AMONG the many new regulations framed by the labour authorities is that of an expatriate employee being able to change jobs without permission from his current employer, if they give their notice by registered post

If, after three months, the employer is still not co-operating, then the employee is free to take up his new post anyway.

But in practice, this does not work, since employers can be vengeful if they are losing someone to another company.

If the employee wishes to go home on leave after giving his notice, the employer may cancel his visa, so he cannot return. Or the employer may refuse to cancel it so he cannot transfer to another sponsor.

Some employers also file false complaints to the police, that the employee is either a runaway or a thief and the police always believe the sponsor.

Once this happens, the employee’s career in Bahrain will be ruined.

We request the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) to provide a solution to overcome such problems.

There are also now too many new rules and the LMRA does not work with the speed and efficiency it should.

RK