KUWAIT CITY, Dec 28: First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has issued a ministerial decision on allowing private sector employees to work part-time for a third party (another employer) on the condition that they obtain approval from the original employer.

The decision aligns with the provisions of the Council of Ministers’ resolution on addressing the demographic imbalance issue. It stipulates that employees in the private sector can now engage in part-time work with another employer for a maximum of four hours per day, provided they obtain a part-time work permit from the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM). It exempts the contracting sector from the maximum hour's condition due to the market’s manpower needs. This decision aims to take advantage of the skills and experience of the workforce inside Kuwait as an alternative to guaranteeing rights over recruitment, which contributes to addressing the demographic imbalance issue and meeting the labor market needs in the current period. The decision shall take effect at the beginning of January 2024, so employers can develop their businesses.

This step contributes to investing in the strength of existing workers in a bid to meet the manpower needs of the labor market. In addition, PAM continues to take the necessary steps to regulate the labor market and cover its manpower needs. Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled has also instructed PAM to allow employers to permit a group of their employees to work remotely; that is if the employees can complete their tasks without the need to be present at the workplace by the regulations laid down by the authority for employers and employees in the private sector.

These decisions and directives aim to support employers and develop work mechanisms in the private sector in line with technological developments and to improve the business environment, as well as enable employers to grow their businesses and meet the needs of the Kuwaiti market.

By Fares Al-Abdan
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff