Labour Law: What Happens If You’re Late to Work in Oman?

The Ministry of Labour in Oman has issued a decision requiring all employers with 25 or more workers to create a formal list of penalties and the conditions under which they may be imposed. This list must follow a specific format provided by the Ministry.

According to the decision, any such list or its amendments must receive prior approval from either the Director General of Labour Welfare or the Director General of Manpower in each governorate. Once approved, employers are required to post the list in a visible location at the workplace, and it must be available in both Arabic and English.

For private sector workers, penalties for being late to work without permission or a valid excuse are as follows:

• Late up to 15 minutes, without disrupting work:
  • First time: Written warning
  • Second time: 5% wage deduction
  • Third time: 10% wage deduction
  • Fourth time: 20% wage deduction
  • If the delay causes disruption to work, wage deductions can increase up to 50%.
• Late between 30 and 60 minutes, without disrupting work:
  • First time: 25% wage deduction
  • Second time: 50% wage deduction
  • Third time: 75% wage deduction
  • Fourth time: Deduction of one full day’s wage
• Late over 60 minutes, without permission or a valid excuse, regardless of whether it disrupts work:
  • First time: 75% wage deduction
  • Second time: Deduction of one full day’s wage
  • Third time: Deduction of 1.5 days’ wage
  • Fourth time: Deduction of 2 full days’ wage

Absence without permission or a valid excuse is also penalized similarly, with stricter penalties for repeated violations. Leaving work early without permission will result in written warnings and wage deductions as well.

These regulations aim to enforce discipline in the workplace and give workers the opportunity to correct their behaviour before facing more severe penalties.

Source: Labour Law: What Happens If You’re Late to Work in Oman? – Oman Observer