MUSCAT : Oman’s Ministry of Labour is stepping up monitoring of salary payments and recruitment patterns to detect suspected fake employment arrangements and manipulation of Omanisation figures.

Through the Wage Protection System, the ministry compares salary transfers with the amounts stipulated in employees’ contracts. Repeated discrepancies, particularly when workers consistently receive less than their agreed salaries, may prompt further scrutiny and investigation.

The ministry is also examining repeated resignations or terminations shortly after recruitment, which could indicate attempts by companies to manipulate Omanisation rates to qualify for financial incentives.

A Ministry of Labour spokesperson said suspected violations are assessed individually, taking into account the nature and requirements of each role. Field-based, part-time, remote and freelance work, for example, may not require regular attendance at company premises.

The monitoring forms part of tighter enforcement against companies that hire Omani nationals primarily to meet mandatory Omanisation quotas and benefit from reduced labour fees, then terminate their employment without providing genuine work opportunities.

Under the ministry’s replacement requirements, companies have 40 days to recruit another Omani employee after a worker leaves. If the position remains vacant, an official notification is issued after 45 days, giving the employer a further 15 days to comply. Failure to meet the requirement can result in a fine of RO 500.

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