Employers may obtain permits from the ministry to employ juveniles between the ages of 14 and 18 in certain trades, for a maximum of six hours per day, on condition that they work no more than four consecutive hours followed by a rest period of at least one hour. Compulsory education laws exist for children between the ages of 6 and 15. These laws are not fully observed in the nonindustrial sector, and there have been unconfirmed reports of some South Asian domestic servants under 18 who falsified their age in order to enter Kuwait. Labor law sets general conditions of work for both public and private sectors, with the oil industry treated separately. Civil Service law, which also pertains to the public sector, limits the standard workweek to 48 hours with one full day of rest per week, and provides for a minimum of 14 workdays of leave per year and a compensation schedule for industrial accidents.
Legal protections exist for workers who file complaints about dangerous work situations.
Laws establishing work conditions are not always applied uniformly to foreign workers and foreign laborers frequently face contractual disputes, poor working conditions and, in some cases, physical abuse. Inclusion of non-U.S. Government links does not imply endorsement of contents.