Work Regulations under the Saudi Labor Law: Who Must Have Them, Approval via Qiwa, and Their Effect on Penalties and Dismissal

What is the work organization regulation under the Labor Law?

Article Twelve of the Labor Law, as amended by Royal Decree No. (M/46) dated 5/6/1436H, provides that the Ministry shall establish one or more standard templates for the work organization regulation, comprehensive of the rules governing work organization and related provisions, including provisions on benefits and provisions on violations and disciplinary penalties. Its second paragraph provides that the Ministry shall set the controls and mechanisms for approving work organization regulations.

The internal work regulation is not an optional document or a general administrative guide, but a statutory instrument the business relies on for accountability, and one the employee consults to know their rights and obligations. Its practical importance becomes clear in a dispute before the Labor Court, where the court examines whether the regulation exists, has been approved and announced, and whether the penalty imposed matches what it provides, before considering the facts of the violation itself. For this reason, both small and large businesses need a clear, up-to-date regulation that reflects their actual way of working, not text copied without review.

Who Is Required to Prepare a Work Regulation?

Article Thirteen provides that every employer must prepare a work organization regulation for its business according to the template prepared by the Ministry, and the Minister may grant an exemption from this. It allows the employer to include additional terms and provisions in the regulation, provided they do not conflict with the provisions of the Law, its regulations, and the decisions issued to implement it.

The same article also requires the employer to post the regulation and any amendment to it in a visible place at the business, or by any other means that ensures those subject to it know its provisions. Posting is not a mere formality; proving that an employee knew of the regulation makes it easier to invoke its provisions in a dispute. It is therefore advisable to document the posting and the employees' access to it.

The standard template and approving the regulation through Qiwa

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development offers the "work organization regulation approval request" service through the Qiwa platform, which, per the service page, is free of charge and processed instantly. After logging in to Qiwa, the business has two options:

• Adopting the standard template without modification: By completing the required steps through to issuance of the electronic certificate.
• Preparing custom regulations: Reviewed and certified by law firms accredited with the Ministry, then submitted to the competent department at the Ministry for electronic approval or for comments.

The first option is faster but does not always reflect the nature of the business's activity, such as a shift system, field work, or commissions. The second option allows adding provisions suited to the business, provided they do not conflict with the Law. Before choosing, it is advisable to compare the template against actual practice at the business and identify the clauses that need additional detail.

What do internal work regulations include?

The template usually includes the topics any internal organization needs, including:

• Hiring, the probation period, and employment contracts.
• Working hours, rest breaks, the weekly rest day, and overtime.
• Wages, how they are paid, and benefits.
• Leave, of all types.
• The duties of the employee and employer and rules of conduct and safety.
• Investigation and grievance procedures.
• Table of violations and disciplinary penalties.
• Termination of the employment relationship, notice, and resignation.

Following the amendments that took effect on February 19, 2025, older internal work regulations need to be reviewed for their provisions on notice, resignation, the probationary period, and maternity leave. Read The 2025 Labor Law Amendments.

The effect of the regulations on disciplinary penalties

Article 66 of the Labor Law specifies the disciplinary penalties an employer may impose: a warning, a fine, denial of the bonus or its deferral for a period not exceeding one year, deferral of promotion for a period not exceeding one year, suspension from work with loss of pay, and dismissal in the cases prescribed by the law. No penalty not provided for in the law or in the work regulations may be imposed, which is where the table of violations plays its role in linking each violation to its penalty and in graduating the penalty when a violation is repeated.

In addition, Article 71 requires that no disciplinary penalty be imposed without first notifying the employee in writing of the charge against them, questioning them, and examining their defense, with this recorded in official minutes. Article 72 governs notifying the employee of the penalty decision in writing, their right to grieve it, and then to appeal before the Labor Court within the specified periods. The Law also set time limits for charging the employee with a violation after its discovery and for imposing the penalty after the investigation concludes, along with limits on the amount of fines and the duration of suspension. These provisions should therefore be reviewed before issuing any decision. A penalty that violates these procedures may be overturned on appeal, even if the violation itself is established.

Work Regulations and Dismissal under Article 80

Article 80 allows the employer to terminate the contract without an award, notice, or compensation in specific cases, provided the employee is given the opportunity to state the reasons for objecting to the termination. The internal work regulations do not create new grounds for dismissal, because dismissal is a penalty limited to the cases set out in the Labor Law. However, they affect the proof of these cases; some are tied to a written warning or published safety instructions, and it is the approved and published regulations, together with the investigation minutes, that document this. Read Article 80 of the Labor Law.

To review the company's bylaw or prepare and have a custom bylaw approved, you can see the HR Legal Advisory service.

A checklist for the business

Whether the business adopts the standard template or prepares custom regulations, the value of the regulations shows in their application. Practical points worth reviewing periodically include:

• Having a valid approval certificate for the bylaw on the Qiwa platform, and the applied version matching the approved version.
• Announcing the regulation and its amendments to employees, and documenting their acknowledgment of it upon hiring.
• Consistency of employment contracts and internal policies with the regulation, and ensuring they contain no provisions that conflict with it or with the Law.
• Updating the regulation after any legal amendment or a change in the nature of the activity or the shift system.
• A unified template for the investigation report and the disciplinary decision, including what was attributed to the employee, their response, the penalty, and its text in the schedule.
• A log of penalties and warnings and the dates they were served, referred to in case of recurrence or dispute.
• Training direct managers on investigation and warning procedures before applying them.

This review reduces the likelihood that a procedural error will invalidate a penalty that is otherwise justified on the merits, and it also gives the employee clarity about their rights and duties. If the business has multiple branches or activities, make sure the approved regulation covers all of them.

Frequently asked questions

Is the work organization regulation mandatory for every business?

Article 13 of the Labor Law provides that every employer must prepare a work regulation for the business according to the template set by the Ministry, with the Minister permitted to grant an exemption from this. The general rule is therefore mandatory, and any exemption is by decision of the Minister; it is advisable to verify the business's status on the Qiwa platform.

How Is a Work Organization Bylaw Approved?

Through the internal work regulations approval request service on the Qiwa platform, which is free of charge. The business may adopt the unified template without amendment to obtain the electronic certificate, or prepare its own regulations, which are reviewed by law offices accredited with the Ministry before being submitted for approval.

May special provisions be added to the regulation?

Yes, Article 13 allows the employer to include additional terms and provisions in the regulation, provided they do not conflict with the provisions of the Labor Law, its Implementing Regulation, or the decisions issued to implement it. This is done through the special-regulation track on the Qiwa platform, after review by a law office accredited with the Ministry.

May an Employee Be Penalized for a Violation Not Listed in the Regulations?

No penalty may be imposed that is not provided for in the Labor Law or in the internal work regulation, and no penalty may be imposed without first notifying the employee in writing of the charge against them and investigating them, in accordance with Article 71. The table of violations must therefore be clear and announced.