Unfair Dismissal & End-of-Service Lawyers in Jeddah

Unfair Dismissal & End-of-Service Lawyer in Jeddah: what you actually need to know

This specialty rests on three key articles of the Saudi Labor Law: Article 77 (compensation for unlawful termination), Article 80 (cases of dismissal without compensation), and Articles 84/85 (end-of-service gratuity). Many employees and employers in Jeddah confuse these three, which is exactly why rights and obligations often get misjudged.

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Article 77: compensation depends on more than it looks like

If your contract was terminated without legitimate cause and without a pre-agreed compensation clause, the law sets a compensation formula that differs depending on whether your contract is indefinite or fixed-term, and it changes again if a compensation clause already exists in your contract or if you were mid-way through a probation or renewal. The lawyers have seen employees and employers alike apply the wrong basis and end up with a figure well off from what a court would actually award. Working out which basis applies to your specific contract is the first thing the lawyers do when you reach out.

Article 80: narrow exceptions, easy to misjudge

Compensation can be denied entirely, but only in specific enumerated cases (assault on the employer, material breach after written warning, deliberate harm to the business, unauthorized absence for set periods), and only if the employee was given a chance to respond first. Whether a given incident actually meets the legal threshold for one of these categories, and whether the employer followed the required warning and response process correctly, is exactly the kind of judgment call that turns on the specific facts and paperwork of your case, not on the general label of what happened.

End-of-service gratuity: the formula is only half the answer

Gratuity is calculated differently depending on years of service and, on resignation, changes again in stages. The calculator gives you a quick estimate, but the real figure in a contested case usually turns on two things the calculator can't know: whether your actual wage basis includes allowances beyond base salary, and whether an exception applies that entitles you to the full amount regardless of your years served. Getting either of these wrong, in either direction, is common and can mean leaving real money on the table or over-promising a number that doesn't hold up.

The "Wedi" platform: why every labor case starts there

Before escalating to a labor court, the law requires attempting amicable settlement through the "Wedi" platform run by the Ministry of Human Resources, which offers a virtual session between the parties overseen by a settlement officer within a defined period. Most clear-cut cases (such as calculating an end-of-service gratuity not disputed in principle) are actually resolved at this stage without needing judicial escalation, saving both sides considerable time and cost.

Calculating "actual wage," not just base salary

A common mistake among both workers and employers is calculating compensation or gratuity on base salary alone, when the law recognizes the "actual wage," which may include fixed allowances such as housing and transport if they form a regular part of the employee's monthly entitlements rather than an occasional exception. This distinction can noticeably change the value of what's due, especially for employees whose allowances make up a large share of their total monthly income.

Burden of proof: who proves what?

In an unfair dismissal claim, the burden of proving a lawful reason for dismissal falls on the employer, not on the worker to prove they didn't deserve dismissal. This means an employer who fails to document the grounds for dismissal with written warning records and concrete evidence of breach finds themselves in a weak position before the labor court, even where the dismissal was actually justified in practice.

Our service in this specialty

• Determining which article actually applies to your file (77, 80, or 84/85) and calculating your entitlement precisely
• Filing a complaint through the Ministry of Human Resources' "Wedi" platform as a first step
• Escalating to the labor court if an amicable settlement isn't reached
• Full representation before the labor office and labor court in Jeddah

Working with us

1. Send us the details of your dismissal or resignation and your actual wage over WhatsApp
2. The lawyers determine the applicable article and estimate your entitlement in the first consultation
3. The lawyers pursue an amicable settlement or the labor court case, whichever fits your situation

This is a general explanation: your actual entitlement depends on your contract, wage, and how employment ended. For an accurate calculation of your case in Jeddah, reach out to us on WhatsApp.

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