- JEDDAH: Employees of government departments and private companies assigned to work during the Eid holidays have introduced a system to share work with colleagues, offering them part of the overtime pay they receive for working during the break.
This practice is increasing among employees in both the public and private sectors, reported Shams Arabic daily on Saturday.
Some people secretly sell their overtime to their colleagues, offering them a lump sum payment for working in the Eid holidays in place of them.
One government employee who requested anonymity told the newspaper that he had made a secret arrangement with a colleague to work during Eid instead of him.
“My name was on the list of employees assigned to work during the holidays. But I wanted to spend Eid with my family. I was looking for a way out and somebody told me that there was an employee who works in place of others during such holidays,” the employee said.
“In fact I reached an agreement with that worker, who will work for me for SR700, and this will be kept secret. After that I contacted my department head and informed him that another person would be working in place of me. My boss had no objection to this,” he added.
Shams contacted Awad Al-Garni, a well-known Islamic scholar, and asked whether such work arrangements were acceptable. He replied there was nothing wrong as long as it did not violate the labor law and the person gets approval from his boss.