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M Najmuz Zafar
The Ministry of Manpower has repealed its 2015 decision on part-time work and issued a fresh regulation with an aim to better integrate part-timers into the job market as well boost the culture of part-time jobs.
The Ministerial Decision No 40/2017, issued on January 26 by H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Abdullah al Bakri, Minister of Manpower, in essence carries forward from the old decision with a few changes brought in to broaden the scope of those looking for part-time jobs.
The decision governs the employment of part-time workers in Oman and further states that a part-time worker by definition is a worker whose regular working hours or days are less than the working hours and days as stipulated by the Labour Law in accordance with Royal Decree 35/2003.
According to the decision, a part-time Omani worker may be employed where his daily working hours should not exceed more than four hours, and should not exceed 25 hours in a week. The old decision allowed part-timers to work for five hours and the weekly limit was not specified.
The decision makes it clear that part-time work is open only to Omanis and at a minimum hourly wage of RO3, which remained unchanged from 2015. But the current decision has expanded by allowing those aged 15 to 18 to work part time, whereas earlier the age group was from 16 to 18.
The work hours should be within 6am to 6pm range, which has not changed.
A major change has come with raising the number of part-timers to 20 per cent of the stipulated Omanisation percentage. Earlier, the limit was ten per cent. SMEs run and managed by Omanis as well as registered with the Public Authority for Social Insurance are exempt from the 20 per cent rule. But these SMEs cannot hire more than five expatriate workers.
The part-timer should receive an employment contract from his/her employer with details like number and time of working hours, working days, and wage per hour and payment method.
The notice period that has to be given both by the employer or employee remains seven days.
A part-time worker shall approve in writing whether he/she accepts the salary weekly or monthly.
© Muscat Daily 2017
