Kuwait Labour Laws have seen several changes in the year 2025. The rules regarding employment in Kuwait are mentioned in the Law No. 6 of 2010 and every employer and recruitment agency is expected to follow these rules during recruitment of any employee regardless of whether they are national employees or foreign employees.

So, let us look at the relevant Kuwait Labour Laws in 2025.

Important Kuwait Labour Laws for Employers

Employment Contracts

• Written contracts are required for every employee with details including details regarding date of employment, wage, job duties, and contract term (Article 28).
• Probation period: A maximum of 100 working days, with the employer or employee having the right to terminate the contract without notice during this period (Article 32).
• Contracts must be in Arabic; translations are allowed but the Arabic version prevails in case of disputes (Article 29).
• Employers cannot reduce the wage during the contract term unless agreed in writing (Article 28).

Worker Classifications

• Excludes household workers from the law (Article 5).
• Juveniles under 15 cannot be employed; minors aged 15–18 can work under conditions that protect their health and safety (Articles 19–21).
• Female workers: Prohibited from night shifts unless in specific exempt institutions (Article 22). Maternity leave is 70 days, with the option for 4 months of unpaid leave for child care (Article 24).
• Employees will be paid equal salaries regardless of their gender (Article 26).

Wages and Benefits

• Wages must be paid on a monthly basis for monthly employees, and bi-weekly for others (Articles 55–56).
• Overtime pay: Overtime pay for employees shall not be less than 25% of their agreed wage (Article 66).
• Employers must not deduct more than 10% from a worker’s wage for debts, with a maximum of 25% for alimony (Article 59).
• Annual leave: After completing 9 months of service, employees are entitled to 30-day leaves in one year (Article 70).
• When employees avail sick leaves, they are entitled to full payment of their wages only for the first 15 days. (Article 69).

Working Hours and Overtime

• Maximum workweek: The maximum work hours in a week shall not exceed 48 hours.
• Rest breaks: Employees shall not work for 5 hours without any break in the middle. (Article 65).
• Maximum overtime is allowed only for 2 hours each day or 180 hours in one year (Article 66).

Termination of Employment

• Employer’s right to dismiss: Can terminate without notice or indemnity in cases such as fraud, disclosure of trade secrets, or gross misconduct (Article 41).
• Notice period: If no specific notice period is agreed upon by the employee and the employer, the notice period shall be 3 months for employees hired on monthly salary. For every other employee, the notice period shall be 1 month. (Article 44).
• Workers who resign due to breach of contract, health hazards, or moral misconduct by the employer are entitled to end-of-service gratuity (Article 48).

Worker Protection

• Safety regulations must be posted at work, with clear penalties for violations (Article 35).
• Work injuries: If any employee suffers from work injuries during the course of their service, employer must bear the costs and report the accident that caused the injury (Articles 90–91).
• The employer is required to provide a safe working environment and protective equipment (Articles 83–85).

Miscellaneous

• End-of-service gratuity: Workers are entitled to gratuity based on length of service, with provisions for partial gratuity if an employee resigns (Articles 51–54).
• Record-keeping: Employers must maintain records of each employee’s contract, work history, penalties, and other details (Article 80).

How Capstone Solutions Can Help You Comply with Kuwait Labour Laws

Capstone Solutions remains updated with all the changes to Kuwait’s Labour Laws. This allows them to advise their clients on how to prepare contracts in compliance with Kuwait Labor Laws.

Need support with recruitment while being compliant with Kuwait Labour Laws 2025? Contact Capstone Solutions today!