RIYADH: The Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development on Sunday updated regulations governing worker absences in private sector establishments. It is part of the ministry’s efforts to improve the contractual relationship between workers and employers, preserve the contractual rights of all parties and increase the attractiveness as well as flexibility of the labor market in Saudi Arabia. The measures for employee interruption were updated as follows: “After the employer submits a request to terminate the contractual relationship due to the worker’s interruption from work, the data of the expatriate worker ceases to be linked to that facility, and his status is discontinued from work in the ministry’s systems, and the current employer does not bear any consequences. “The worker has the right, within 60 days, to transfer to another employer or final exit, and after 60 days have passed without the expatriate worker taking one of these two options, the status of the expatriate worker becomes absent from work in the ministry’s systems and related regulations. The ministry said that for expatriate workers who have been reported as absent from work before the date of this update, employers would be allowed to transfer their services to their facilities if their status is absent from work, and the late fees on the worker’s record will be transferred to the new employer with the worker’s consent when transferring services to a new employer. “And if the transfer of the service of the expatriate worker is not completed within 15 days from the date of the ministry’s approval of the transfer, the status of the expatriate will remain absent from work.” These measures come within the ministry’s efforts to protect the rights of workers and employers, and are a continuation of efforts to raise the efficiency and attractiveness of the Saudi labor market — including the wage protection system, the initiative to improve contractual relationships and the friendly settlement program.