Work Permits

Prevention of work hazards and work injuries

• Providing means of protection and prevention for workers; The employer shall provide occupational safety and health conditions in accordance with the instructions issued by the Minister of Labour for this purpose.
• Injury expenses and compensation; The agricultural worker has the right, when injured at work, to be transferred by the employer to the hospital or any medical center and to inform the competent security authorities of the accident within a period not exceeding (48) hours from the accident, and the employer bears the expenses of transporting the injured person to the hospital or medical center for treatment, and the employer shall also bear the payment of compensation stipulated in the Labor Law to the worker who suffers a work injury or an occupational disease that arises from His work based on the medical reference report.

Trade union work and strike

• The right to join the syndicate: The non-Jordanian agricultural worker may join the union if he meets the conditions for membership, and the employer is prohibited from requiring the worker not to join a trade union, to renounce his membership in it, to dismiss him from any union, or to prejudice any right to his rights to join its membership or contribute to its activities outside working hours.
• The right to engage in trade union activity; The employer is prohibited from taking any action against any representative of the trade unions for practicing union activity, including dismissal from work; and the worker has the right to claim any malfunction or damage suffered as a result of any action taken against him as a result.

End of service and resignation

• Cases of termination of the employment relationship: The relationship of the agricultural  worker with the employer shall be terminated  if the  parties agree to do so, or if the work or the duration of the contract ends and is not renewed at the desire of one of the parties, or due to force majeure, or if the worker fulfills the conditions for old-age retirement stipulated in the Social Security Law, unless the parties agree otherwise.
• Leaving work during the validity of the contract; In the event that the  agricultural worker  wishes to terminate the employment relationship, the employer must be informed   at least 30 days in advance by written notice and the worker is entitled to his wage for the notice period, if the worker leaves his job before the expiry of the notice period, he is not entitled to a wage for the period of leaving work and he must compensate the employer for that period equivalent to his wage for it, but if the notice is submitted by the employer, he may exempt the worker from Work during its term and may occupy it except for the last seven days.
• In cases of leaving work without notice, an agricultural worker has the right to terminate his contract without notice and obtain all his rights, according to the following cases, and in these cases he must inform the Ministry of Labour within two weeks from the date of leaving work:
  • In the event of a reduction in his wage, or when employed in work different from the work agreed upon, or if he leads to a change in his permanent place of residence contrary to the employment contract.
  • If it is proven by an approved medical report that the worker’s continuation of work leads to a threat to his health.
  • If the employer or his representative assaults the worker during or because of work, by beating, insulting or in any form of sexual assault or harassment.
  • If the employer fails to implement any provision of the Labour Law or any regulation issued pursuant thereto, provided that he has received a notice from a competent authority in the Ministry requesting compliance with such provisions.
• Dismissal of the worker from work due to filing a complaint; It is forbidden to dismiss the agricultural worker or take any disciplinary action against him for reasons related to the complaints and claims submitted by him to the competent authorities related to the application of the provisions of the Labor Law to him.

End of service benefits

• End of service gratuity: An agricultural worker who is not subject to the provisions of the Social Security Law and whose service is terminated for any reason shall be entitled to end-of-service gratuity at the rate of one month’s wage for each year of his actual service.
• In addition to the end-of-service gratuity, an agricultural worker subject to regulations for the institution in which he worked (provident funds, savings, retirement, or any other fund) shall be entitled to receive all the benefits granted to him under these regulations in the event of termination of service.
• Service certificate: Upon termination of service, an agricultural worker shall be entitled to obtain a service certificate stating his name, type of work, date of joining the service, date of termination of service, and all papers, certificates or tools deposited with the employer.

Other rights

• Transfer to another employer; The non-Jordanian agricultural worker has the right to transfer from one agricultural employer to another in any sector or economic activity to which he is allowed to move, provided that he obtains a clearance from the employer, whether the work permit is valid or expired, but if the work permit is canceled, the worker moves to another employer without the need for a clearance, and a new work permit is issued to him for a period of one year with new fees; The economic obstacle to any other sector or any other employer outside that area without the approval of the Ministry of Labor.
• The agricultural worker has the right to keep his passport and private documents and not to hand them over to the employer, and if he decides to hand them over to the employer or to any person for the purpose of keeping them in a safe place, attention must be paid to obtaining an acknowledgment of receipt from the person receiving these documents.
• The employer must be obliged to include all his agricultural workers in the insurances covered by the provisions of the Social Security Law in exchange for deducting from it the percentage specified in social security. (This provision does not apply to an agricultural employer who employs three or fewer agricultural workers)
• Payment of social security benefits: A non-Jordanian agricultural worker has the right to pay his social security entitlements if he wishes to leave the country permanently, provided that the application is submitted within a period not exceeding 3 months from the date of expiry of his work permit, otherwise a full fee is paid for a work permit for the purposes of granting him no objection, taking into account the application of retroactive effect. If the worker does not have previous work permits, the fees for work permits are collected retroactively for the entire period of his contribution to social security.
• exclusion of a worker on the basis of disability; It is forbidden to exclude anyone from work on the basis of or because of disability. A disability-friendly and accessible workplace must be ensured as a prerequisite for the exercise of their rights and freedoms in the work environment.
• Child custody; Agricultural workers employed in one place with an employer, and have a number of children, at least fifteen children under the age of five years, have the right to create a suitable place to care for their children, and be in the custody of one or more qualified nannys, and employers may participate in the preparation of this place in one geographical area, and in the event that it is found that the employer is unable to create the appropriate place in the facility or its surroundings, appropriate alternatives can be identified for workers Based on the instructions of the Ministry of Labor.

Duties of a non-Jordanian agricultural worker

• The agricultural worker must:
  • Performing the work and exerting care in performing it, and adhering to the orders of the employer to carry out the agreed work within the limits that do not expose him to danger or violate the provisions of laws or public morals.
  • Preserving the employer’s secrets and not disclosing them in any way, even after the expiry of the employment contract as required by agreement or custom.
  • Preserving the things handed over to him for the performance of the work, including work tools, materials and other supplies for his work.
  • Undergo the necessary medical examinations that the nature of the work requires to be conducted before joining the work or after it to verify that it is free from occupational and communicable diseases.
• Beware of paying any sums of money to any person in exchange for issuing a work permit, continuing to work, or until obtaining clearance under any circumstances, and the worker must resort in these cases to the competent authorities (Ministry of Labor or security centers) for the purpose of grievance.
• The worker is prohibited from leaving work in cases other than those stipulated by law, or without the permission or consent of the employer, and all rules and regulations must be adhered to to ensure safe and legal residence in the Kingdom.
• Upon expiry of the work permit and no desire to renew it or transfer to another employer in accordance with the applicable legislation, the worker must leave the country within 90 days of the expiry of the work permit.

Ministry of Labor measures to protect the rights of agricultural workers

• In the event of any complaint or information related to the violation of the rights of the agricultural worker or his exploitation, or any breach by the agricultural employer of his obligations, the Ministry shall take the following measures:
  • Summoning both the agricultural employer and the agricultural worker to the Ministry to resolve the complaint amicably.
  • Warning the agricultural employer if it is found that he violated the provisions of the law or this system, provided that he removes the violation within a week.
  • Issuing a seizure against the agricultural employer and taking the necessary legal measures stipulated in the law.
  • Prohibiting the agricultural employer from recruiting or transferring a non-Jordanian agricultural worker to work for him for the period specified by the Minister.