While We Celebrate Eid, They Are Still Working

As families across Kuwait gather to celebrate Eid Al-Adha, visit relatives, shop in crowded malls, and enjoy meals in restaurants and cafés, hundreds of thousands of workers spend the holiday serving others rather than celebrating with their own families. Behind every pleasant Eid experience is a salesperson assisting customers in a shopping mall, a waiter serving families at a restaurant, a cleaner maintaining public facilities, a security guard protecting visitors, or a delivery driver working long hours to meet increased demand. While many people enjoy the holiday with loved ones, others continue working to make those celebrations possible.

Their contribution deserves more than gratitude. It deserves respect, fairness, and protection. This message becomes especially meaningful during Eid Al-Adha, a season that reminds us of sacrifice, compassion, humility, and justice. Few moments capture these values more powerfully than the pilgrimage of Hajj, where millions of people gather wearing the same simple white garments. In that remarkable scene, wealth, status, nationality, profession, and social standing fade away. The wealthy stand beside the poor, employers stand beside employees, and people of every race and background stand shoulder to shoulder before their Creator. It is one of the most powerful reminders that all human beings possess equal dignity.

The significance of this lesson extends far beyond religious ritual. It offers a practical reminder of how societies should treat people in everyday life, particularly those whose labor contributes to the comfort and prosperity of others. Respect for human dignity is not merely a moral ideal; it is a principle that finds expression in modern legal systems, including the laws of the State of Kuwait.

Kuwait’s legal framework recognizes the importance of protecting workers and ensuring fair treatment in the workplace. Article 68 of the Private Sector Labor Law grants workers official paid holidays, including Eid Al-Adha. Where operational requirements necessitate work during an official holiday, the employee does not lose that right. Instead, the law grants the worker both an alternative day of rest and double remuneration for the day worked. The principle is straightforward: business needs cannot become a justification for depriving workers of protections granted by legislation. If society requires someone to sacrifice part of the holiday in service of others, the law ensures that this sacrifice is fairly recognized and compensated.

The protection of workers in Kuwait, however, extends far beyond holiday entitlements. The law reflects a broader commitment to safeguarding human dignity and preventing exploitation. Workers are entitled to receive their wages in accordance with the law, and failure to pay wages is not always merely a contractual dispute. It exposes offenders to criminal accountability and investigation by the Public Prosecution.

More serious still are practices that exploit vulnerable workers. The unlawful confiscation of passports, restrictions on personal freedom, coercion, abuse of vulnerability, forced labor, or similar conduct may, fall within the scope of offences addressed under Kuwait’s anti-human trafficking legislation. Such acts are treated with utmost seriousness because they undermine one of the most fundamental principles recognized by both law and humanity: the inherent dignity and freedom of every individual.

Kuwait has long been recognized for its humanitarian values and its commitment to protecting human rights. The legal protection afforded to workers reflects that commitment. Regardless of nationality, language, religion, or economic status, every worker is entitled to basic rights and legal safeguards. No person should be exploited because of financial need, lack of knowledge, language barriers, or dependence on employment. The law exists not only to regulate relationships but also to protect those who may be vulnerable to abuse.

As we celebrate Eid Al-Adha, it is worth pausing to remember those who continue working while others enjoy the holiday. Respecting workers’ rights is not simply a legal obligation. It is a reflection of character, leadership, and social responsibility. Compliance with the law is the minimum standard expected of every employer. Beyond compliance lies something greater: fairness, integrity, compassion, and respect for human dignity.

A timeless teaching encourages people to give the worker his wages before his sweat dries. Centuries later, that message remains remarkably relevant. Whether viewed through the lens of faith, morality, or law, the conclusion remains the same: no society becomes stronger by exploiting those who serve it. A society becomes stronger when it protects them.

Dr. Fawaz Khaled Alkhateeb
Attorney-at-Law | Managing Partner, Taher Group | Chairman, Criminal Law Reform Committee, Kuwait Lawyers Association (BAR).