RIYADH — The Administrative Court in Riyadh has upheld a government entity’s decision to terminate an employee for absenteeism, ruling that signing attendance records without performing job duties constitutes absence from work.The judgment, published by the Board of Grievances, stems from a case in which the plaintiff sought compensation after his employment was terminated for allegedly being absent.According to the court summary, the employee had signed in on attendance logs but left the workplace immediately without carrying out his duties for a full month.The plaintiff acknowledged the behavior but argued that it should not be considered absenteeism.The court rejected the claim, affirming that actual job performance — not merely signing attendance — determines workplace presence.It ruled that leaving work after signing in is effectively equivalent to absence, making the termination decision lawful and compliant with regulations.The judgment also reiterated that an employee may be dismissed if absent without a valid excuse for 15 consecutive days or 30 non-consecutive days.The court found no fault on the part of the government entity, concluding that the termination was legally justified.
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