Students can now take up part-time jobs

MUSCAT, April 29 - In an attempt to ease laws relating to jobs in the Sultanate, pensioners and students have been allowed to take up part-time employment. “Students must be enrolled in a public or private school and should not be less than 15 years of age,” stipulate the new regulations. The amendments followed ministerial decision No 153/2018 that changed some of the provisions in the earlier regulations about part-time employment in the Sultanate According to Article 3 of the decision, a new article shall be added to ministerial decision No 40/2017, which states that students who seek jobs should be in the age group 15 to 18 years.

“The work contract should specify the number of hours, work days, hourly wage and the type of work. The employer should also register part-time employees with the Ministry of Manpower,” stipulate the regulations. “The percentage of the part-time labour force should not exceed 20 per cent of the planned Omanisation rate, including those looking for job-seekers, students and pensioners,” stresses the new law. While the work for students should be only on holidays or outside the study time, the law demands that the work shall not deprive them of the financial allocations prescribed by the educational institution.

At the same time, the law states it is not necessary to take approval from any educational institution to hire a part-time student. “At the end of the service period they should be given an experience certificate for the duration of work spent with the employer,” says the new order. Furthermore, the employer or the part timer can terminate the contract after informing the other party in writing three working days prior to the date of termination.

Commenting on the new decision, Mohamed al Balushi, a manpower expert, said that the move will enable students to gain experience that could eventually help them to join the job market easily after they graduate from school. “Also pensioners who prefer a part-time job to a full time one can benefit. Moreover, companies can also benefit from retired people’s expertise with the new regulations,” he said.

SAMUEL KUTTY