The flight of domestic workers is a widespread phenomenon that raises many questions and concerns in societies, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is one of the countries that faces this problem in particular. Understanding the roots of the problem and searching for appropriate solutions requires a careful analysis of the reasons and motivations behind the flight of domestic workers.
Common causes ofFlight of domestic workers
Female workers may resort to wrong behavior, such as running away from work, so securing female workers or recruiting workers is under supervision.Ministry of Human ResourcesIn order to guarantee the rights of both parties, the most prominent reasons for the domestic worker’s escape are the following:
1- Ill-treatment
One of the common reasons for a domestic worker to run away is the employer’s mistreatment of her, such as an infringement on her property or a lack of respect for her rights. Likewise, psychological and physical abuse of the worker leads to her decision.
2- Failure to provide basic needs
Failure to provide food, drink, and housing may lead to the worker being belittled and her rights violated, and this is what leads to her desire to escape.
3- Delay in disbursing salaries
The worker may need life requirements for herself and her family and want her salary, but some employers delay paying salaries, or a collapse may occur in the employer’s financial condition, preventing him from paying the salary, which leads to the worker fleeing.
4- The worker’s lack of adaptation to work
The workers’ failure to adapt to the customs and traditions of the home, or their failure to understand their dialects, puts the worker in a state of isolation and distance from the family, and thus her psychological state worsens and she resorts to fleeing, thinking that this is the solution.
How to effectively address these causes:
1. Improving working conditions:
Employers must provide a suitable and fair work environment for domestic workers, by improving salaries and ensuring the provision of all basic needs.
2. Enhancing communication and understanding:
Employers and workers should communicate effectively and build relationships based on respect and trust, which contributes to reducing the occurrence of tensions and misunderstandings that may lead to domestic workers fleeing.
When is it permissible to file a report about a domestic worker’s escape?
The report must be submitted at the same time that the worker went missing, and the report is submitted through the official Absher platform, so that the legal authorities can find her easily before her situation becomes difficult and they can take the necessary procedures to return her to her place, and the employer takes compensation for the worker from the recruitment office if the domestic worker is in the probationary period.
Conditions for filing a worker escape case in Saudi Arabia
A report must be filed in the event that the domestic worker absconds. To initiate a case, the following is required:
- Submit an official report through the legal authorities due to the domestic worker’s escape.
- There must be an official employment contract between the employer and the worker.
- 15 days must pass from the date of submitting the worker’s escape report.
- Provide the national ID of the worker and the employer.
Legal procedures in the event of a domestic worker running away
The employer is quick to take the necessary measures to guarantee his right. Among the most important legal measures taken are the following:
- Reporting the runaway worker can be done through the Absher platform electronically or through the police department.
- After reporting, the employer logs into his account and updates the residence status to absent from work, so that she is unable to work elsewhere.
- Disclaiming the employer’s responsibility for any wrongdoing or behavior that occurs on the part of the worker throughout her absence.
Frequently asked questions
Who bears responsibility if the domestic worker runs away?
The employer bears responsibility for the worker until her escape and absence are officially reported. After the report is submitted, either electronically or at the police station, the employer releases the worker from responsibility.
What is the penalty for a runaway worker?
After the fugitive worker is arrested, she is deported to her country, prohibited from entering the Kingdom for the purpose of work for a year, and fined.
How much is the fine for the violating domestic worker?
A fine not exceeding 2,000 riyals, and upon repeating the violation, the fine usually increases to 5,000 riyals, along with a ban on recruitment.
What is the penalty for concealing employment?
The penalty for concealment is a fine of 100,000 Saudi riyals, imprisonment for a period of up to 5 years, and if the concealer is an expatriate, he will be deported to his country and banned from entering the Kingdom.
The issue of domestic worker escape remains one of the most important issues that requires great efforts to secure the work environment for workers and make it fit for them. Addressing this issue does not lie only in penalties and fines, but rather strengtheningLabor rightsEnforce laws that criminalize those who violate workers’ rights, so that security prevails and a spirit of cooperation and compassion is created.