ممارسته إلا بعد توافر الشروط المنصوص عليها في هذا النظام، والمواطنون متساوون في حق العمل دون أي تمييز على أساس الجنس أو الإعاقة
- Article 4
Article 4 requires the employer and the worker alike to observe the provisions of Islamic Sharia in everything relating to the application of the Labor Law.
يجب على صاحب العمل والعامل عند تطبيق أحكام هذا النظام الالتزام بمقتضيات أحكام الشريعة الإسلامية.
- 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 6
Article 6 sets the provisions that apply to the casual, seasonal and temporary worker: duties, discipline, working hours, rest, overtime, official holidays, safety, work injuries and what the Minister decides.
تسري على العامل العرضي والموسمي والمؤقت الأحكام الخاصة بالواجبات وقواعد التأديب، والحد الأقصى لساعات العمل، وفترات الراحة اليومية والراحة الأسبوعية، والتشغيل 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.