Jeddah, Jul 13 (Arab News): The Ministry of Labor and Social Development (MoL) confirmed that domestic workers can transfer to other employers if it is proved that the current employer was late in paying salaries for three consecutive or intermittent months.

Labor Minister Ali bin Nasser Al-Ghafis issued a ministerial decision endorsing the transfer of services of a domestic worker from the current employer to a new one in 13 cases.

MoL spokesman Khalid Abalkhail said: “One of the cases where the domestic worker has the right to transfer his/her services includes the delay by the employer to pay salaries for three consecutive or intermittent months without the employee being the reason for this delay; when the employer is not present to receive the worker at the port of entry into the country; or not taking the worker from the shelter house within a period of 15 days from the date of arrival.

“The other cases include the failure of the employer to obtain a residency permit or failure to renew the expired one within 30 days of the expiry date.”

The spokesman added that workers can transfer from one employer to another in cases where the employer leased the services of the worker to others without the knowledge of the worker, or assigning him/her to work for non-relatives of the second degree, and in cases that prove the worker was commissioned to perform hazardous tasks that threaten his/her health and safety.

The decision to transfer the services of domestic workers also includes cases where the worker was abused, or where a formal complaint by the worker exists against his/her employer.

Other cases for services transfer include situations where employers file invalid complaints against absent workers; when the employer fails to attend two sessions addressing a complaint filed by the worker; and in cases where the employer is absent either for travel or imprisonment, death or any other reason that resulted in failure to pay wages for three consecutive months.

The new employer will pay the transfer fees and costs of sheltering the worker during his/her stay in the shelter house, which amounts to SR150 ($40) per day, in accordance with the mechanism put in place by the ministry.