Court Rules That Inability to Use Fingerprint Attendance System Does Not Amount to Absenteeism or Negligence.
Dubai: A Saudi Arabian appeals court has upheld a decision to cancel salary deductions imposed on a visually impaired employee who was unable to consistently record his attendance using a fingerprint scanner, despite regularly attending work and fulfilling his professional responsibilities.
The Administrative Court of Appeal in Medina confirmed an earlier judgment issued by the city’s Administrative Court, which determined that the employer had not adequately considered the employee’s disability before deducting money from his salary.
According to Saudi Arabia’s Board of Grievances, the employee challenged the deductions, explaining that his visual impairment made it difficult for him to repeatedly locate and access the biometric attendance device.
After reviewing the case and examining the supporting evidence, the court concluded that failure to register attendance electronically could not automatically be treated as workplace absenteeism or negligence in carrying out assigned duties.
The court also found that the employer had previously acknowledged the employee’s circumstances, accepted his explanation and granted him an exemption from using the fingerprint attendance system because of his medical condition.
The ruling therefore upheld the cancellation of the salary deductions, recognising that the employee’s inability to use the biometric system did not establish that he had failed to attend work or perform his responsibilities.
The employee’s immediate supervisor also verified that he had consistently reported for duty and carried out his assigned responsibilities without negligence.
After reviewing the evidence, the court determined that the employer’s decision to deduct money from the employee’s salary was based on insufficient grounds and ordered the deductions to be cancelled.
The Administrative Court of Appeal later upheld the original ruling, confirming that the salary deductions were unjustified and should be annulled.
