Saudi women working at malls and commercial retail centers claim that despite several requests to the Ministry of Labor demanding that they be provided with resting rooms to sit in during their breaks, no steps have been taken.

As female employment in malls increases, there is a serious need to create suitable working conditions for women.

Hattab Al-Anazi, spokesman for the Ministry of Labor, had earlier said that such regulatory issues are the responsibility of the shop and commercial centers’ owners.

“The ministry cannot force them to implement regulatory measures,” said Al-Anazi. “That being said, the ministry emphasizes the necessity of offering rest spaces for female employees in order to guarantee a suitable working environment for them.”

Dalal Kaaki, a Saudi businesswoman and member of the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), pointed out that several malls in Riyadh lacked basic spaces for saleswoman to rest in.

“Women working at these places seriously need resting spaces. I have noticed that most of these saleswomen use the mall’s female bathrooms and customer’s changing rooms just to have their coffee,” she said.

She explained that when the decision to employ women was implemented, most of the commercial malls were already built, which is why separate resting rooms for women were not established.

“I would like to indicate however that there is also an important issue missing in the discussion,” said Kaaki, adding, “I have observed that most of the female saleswomen misuse their breaks and spend long hours in the female bathroom indulging in coffee and chat, while their shops remain unattended. This is a serious problem. It is for the manager or the employer to warn them and issue a regulation for them to abide by. I agree that these women need to have a special resting room built for them but it must be known that it should be strictly used during the 1 hour or 30 minutes breaks that they get and not for longer hours.”

Kaaki went on to elaborate that female employees need to be aware of workplace etiquette and be mindful of their behavior in the workplace.

She suggested that one of the temporary solutions to the problem of resting rooms could be resolved by sparing some of the space in the shop to use as a female resting room. “It will surely be a difficult decision for the management because it will cost them a lot of money. But since female employment at these malls is increasing by the day, I suggest the management needs to find a solution for their female employees to make sure they have a suitable working environment.”

On their part, employers agreed that the quick introduction of women into the work force has caught shop owners off guard. They also expressed concerns regarding the difficulties they are facing in trying to attend to the needs of their female employees.