The monthly cost of leasing workers: what sets the price and how to compare offers

Why there is no single price

When you ask “how much does it cost to lease a worker per month?”, the honest answer is: it depends on what the price includes. Two offers for an electrician in the same city can differ a lot, because one includes housing and transport and the other does not, or because one is for eight months and the other for one month. So do not compare the numbers until you have made what lies behind them the same.

The factors that set the price

Prices advertised on Ajeerk

The next section automatically calculates the median price of the “Workers for lease” ads online now whose advertisers wrote a price, for every profession that has reached a minimum number of ads. The median is the price in the middle of the advertised prices once they are put in order, so an exaggerated ad does not push it up and an unusual ad does not pull it down. These are prices the advertisers ask, not estimates and not promises, and the final price is agreed by the two sides.

What the price means in Ajeerk ads

In a “Workers for lease” ad, the advertiser may write the monthly price for one worker in riyals; if it is left empty, “By agreement” is shown. In a “Lease request”, the requester may write their monthly budget per worker. In the list of ads, you can filter by price range and sort by lowest price.

Three notes before you read these numbers:

• The price written is a price the advertiser asks, not a final price. The final price is agreed by the two sides after contact.
• An ad does not always say what the price includes, so ask about housing, transport, meals and hours before you compare.
• No price does not mean a high price; many advertisers prefer to hear the details of the request first.

The hidden costs in the cheapest offer

The offer that is cheapest on paper can be the most expensive by the end of the month. Look for these items before you accept it:

• Absence with no replacement: if the offer does not include replacing an absent worker, you are paying for a site that has stopped.
• Transport not included: daily transport between the housing and the site may add a cost you did not count.
• Overtime not agreed: hours that pile up and then appear on the invoice.
• Less skill than needed: redoing work and delaying the next stages are costs that do not show in the price.
• An undocumented arrangement: a violation of Article 39 of the Labor Law also falls on whoever put the worker to work, and it costs more than any difference in price.

How to compare three offers fairly

1. Make the scope of work the same: the same profession, skill and site in all three requests.
2. Make the hours the same: the number of hours a day and days a week.
3. Make what the price includes the same: housing, transport, meals and protective equipment.
4. Compare replacement and termination: what happens if the worker is not a good fit, and how much notice is needed.
5. Compare the payment terms: monthly or in advance, and tied to the attendance record or not.
6. Check the documentation: is the arrangement made through the Ajeer platform or a licensed provider?

Only after these steps does a difference in price become a real difference.

Tie payment to attendance

The clearest way to avoid disputes is to tie the monthly fee to a daily or weekly attendance record signed by the supervisors of both sides. The record settles days of absence and overtime, and makes the invoice clear before it arrives.

A budget for temporary workers in four steps

1. Estimate the number for each month: from the schedule of the project or season, not from the peak alone.
2. Multiply by the period: the number of workers times the number of months, for each profession.
3. Add what is outside the price: housing, transport and meals, if they are not included.
4. Keep a reserve: for an extension, a replacement or a sudden increase in work, and review your spending every month.