‘70% of employers at restaurants evade social security subscriptions’

AMMAN — The Social Security Corporation (SSC) on Monday urged owners of restaurants and sweets shops to subscribe their employees to social security insurance.

Out of some 20,000 restaurants and sweets shops that employ up to 130,000 workers, only 7,000 establishments have their employees (some 30,000) covered by social security insurance, according to SSC figures.

Employers evade insurance in this sector by not including all their employees under the social security umbrella, only some of them, SSC Director General Nadia Rawabdeh said, noting that many restaurants do not subscribe their workers based on their actual salaries, while others force employees to pay the entire social security subscription.

“Social security insurance is a comprehensive protection system for employees and employers,” Rawabdeh said at a meeting with sector stakeholders.

Noting that insurance helps job owners sustain their trained and experienced workers, she said some restaurants and sweets shops, especially in remote areas, employ non-Jordanian workers without legal permits, which does not allow the SSC to cover them.

Rawabdeh added that the average monthly salary at restaurants with over 20 workers is JD320, while in those with less than 20 employees the average is around JD230. 

SSC Media Director Musa Sbeihi said around 70 per cent of employers in the food and beverage sector evade insurance. 

Describing the sector as “attractive to foreign workers”, Sbeihi called for improving the workplace environment so that Jordanians are encouraged to work in the field.

According to an SSC study, restaurants and hotels witnessed the highest average number of work injuries in 2013, with 71 injuries per 1,000 workers covered by social security insurance.

“Subscribing workers in restaurants and hotels will protect them from work injuries… and protect their rights in case of injuries,” Sbeihi said, adding that violating safety and health conditions increases the number of injuries.