Article 71 of the Saudi Labor Law
المادة 71 من نظام العمل · الباب الخامس: علاقات العمل
Article 71 requires, before any disciplinary sanction, notifying the worker in writing of the violation, questioning them, hearing their defense and recording this in a record, with oral questioning permitted for minor violations.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا يجوز توقيع جزاء تأديبي على العامل إلا بعد إبلاغه كتابة بما نسب إليه واستجوابه وتحقيق دفاعه وإثبات ذلك في محضر يودع في ملفه الخاص، ويجوز أن يكون الاستجواب شفاهة في المخالفات البسيطة التي لا يتعدى الجزاء المفروض على مرتكبها الإنذار أو الغرامة باقتطاع ما لا يزيد على أجر يوم واحد، على أن يثبت ذلك في المحضر.
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 71 explained in plain English
Article 71 of the Labor Law sets out the procedures that must be followed before punishing a worker; it is not enough for the violation to be established in the employer's view, as the worker must be given a real opportunity to defend themselves before any disciplinary decision is taken against them.
The steps the article requires are:
- Written notice: the worker is notified in writing of the violation attributed to them.
- Questioning: the worker is asked about the incident and their account is heard.
- Investigating the defense: the defenses or documents the worker presents are considered.
- Recording in a record: these procedures are recorded in a record placed in the worker's own file.
The only exception: for minor violations the questioning may be oral rather than written, and "minor" here means violations whose sanction does not exceed a warning or a fine of no more than one day's wage. Even so, the requirement that the questioning be recorded in the record remains in place in this case.
This article comes within an integrated system: Article 70 sets the limits of the sanction itself (such as that the fine may not exceed 5 days' wage for a single violation, and that more than one sanction may not be imposed for a single violation), while Article 72 regulates what follows the decision, since it requires notifying the worker of the sanction in writing and gives them the right to submit a grievance to the employer within 30 days and then to object before the labor courts.
What does the worker do? If a sanction is imposed on them without notifying them in writing or hearing their defense, they may rely on the breach of these procedures when submitting their grievance under Article 72, and it is advisable to consult a labor lawyer to assess their position.
Practical example
Ahmed works as a technician at a company in Jeddah, and was alleged to have disabled a machine through negligence, so his manager immediately decided to deduct 3 days' wage from his salary. This sanction cannot be imposed directly; Article 71 requires the company to notify Ahmed in writing of the violation attributed to him, to question him and hear his defense, and then to document this in a record kept in his file. If instead the violation were minor lateness whose sanction does not exceed a warning or the deduction of one day's wage, he could be questioned orally, provided this is recorded in the record.
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 71 of the Saudi Labor Law
May a worker be punished without an investigation with them?
No. Before imposing any disciplinary sanction, Article 71 requires notifying the worker in writing of what is attributed to them, questioning them, investigating their defense, and recording all of this in a record placed in their own file.
When may questioning be oral?
Oral questioning is permitted for minor violations whose sanction does not exceed a warning or a fine of no more than one day's wage, provided the questioning is recorded in the record.
Where is the record of the investigation with the worker kept?
The article provides that the record in which the notification, questioning and defense are recorded is placed in the worker's own file with the employer.
What can the worker do if a sanction is imposed on them without these procedures being followed?
They may rely on the breach of the procedures of Article 71 when submitting their written grievance to the employer within 30 days under Article 72, and then object before the labor courts if the grievance is rejected or not decided within 15 days.
More articles on Disciplinary Penalties
- Article 12Amended (1436 AH)
Article 12 directs the Ministry to prepare one or more unified models of the work organization regulation covering benefits, violations and disciplinary penalties, and to set controls and mechanisms for approving these regulations.
1 - تضع الوزارة نموذجاً موحداً - أو أكثر - للائحة تنظيم العمل، على أن يكون شاملاً لقواعد تنظيم العمل وما يتصل به من أحكام، بما في ذلك الأحكام المتعلقة بالميزات
- Article 13Amended (1436 AH)
Article 13 requires every employer to prepare a work organization regulation according to the Ministry's model, allows adding provisions that do not conflict with the law, and requires the regulation and its amendments to be announced to workers.
1 - يلتزم كل صاحب عمل بإعداد لائحة لتنظيم العمل في منشأته وفق النموذج المعد من الوزارة، ويجوز للوزير الاستثناء من ذلك. 2 - يجوز لصاحب العمل تضمين اللائحة شروطاً
- Article 63
Article 63 requires the employer and anyone with authority over workers to prevent any substance forbidden by Sharia from entering the workplace, and penalizes anyone found with it or using it.
على صاحب العمل أو وكيله أو أي شخص له سلطة على العمال، منع دخول أي مادة محرمة شرعًا إلى أماكن العمل، ويطبق بحق من وجدت لديه أو من تعاطاها العقوبات المقررة في هذا
- Article 65
Article 65 sets six basic duties of the worker: performing the work skillfully per lawful instructions, caring for the employer's tools, good conduct, helping in emergencies, undergoing medical examination, and keeping the establishment's secrets.
بالإضافة إلى الواجبات المنصوص عليها في هذا النظام واللوائح والقرارات الصادرة تطبيقًا له، يجب على العامل: 1 - أن ينجز العمل وفقًا لأصول المهنة ووفق تعليمات صاحب
- Article 66
Article 66 sets out exhaustively the six disciplinary sanctions an employer may impose on a worker, from a warning to dismissal in the cases set in the Law.
الجزاءات التأديبية التي يجوز لصاحب العمل توقيعها على العامل: 1 - الإنذار. 2 - الغرامة. 3 - الحرمان من العلاوة أو تأجيلها لمدة لا تزيد على سنة متى كانت مقررة من
- Article 67
Article 67 prohibits an employer from imposing any disciplinary sanction on a worker unless it is stated in the Labor Law or in the establishment's work organization regulations.
لا يجوز لصاحب العمل أن يوقع على العامل جزاءً غير وارد في هذا النظام أو في لائحة تنظيم العمل.
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.