The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia leads the Gulf countries as the largest employer of more than 3 million domestic workers and has the highest share in the world with around 28% of employment being domestic workers.
To regulate the contractual relationship between both parties with these increasing numbers, the Wage Protection Program was launched by the Ministry of Labor and Social Development. The program also aims to preserve the rights of domestic workers and work with human rights principles. Before going into the details of this program and how it works, let’s take a comprehensive look at the salaries of housemaids and answer the usual questions you have as an employer.
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What is the minimum salary for housemaids in Saudi Arabia?
The minimum salary for domestic workers differs according to nationality. Some recruitment countries imposed a minimum salary for their citizens. Philippines, which remains as the main choice for housemaid recruitment, set a minimum salary of 1,500 riyals or USD 400. Nepal, raised the minimum salary pay for Nepalese maids to 1,300 riyals per month, including 300 riyals for food aid. Uganda also imposed a minimum of SAR 900 for the workers they send.
For countries without a minimum wage imposed, the average salary ranges from 950 to 2500 riyals based on several factors such as experience, skills and the job scope.
How much should you pay your domestic worker?
Salary is one of the major factors to consider both for employers and domestic workers when entering an employment contract. Salary negotiations can either make long hours of recruitment worthwhile or make you go back from the start. So as an employer, knowing the salary your maid deserves in exchange for the services she provides is crucial to foster a good relationship with your housemaid and make sure you are not being taken advantage of during the hiring process.
You can simply follow the minimum wage imposed (if applicable to your housemaid’s nationality) or, you can increase your salary offer according to the domestic helper’s skills, work experience and the job scope as well.
Here are some tips on how to negotiate a fair salary with your domestic worker:
1. Identify your needs
Before deciding on your salary offer, you must know what responsibilities you want your housemaid to perform in your household. Will you need them to do the house chores, take care of a baby or an elderly member of the family, tutor a child, focus on cooking meals or all of these tasks? Depending on this, here’s our recommended salary offer for your workers
- General housework or childcare – SAR 1500
- General housework, childcare and cooking – SAR 1700 and above
- General housework, childcare (tutoring), special needs care – SAR 2,500 and above
2. Offer higher pay for house maids with specialization or good experience
A domestic worker with years of domestic work experience in the Gulf region or one with a specialization—such as nursing, medical care or education background usually earns a higher starting salary. It is important to offer the appropriate salary according to experience as this can help ensure the loyalty of your worker.
3. Consider offering additional benefits or compensation
Giving comprehensive medical insurance, paid time off or performance bonus are good options to negotiate your house maid’s pay if a high salary is not an option at the moment. Consider giving them an increase in pay if their performance improves!
Wage Protection Program
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Labor and Social Development has introduced the Wage Protection Program that aims to enhance transparency and convenience in salary payments for employers and domestic helpers from all sending countries.
Under this program, employers are encouraged to issue a prepaid card to their domestic workers through a designated bank upon their arrival in the Kingdom. To initiate the process, you need to access the “Musaned” electronic portal. Here, they can create an electronic employment contract, specify the worker’s monthly salary, and officially document the agreement on the portal. A copy of the contract can then be printed for reference.
While the prepaid card system is gradually becoming compulsory, it is not yet mandatory for all employers and is not a legal requirement during the hiring process.
What are the benefits of this program?
This initiative offers several benefits to both employers and workers. By using the prepaid card system, employers can easily generate a financial clearance certificate for their domestic worker. This certificate is essential when applying for a final exit visa or when transferring the worker’s services to another employer.
This system ensures that the salaries of domestic workers, including housemaids, are securely managed and disbursed. It promotes transparency in salary transactions and simplifies the payment process. You can contribute to a fair and efficient working environment by adopting this program, providing your helpers with the compensation they deserve for their valuable services.
Here are steps to comply with the Wage Protection Program
- Login to Musaned portal
- View registered employment.
- Choose the domestic worker you want to contract with.
- Update the your address.
- Specify the monthly wage and payroll card information for the domestic worker.
- Acknowledgment and approval.
To know more about this service, check out this link; https://www.my.gov.sa/wps/portal/snp/servicesDirectory/servicedetails/12301
What are your Legal Obligations in terms of Salary and Benefits?
As an employer, you must pay your helper the agreed salary at the end of every Hijri month. You also need to facilitate the payment to ensure your house maid receives the correct wage on time.
Aside from salary, the following are your basic obligations and domestic worker’s rights you need to follow:
- A contract between you and your domestic worker is mandatory and must be honored at all times This will contain details of their monthly salary, their duties and responsibilities, duration of the probationary period, obligations and rights of both parties as well the job duration and extension clauses.
- Your house maid may refuse work not assigned in the contract and is not allowed to work for another family other than your immediate household.
- Your house maid is entitled to at least nine hours of rest per day and gets one day off per week.
- All house maids are given 30 days of sick leave per year subject to an authorized medical report and must be given medical care provided by the employer. Also, after 2 years of completing a contract, domestic workers are entitled to get 1 month paid annual leave with airfare to and from their home country.
- Housemaids are entitled to 1 monthly salary benefit given after 4 consecutive years of service with an employer.
Conclusion
It is crucial for employers to familiarize themselves with the legal requirements and obligations surrounding salaries and benefits. Here are some key takeaways to consider:
- The minimum salary for domestic workers in Saudi Arabia varies based on the type of work and the worker’s country of origin. Filipinos -1500 riyals, Nepalese – 1300 riyals, Ugandan – 900 riyals.
- Timely salary payments and provision of medical insurance are your basic responsibilities to your helper, your employee. Honoring these will show your maid you respect them and care about their overall well being.
- The average salary (950 to 2500 riyals) is a good reference however we recommend to base the salary offer on your domestic worker’s years of experience, level of skills and your personal preferences to find the best match
- Domestic workers are entitled to weekly day-offs, as well as annual and sick leave, in accordance with Saudi Arabia’s labor laws. Employers must honor these entitlements to promote a healthy work-life balance.
- You must follow the wage protection program set by the Kingdom’s Ministry of Labor and Social Development. Whether you are a local citizen or an expat, you are covered by this provision on salary payment to provide ethical jobs to domestic workers
By utilizing HelperChoice’s reliable recruitment platform, employers can easily find the ideal maid based on their preferences and needs. This increases the likelihood of finding a well-suited candidate for the job. Register now and get access to our database of trusted Filipino house maids.
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Hiring Filipino Domestic Workers to Saudi Arabia
HelperChoice is an ethical online platform that directly connects domestic worker applicants and employers in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. Applicants register for free and are vetted by our team for verification on the website.
Employers can also register for free to browse through our pool of applicants and subscribe to our premium service in order to view their contact details for direct communication. Interviews are done within the website and once an employer and candidate agrees to enter into contract, employers are referred to ethical Maarofa recruitment offices in Saudi Arabia to process the worker’s visa and other hiring documents.
Know more about Maarofa service here: It’s an ethical and cost effective solution to hiring domestic workers from the Philippines.
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You might also be interested in:
- The Ultimate Guide to Domestic Worker Hiring in Saudi Arabia
- Maarofa Service: A Cost effective solution to Hiring Domestic workers from the Philippines
- Electronic Visa Issuance for domestic workers in Saudi Arabia
- Domestic Worker Transfer of Sponsorship in Saudi Arabia
- Tips to Interview and Select a Domestic Worker in Saudi Arabia
Domestic Worker’s Salary in Saudi Arabia | HelperChoice | An Ethical Online Service Platform in Saudi Arabia
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