(Bandar Seri Begawan, 21st) The Brunei Labor Department’s enforcement unit recently launched the “Usai144/2026” enforcement operation in Kampung Kiarong to ensure employers comply with relevant provisions of the Employment Order (Chapter 278).
During the inspection of a restaurant, enforcement officers found that the employer was suspected of violating a total of 9 provisions of the Employment Order, involving the rights of multiple employees. These violations included failure to pay overtime wages, not providing statutory rest days, arranging employees to work on rest days, employees working beyond the legal maximum working hours, not providing statutory public holidays, not offering paid annual leave, and employing foreign workers without the approval of the Labour Commissioner.
The investigation further revealed that the restaurant hired foreign workers belonging to other companies, and that some foreign workers were actually working in positions inconsistent with those they had been approved for; for example, workers approved as waiters were assigned to work as chefs. In addition, the legal employers of these foreign workers were also suspected of violating regulations by not providing the approved job positions to their employees.
The Labor Department stated that further investigations will be carried out regarding the aforementioned suspected violations of the Employment Order. If convicted, employers may be subject to a fine of up to 1,000 Brunei dollars per violation; refusal to pay the fines will result in prosecution in court.
The authorities remind employers to effectively safeguard employee welfare, including paying overtime for employees who work more than 8 hours per day or 44 hours per week; providing at least one rest day per week; ensuring employees working on rest days are given double pay or a replacement day off; ensuring ordinary employees do not work more than 8 hours per day and shift workers no more than 12 hours per day, with monthly overtime not exceeding 72 hours. Employers are also prohibited from hiring foreign workers from other companies and must ensure foreign employees engage only in the positions they have been approved for.
During the inspection of a restaurant, enforcement officers found that the employer was suspected of violating a total of 9 provisions of the Employment Order, involving the rights of multiple employees. These violations included failure to pay overtime wages, not providing statutory rest days, arranging employees to work on rest days, employees working beyond the legal maximum working hours, not providing statutory public holidays, not offering paid annual leave, and employing foreign workers without the approval of the Labour Commissioner.
The investigation further revealed that the restaurant hired foreign workers belonging to other companies, and that some foreign workers were actually working in positions inconsistent with those they had been approved for; for example, workers approved as waiters were assigned to work as chefs. In addition, the legal employers of these foreign workers were also suspected of violating regulations by not providing the approved job positions to their employees.
The Labor Department stated that further investigations will be carried out regarding the aforementioned suspected violations of the Employment Order. If convicted, employers may be subject to a fine of up to 1,000 Brunei dollars per violation; refusal to pay the fines will result in prosecution in court.
The authorities remind employers to effectively safeguard employee welfare, including paying overtime for employees who work more than 8 hours per day or 44 hours per week; providing at least one rest day per week; ensuring employees working on rest days are given double pay or a replacement day off; ensuring ordinary employees do not work more than 8 hours per day and shift workers no more than 12 hours per day, with monthly overtime not exceeding 72 hours. Employers are also prohibited from hiring foreign workers from other companies and must ensure foreign employees engage only in the positions they have been approved for.