Wage Increment Program
Enabling private sector enterprises to increase the wages of their existing Bahraini workforce
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About the Program
This program allows enterprises to obtain wage increment support for existing employees, thus facilitating the career progression of Bahrainis working in the private sector and encouraging employers to retain and reward existing employees.
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Eligibility Criteria
For enterprises:
- Enterprise must have an active CR/license
- Enterprise must not have violations from Tamkeen or LMRA
For employees:
- Employee must be a Bahraini national
- Employee must have at least 3 months of experience with the same enterprise
- Employee salary must not exceed BHD 1,500
- The employee’s wage increment must be between 5% and 20%, and the increment amount must be between a minimum of BHD 20 and maximum of BHD 300.
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Support Mechanism
We will support 100% of the wage increment for a period of 24 months up to the approved cap amount.
The increment must be between 5% and 20%, and the increment amount must be between a minimum of BHD 20 and maximum of BHD 300.
Frequently asked questions
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How can my company benefit from this program?
Enterprises can submit applications using Tamkeen’s online portal. Prior to submitting an application the enterprise must follow these steps:
- Log into the SIO portal and update the salaries of the employees in the section specific to Tamkeen’s Wage Increment Support.
- The salary increment will be updated throughout the year. Employers should declare their readiness to pay the SIO fees at the start of the following year.
- Once updated, log into Tamkeen’s portal and apply for the Wage Increment Program.
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Can employees apply for this program on the portal?
The application must be initiated by the employer/enterprise.
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What information and documents do I need to prepare before applying?
- SIO statement
- Latest salary slip for the employee
- Increment or promotion letter
- One-year management accounts (not older than 6 months) (optional)
- Pictures of the current business setup (optional)
- Latest audited financials (optional)
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What is the minimum and maximum wage increment supported through this program?
The employer must increase the employee’s wage by a minimum of 5% and a maximum of 20%.
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What is the support duration and is it renewable?
The support period is 24 months. The employer may re-enroll the same employee for wage increment support, provided that they meet the eligibility requirements and program terms and conditions.
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What will happen in the event that the employer reduces an employee’s wage during the support period?
Reducing employee wages during the support period is not allowed as per the program terms and conditions, and will put the employer at the risk of being in violation of Tamkeen’s regulations.
This will impact eligibility for any existing and future support from Tamkeen. For any suspected cases you may reach us through our violations email report@tamkeen.bh or dedicated hotline 17383383.
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Once Tamkeen's support is over, how can we guarantee that the employer will continue to pay the adjusted wage?
Employment contracts and salaries are regulated by the relevant authorities in the Kingdom of Bahrain and individuals can report their cases to these authorities accordingly.
You may reach us through our violations email report@tamkeen.bh or dedicated hotline 17383383.
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If an employee is currently enrolled in the National Employment Program, can they also benefit from the Wage Increment Program?
Yes, you may apply for this program through Tamkeen portal and the application will go through the assessment process.
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Does this program cover part-time employees who are registered in SIO?
Yes, the program covers part-time employees registered with SIO.
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When can the employer submit the wage increment support application?
The application must be submitted prior to completing 3 months of applying the increment on SIO.