The Ministry of Labour has a free service to settle an individual dispute between a worker and an employer by agreement of both sides, without going to court.
Who can use it
- Workers covered by the private-sector Labour Law.
- If the dispute is about being dismissed, you must not still be at work or serving your notice period when you apply.
- There must be no court case or Public Prosecution complaint already open on the same issue.
- Workers who are not GCC citizens must hold a legal permit.
How to apply
Log in with your eKey, open the labour relations services and choose the option to settle an individual labour dispute. Fill in your details and your employer's details, then submit. If you want to go in person, book an appointment first through the Mawaeed app.
Time and cost
There is no fee. The National Portal says processing takes 2 to 5 working days, while the Ministry's own page lists a longer period, so allow extra time.
If your employer won't agree
The Ministry has a separate complaint service for private-sector workers who are still in the job and have a valid work permit. It investigates the complaint and tries to find a legal or agreed solution with the company.
Steps
- Check you meet the conditions (no open court case on the same issue; valid permit if non-GCC).
- Log in with your eKey and choose the individual labour dispute settlement service.
- Enter your and your employer's details and submit.
- Book through Mawaeed if you need to attend in person.