The Article 84 accrual rule explained
Your benefit accrues in two tiers under Article 84:
- First 5 years — half a month's wage per year.
- Each year beyond 5 — one full month's wage per year.
For SAR 10,000 over 8 years if terminated: (0.5×5)+(1×3)=5.5 months; 5.5 × 10,000 = SAR 55,000. Partial years are paid proportionally.
Resignation vs termination
Employer termination (Article 84) — you receive the full calculated amount, regardless of service length, unless dismissed for gross misconduct under Article 80.
Resignation (Article 85) — the amount is reduced by how long you served: under 2 years nothing, 2 to 5 years one-third, 5 to 10 years two-thirds, 10 years or more the full amount. Article 87 gives the full award to a worker who leaves because of force majeure, and to a female worker who ends the contract within 6 months of marriage or within 3 months of giving birth.
Employer hasn't paid? How to claim
If your employer refuses to pay your end-of-service benefit or pays less than you're owed, you can claim it. The process is free and can be started online, even after you leave the Kingdom.
- Request it in writing — send a formal demand to your employer stating the amount and the legal basis (Articles 84/85). Keep a copy.
- File an amicable settlement (Widdi) with MHRSD — submit an online complaint to the labor office for the city of your last workplace. The employer is notified and must respond.
- Attend the mediation sessions — MHRSD schedules the sessions. If you agree, the settlement is binding and the employer must pay. We state no timetable: the HRSD text we read sets none.
- Escalate to the Labor Court — if mediation fails, the case is referred (via the Najiz portal, referencing your Widdi number). The court can order full payment plus delay compensation and freeze the employer's accounts. We state no typical duration: the HRSD text we read sets none.
- Mind the filing deadline — a time limit applies to labour claims; we state no figure, as the HRSD text we read sets none. Keep your contract, payslips and resignation/termination letter as evidence and ask MHRSD for the current limit.
You can file yourself, but for the Labor Court stage — or large or complex amounts — a Saudi labor lawyer can help you prepare the case. Ministry of Justice hotline: 1950.
Frequently asked questions
When must my employer pay?
Article 88: the employer must pay your wages and settle your entitlements within one week of the end of the contract. If you ended the contract, within two weeks. The employer may deduct work-related debts you owe. Source: the Labor Law text on the HRSD site (2023 PDF).
Does my housing allowance count?
Yes — art. 2 defines the wage as the basic wage plus all other due increases and allowances, and art. 84 bases the award on the last wage. The parties may agree to leave out variable components such as commissions or percentages.
I resigned after 18 months — anything?
No. Resigning before completing 2 years gives no statutory ESB under Article 85.
Does this apply to expatriates?
Yes. Articles 84 and 85 apply equally to Saudi nationals and non-Saudi workers covered by the Labor Law. Domestic helpers are governed by separate regulations.
End-of-service (ESB) claim checklist (save your progress)
Tick each item as you prepare it. Progress is saved in this browser — nothing is uploaded. This is a preparation aid, not tax advice.
Sources and official references: HRSD — End-of-Service Award Regulations and the ministry’s Labor Law text (PDF) — art. 84, art. 85, art. 87 and art. 2 (with art. 80 on dismissal for gross misconduct). Read on 22 September 2026 from HRSD’s end-of-service article and the ministry’s Labor Law PDF; the passages relied on are kept verbatim in monitors/srccache/saudi_hrsd_eos_20260922.md. Removed in that pass, for want of any basis in that text: the 21-working-day mediation timetable, the 3–6 month court duration and the 12-month filing limit. Restored on 10 October 2026: the one-week and two-week payment deadlines, which are in art. 88 of the same Labor Law PDF. Corrected to the articles: the wage base is the last actual wage (art. 2), not basic pay only, and the no-award threshold is resignation before 2 years (art. 85), not one year of service. Independent estimate, not legal advice.