Employment

SASLO has a team of specialised employment lawyers. We advise both employers and employees, on all aspects of Omani labour law. We act for a wide range of companies, both foreign and local, in ensuring compliance with the requirements of Omani labour law, paying particularly close attention to the importance of meeting Omanisation targets.  In this regard, we have drafted employment manuals and internal procedures relating to salary, overtime, benefits, annual leave, sick leave, end of service benefits, and on-the-job health and safety. We also advise clients on labour union issues and pension funds.

In addition, we have devised programs for the processing of employee grievances and developed rules for evaluating employees’ capabilities and, in the event of their unsatisfactory performance, for documenting any reviews and warnings to ensure proper termination and thereby minimize the risk of an unfair dismissal claim by the employee.

We also represent both employers and employees in labour disputes both before the Labour Disputes Settlement Department of the Ministry of Labour and at all three levels of the Omani court system (Primary, Appeal and the Supreme).

Our services include advising on all types of administrative and employment such as:

  • issues pertaining to work timings, overtime payments, salaries and allowances;
  • different types of leave entitlement and issues pertaining to unjustified leave of absence;
  • provisions pertaining to women employees;
  • provisions pertaining to part time workers;
  • provisions pertaining to minimum salaries for Omani employees and Omanisation;
  • PASI provisions, end of service benefits and gratuity;
  • disciplinary violations by the employees;
  • confidentiality provisions pertaining to employees;
  • provisions pertaining to issuing warnings, notices, termination, settlement, dismissal and compensation;
  • secondment arrangements;
  • trade union issues;
  • employment contracts and employees’ handbooks;
  • labour disputes pertaining to different issues such as termination, unfair dismissal, compensation claims.

We provide full litigation services for clients, with English and Arabic language capability, from corporate and commercial dispute resolution to employment and Sharia law.  We are regularly briefed to appear before the Primary, Appellate and Supreme Court of Oman, and in arbitration proceedings.

Beyond this, SALSO is uniquely placed by being able to provide legal training services to its clients through its associate SASLO Legal Training Centre (SLTC), an independent legal entity. SLTC offers generic short duration legal programs on specific areas of Labour law and associated regulations for a cross section of industries and sectors. These programs cover basic principles and intent of the law together with practical case studies in the interpretation and implementation of the law. The programs are approved by the Ministry of Labour.

Selected projects

Advising a hotel management company on a wide range of employment law matters covering termination of employment, drafting, review and amendment of employee handbook and contracts of employment, general labour law advice relating to working hours, leave, end of service benefits, staff benefits, and representing the company in employment disputes in court.
Advising a company (with over 3000 workers) operating in the shipping sector on a wide range of employment matters, including the establishment of HR procedures, standard employment contracts (for Omanis and expatriates), training contracts with national and international training institutes and trainees, and also in relation to discussions with the relevant authorities including the Ministry of Manpower and PASI.
Advising a client on its standard contracts of employment, personnel and procedures manual, secondment agreements, pensions social security, minimum wage provisions, grievance procedures, working hours, and representing the client in labour disputes.
Advising an electricity generation and distribution company on a wide range of employment matters including termination and settlement of employment contracts, drafting detailed (incentive based) employment contracts for the top management and health and safety regulations and procedures, wrongful dismissal, secondment for foreign employees, emergency leaves, end of service benefits, labour law provisions pertaining to service contracts;
Advising an oil and gas company on employment policies and employment contracts, and conducting negotiations with Ministry of Manpower on disputes with the Trade Union, advising on end of service benefits, penalties imposed by Ministry of Manpower, disciplinary policy review, termination and settlement issues, review of leave policy, secondment provisions and agreement, and representing the client in several labour disputes at all levels of courts in Oman.
Advising an oil and gas company on a wide range of employment law advice covering employment contracts, post-merger employee issues, preparation of employment manuals, employee disputes etc (we are representing the client on more than 30 litigation matters).
Advising a client on employment disputes and representation in litigation against former employees through various phases of dispute resolution from the Ministry of Manpower, primary court, court of appeal and the supreme court, and on local court and ministerial custom and practice.
Advising an oil and gas service provider on several employment issues such as end of service benefits, alcohol test to be conducted on the employees, unjustified leave of absence, redeployment, and transfer of employees.