Remote work is not new in Oman. The Labour Law issued by Royal Decree 53/2023 already recognised remote work, and employees have been working remotely in practice. Furthermore, Ministerial Decision 523/2023 regarding the governance of remote work provides specific rules on certain aspects of remote work that are not addressed in detail in the Labour Law itself. This blog post outlines the key provisions that govern remote work.
The Labour Law defines remote work as “a work system in which the worker performs his work or duties using information technology and communications within the Sultanate of Oman outside the premises of the establishment whether part-time or full-time”. A key aspect of this definition is that Oman only recognises remote work performed within the country. This is confirmed by Article 2 of Ministerial Decision 523/2023, which prohibits establishments from contracting with an employee outside Oman to perform remote work for the establishment.
In essence, remote work remains subject to all the provisions of the Labour Law, including those on working hours, leave, minimum wage, contract duration and annual increments. Being a remote employee does not deprive an employee of any of their rights under the Labour Law.
On the other hand, nothing in the Labour Law or Ministerial Decision 523/2023 requires an employer to allow employees to work from home, regardless of their personal or family circumstances.
However, Ministerial Decision 523/2023 sets out a few administrative matters that employers need to consider if they choose to allow their employees to work remotely. Employers may use electronic systems to supervise and evaluate remote employees, but they cannot use monitoring methods that violate privacy or use personal data collected for non-work purposes. In certain cases, an employee may disconnect from the employer’s electronic systems.
The decision also requires employers to have written agreements for full-time remote work that address matters such as working hours, technology, performance monitoring, information security, privacy, and occupational safety and health.
It also sets out the circumstances in which an employer can require a part-time remote employee to return to the workplace, such as cybersecurity risks or serious policy breaches.
As remote work becomes increasingly popular, employers and employees are strongly encouraged to familiarise themselves with Ministerial Decision 523/2023. You can read it in full in English at the link below:
