The Internal Work Organization Regulation: When It Is Required and How to Get It Approved via Qiwa
A practical guide to drafting your internal work regulation and approving it electronically to protect your disciplinary and termination decisions.
The internal work organization regulation is the internal document that sets the rules of work in your establishment: working hours, leave, workplace conduct, and the schedule of disciplinary penalties. It is not a mere formality. It is the legal basis you rely on when imposing any penalty on an employee or when terminating their service, because the Saudi Labor Law ties the validity of many of your decisions to having an approved regulation that has been made known to the workforce.
The Labor Law requires an employer who employs a certain number of workers, generally ten or more, to prepare an internal work regulation and file it with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development for approval. After approval, it must be made known to the workforce in a visible place so that it becomes enforceable against them.
This guide explains who must prepare the regulation, what it must contain, how it is approved electronically, and how an approved regulation protects you in practice during a dispute. Template E-07 is ready to fill and aligned with the approval requirements.
Get the Work Regulation templateE-07Who is required to adopt a regulation
The obligation to adopt a work regulation depends on the size of the workforce. The general rule is that an establishment employing ten workers or more must prepare a regulation and file it with the ministry for approval. Smaller establishments are not legally required to do so, but adopting one is recommended to unify the rules of work and protect management decisions.
- Establishments employing ten workers or more: preparation and approval are mandatory.
- Establishments with fewer than ten workers: not required, but a regulation is useful for organizing work and protecting your decisions.
- The count is based on the total workers in the establishment regardless of title or branch.
What the regulation must contain
The regulation must cover the core elements of the employment relationship, most importantly the schedule of penalties that defines violations and their corresponding penalties on a graduated basis. The absence of any essential clause may lead to rejection of approval or weaken your position in a dispute.
- Organization of working hours, rest periods, and weekly rest days.
- Types of leave: annual, sick, maternity, and occasional leave, with the rules governing entitlement.
- Rules of workplace conduct, discipline, and the duties prohibited to the worker.
- The schedule of penalties: violations and their graduated penalties, from a warning to a deduction to dismissal, in line with the law.
- Investigation procedures and the guarantees for hearing the worker's statement before a penalty is imposed.
- Provisions on the end-of-service award and the cases of contract termination under the Labor Law.
How the regulation is approved electronically via Qiwa
The approval process is carried out electronically through the Qiwa platform of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, without the need to visit any office. Once approved, the regulation takes effect, but its enforceability against the workforce requires making it known to them in a visible place.
- Prepare the draft regulation using a compliant template such as E-07, and fill in the establishment data and the schedule of penalties.
- Log in to the establishment account on the Qiwa platform and select the work regulation service.
- Upload the regulation or complete its clauses per the available form, ensuring all mandatory clauses are covered.
- Submit the request to the ministry and track its status; amendments may be requested before final approval.
- After approval, make the regulation known to workers in a visible place at the establishment so it becomes enforceable against them.
How an approved regulation protects you in a dispute
An approved and announced regulation is your legal reference when imposing any penalty or terminating service. Without it, a penalty may be deemed arbitrary, and a ruling may favor the worker simply because there is no written, approved basis for the violation and its penalty. The regulation turns your decision from an individual judgment into the application of a rule known to everyone in advance.
- It proves that the violation and its penalty were known to the worker in advance through the schedule of penalties.
- It supports graduated penalties, so the worker is not surprised by dismissal before exhausting warnings and deductions where required.
- It demonstrates your adherence to investigation procedures and hearing the worker's statement, which the judicial bodies require.
- It unifies treatment among workers and reduces arbitrary dismissal claims.
The approval timeline
It is advisable to prepare and approve the regulation as soon as the establishment reaches ten workers, or earlier as a precaution. Approval through Qiwa is faster than the previous paper process, but the ministry's review may take some time, especially if amendments are requested. Plan to complete approval before any potential disciplinary action or termination so that you are not left without a legal basis when you need it.
- Prepare the draft upon reaching ten workers or before.
- File the request in Qiwa and follow up on any amendments the ministry requests.
- Announce the regulation to workers immediately upon approval and before applying any penalty.
Frequently asked questions
Is an internal regulation that is not approved by the ministry sufficient?
No. An unapproved regulation may not be relied upon in a dispute, and an obligated establishment (ten workers or more) must file its regulation with the ministry, obtain approval, and then announce it to workers so it becomes enforceable against them.
What if I impose a penalty on an employee before the regulation is approved?
The penalty may be considered without a legal basis, and it may be ruled void or the worker compensated. It is best to complete approval and announcement first, then apply penalties per the approved schedule while documenting the investigation procedures.
Can the regulation be amended after approval?
Yes. The regulation can be amended, but the amendment follows the same approval path via Qiwa and is not enforceable against workers until it is approved and announced to them.
This guide was prepared and reviewed by a lawyer licensed in the Kingdom. The content is general guidance, not legal advice; consult a licensed lawyer for your specific case. Where an Arabic and an English text exist, the Arabic text prevails.