SAUDI ARABIA: Lifted Ban on Household Service Worker (HSW)

SAUDI ARABIA: Lifted Ban on Household Service Worker (HSW) 

Good news to HSW wanting to work in Saudi Arabia because beginning October 1, 2012, the Saudi Arabian government decided to lift the ban on the hiring of Filipino household service workers (HSW's).

If you can recall, the Saudi Arabian government stopped processing, verifying and authenticating applications from the Philippines domestic workers following disagreements in wages last July 2011.

Saudi Arabia government agreed to grant the following to our HSW:

• The domestic workers to get a minimum monthly salary of $400 or a minimum salary of SR1,500 (around P17,000) that must be transferred to a worker’s bank account every month
• A weekly day off
• 30-day annual holiday
• health insurance ( In case of  the employer will be the one to pay for the HSW's hospitalization bill.)
• end of service benefits. 
• employers must bear all fees related to visa, residence and arrival and departure. 
• Contracts should also stipulate that maids can only work in a single household and may transfer their sponsorship at will. 

The responsibilities of recruitment agencies to the workers as well as the latter’s benefits are clearly stipulated in their employment contracts. 

The department of labor are hoping that there will be no contract violations such as:

•  contract substitutions
•  maltreatment 
•  abuses in terms of salaries
•  abuses on work hours 
•  employers confiscating the passports of workers because the employment contract also states that passports should be in the possession of the workers.