RIYADH: Saudis are required to follow guidelines to lodge complaints if domestic servants, especially housemaids, run away from the employers' homes, the Directorate General of Passports has said.
"Sponsors will be qualified to lodge a complaint legally provided the aides possess a valid resident identity," it said.
According to the guidelines, the complainant in such cases should be the original sponsor and the domestic aide should not possess a valid re-entry visa on his or her passport.
"The sponsor can lodge a complaint about the runaway worker through the Absher system. However, the sponsor cannot withdraw the complaint online unless he personally visits the passport office within 15 days of filing his complaint."
Domestic aides escaping from the sponsors' homes for various reasons is a common phenomenon in the Kingdom. The reasons vary from failure to adjust in the new work environment, refusal to adapt to a different culture, language barrier, work pressure to nonpayment of salaries.
According to an Asian diplomat, common complaints of domestic workers, especially housemaids, are nonpayment of salaries, sponsor refusing to send the worker home on completion of contract, miscommunication between the employer and the employee, failure on the part of the maids to adapt to the cultural environment of the host country and inability to cope with the heavy workload due to families having more than 10 members.
"Sponsors will be qualified to lodge a complaint legally provided the aides possess a valid resident identity," it said.
According to the guidelines, the complainant in such cases should be the original sponsor and the domestic aide should not possess a valid re-entry visa on his or her passport.
"The sponsor can lodge a complaint about the runaway worker through the Absher system. However, the sponsor cannot withdraw the complaint online unless he personally visits the passport office within 15 days of filing his complaint."
Domestic aides escaping from the sponsors' homes for various reasons is a common phenomenon in the Kingdom. The reasons vary from failure to adjust in the new work environment, refusal to adapt to a different culture, language barrier, work pressure to nonpayment of salaries.
According to an Asian diplomat, common complaints of domestic workers, especially housemaids, are nonpayment of salaries, sponsor refusing to send the worker home on completion of contract, miscommunication between the employer and the employee, failure on the part of the maids to adapt to the cultural environment of the host country and inability to cope with the heavy workload due to families having more than 10 members.
