Article 80 of the Saudi Labor Law

The starting point in the Labor Law is that termination of the contract by the employer gives the worker rights: an end-of-service award, advance notice, and compensation. Article 80 comes to specify, on an exhaustive basis, the cases in which these three rights are lost together, so they may not be expanded or applied by analogy.

A general condition that precedes all the cases: the employer must give the worker the opportunity to state the reasons for their objection to the termination before it is carried out; the article is not satisfied with the violation being established, but requires that the worker be heard.

The nine cases are:

1. The worker assaults the employer, the responsible manager, one of their superiors or subordinates during work or because of it.
2. Failing to perform the essential obligations of the contract, or failing to obey lawful orders, or deliberately breaching safety instructions posted in a visible place, on condition of prior written warning.
3. Established bad conduct or commission of an act that violates honor or honesty.
4. A deliberate act or omission intended to cause material loss to the employer, on condition that the competent bodies are notified within 24 hours of the time the employer learned of the incident.
5. It is established that the worker resorted to forgery to obtain the job.
6. The worker is employed on probation.
7. Absence without a legitimate reason for more than 30 days in a single contract year, or more than 15 consecutive days, on condition of a written warning after 20 days of absence in the first case, and after 10 days of absence in the second case.
8. It is established that the worker unlawfully exploited their job position to achieve personal gains.
9. It is established that the worker disclosed industrial or commercial secrets of the business.

Note that four cases (3, 5, 8 and 9) use the phrase "if it is established", and that some cases are restricted by formal procedures (a written warning, notification within 24 hours) without which dismissal is not valid.

This article corresponds to Article 81, which in return gives the worker the right to leave work without notice while keeping all their rights if the employer breaches its obligations, whereas Article 79 deals with the contract ending on death or incapacity. The current wording of the article is as amended by Royal Decree No. M/46 dated 5/6/1436 AH. If you were dismissed under this article and believe its conditions were not met, it is advisable to consult a lawyer specialized in labor cases.