Saudi: Directive issued to draw up flexible sick leave policies
Saudi Arabia has underlined the need to draw up flexible sick leave policies for employees affected by Covid-19 in line with the regulations of the Health Ministry.
In the latest issue of guidelines to deal with suspected or confirmed cases of the coronavirus at workplaces, the mechanism for dealing with suspected or confirmed cases of coronavirus includes activating verification of health status and immunization of individuals on the Tawakkalna application upon entering the workplace. It calls for a ban on entry of any employee whose health status on the app is ‘Covid positive’ or ‘not immune’.
It also stipulates that an internal mechanism to report coronavirus cases shall be introduced at workplaces and the mechanism would cover the employee, his designated department, the means of communication to receive the report and what was done after the report, apart from reporting of the case in the event that the employee has symptoms during his presence at the workplace or before arriving there. The guide also clarifies the circumstances during which an employee is entitled to sick leave or not to report for duty as well as the mechanism to refer an employee with coronavirus symptoms to hospital or health center.
Penalties for violators are also listed. According to the instructions of the ministries of interior and human resources, punitive measures will be taken against those who refuse to cooperate, deliberately conceal the results of the tests, do not disclose the appearance of symptoms, or his having contact with a confirmed case.
