Termination of Employment and Utility Services in Bahrain
Termination of employment is one of the most shocking news for the employees in their career. A lot of people are shocked and some even cry when they are notified of the termination of employment by the HR or someone having the power to terminate the employment.
Termination of Employment in Bahrain due to Redundancy
To those of you who are not aware of it, Redundancy amounts to dismissal from the job by the employer when the employer has to cut his expenses in order to keep the business floating or prevent its total closure. In the Kingdom of Bahrain the redundancy as a ground for termination of employment was added to the Law No. 36 of 2012 ("Labour Law") by Law No. 37 of 2015 which amended the Article 110 of the Labour Law.
This law states: "The employer may terminate the labour contract as a result of the total or partial closure of the establishment, the downsizing of its activities, the replacement of the production system by another in a way that affects the number of the workforce, provided the contract is only terminated following the notification of the Ministry of the reason of termination thirty days before the date of notification of the worker of the termination."
Legal Conditions for Termination
On reading the above clause it is very clear that redundancy is a justified ground for terminating employment contracts but this right is accompanied by certain conditions which are as follows:
- Termination of employment must be on the basis of partial or total closure;
- Termination of employment must be on the basis of the downsizing of the activity or replacement of production system;
- The employer must give Ministry a notice 30 days before terminating the employee.
Employee Rights and Considerations
Now, what many employers are doing is that they are asking the employees to submit their own resignation without giving any intimation to the employees. If your employer is asking you to submit resignation because the company is having losses, you must ask the employer/company to give you a proof that they have notified the Ministry regarding the termination of workers due to downsizing. It is also vital to understand other rights, such as Maternity Leave in Bahrain - Law for Female Employees in Private Sector.
Electricity and Water Service Disconnection Request
In addition to labor matters, the government provides an eService that allows you to perform the listed government services, specifically to submit a request for service disconnection of electricity and water for active accounts. For service termination and disconnecting the electric power supply, the following requirements must be met:
- Payment of the outstanding balance if any;
- ID Card reader printout, or a two-sided copy of, or copy of the commercial registration certificate (for Bahrainis and Residents) or passport copy (For non-Residents);
- Electricity, Water, Municipal Rates Agreement form.
Service Summary and Timelines
| Service / Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Ministry Notification Period (Redundancy) | 30 days before the date of notification of the worker |
| Utility Disconnection Timeframe | 1 Working Day |
| Outstanding Balance | Payment of the outstanding balance if any |
| Required Documentation | ID Card or Commercial Registration Certificate |