Employment Act · 2026 Revised Edition · Part · Repatriation
115. Exemption from obligation to repatriate
Official textFrom Attorney General's Chambers, unchanged
The Commissioner may exempt the employer from liability for repatriation expenses in the following cases —
Commissioner
“Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Labour appointed under section 3(1);
when the Commissioner is satisfied that —
the employee, by a declaration before the
employee
“employee” means a person who has entered into or who works under a contract of service with an employer, and includes a workman and any public officer or employee of the Government included in a category, class or description of such officers or employees declared by the Minister, with the approval of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan, to be employees for the purposes of this Act or any Part thereof; but does not include any seaman, domestic worker or any person employed in a managerial, executive or confidential position or any person belonging to any other class of person whom the Minister, with the approval of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan, may by notification published in the Gazette, declare not to be employees for the purposes of this Act;
Commissioner, has signified that he does not wish to be repatriated; and
the employee has been settled at his request or with his consent at or near the place of employment;
when the Commissioner is satisfied that the employee, by his own choice, has failed to exercise his right of repatriation before the expiry of 6 months from the date of termination of the contract of service;
repatriation
“repatriation” means the return of an employee to his country of domicile or origin, and includes the return to his house of an employee who has been brought to a place of employment by an employer from any other place within Brunei Darussalam;
when the liability of the employer has been provided for under any of the provisions of any fund established under section 152(3)(i);
employer
“employer” means any person who employs another person under a contract of service and includes — (a) the Government, in respect of such categories, classes or descriptions of public officers or employees of the Government as are declared by the Minister, with the approval of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan, to be employees for the purposes of this Act; (b) any statutory body; (c) the duly authorised agent or manager of the employer; (d) the person who owns or is carrying on or for the time being responsible for the management of the profession, business, trade or work in which the employee is engaged;
when the contract of service has been terminated otherwise than by reason of the inability of the employee to fulfil the contract of service owing to sickness or accident and the
contract of service
“contract of service” means, subject to section 10, any agreement, whether in writing or oral and whether express or implied, whereby one person agrees to employ another as an employee and that other agrees to serve him as an employee, and includes a contract of apprenticeship;
Commissioner is satisfied that —
Employment 78
in fixing the rates of salary, proper allowance has been made for the payment of repatriation expenses by the employee; and
salary
“salary” means all remuneration including allowances payable to an employee in respect of work done under his contract of service, but does not include — (a) the value of any accommodation or the supply of any food, fuel, electricity, water or medical attendance, or of any amenity or service excluded by order of the Minister published in the Gazette; (b) any contribution paid by the employer on his own account to any pension fund or provident fund; (c) any travelling allowance or the value of any travelling concession; (d) any sum paid to the employee to reimburse him for special expenses incurred by him in the course of his employment; (e) any gratuity payable on discharge or retirement; and (f) any retrenchment benefit payable on retrenchment;
suitable arrangements have been made by means of a system of deferred pay or otherwise to ensure that the employee has the funds necessary for the payment of such expenses.
Terms defined in s 2
Commissioner
Defined · s 2“Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Labour appointed under section 3(1);
contract of service
Defined · s 2“contract of service” means, subject to section 10, any agreement, whether in writing or oral and whether express or implied, whereby one person agrees to employ another as an employee and that other agrees to serve him as an employee, and includes a contract of apprenticeship;
employee
Defined · s 2“employee” means a person who has entered into or who works under a contract of service with an employer, and includes a workman and any public officer or employee of the Government included in a category, class or description of such officers or employees declared by the Minister, with the approval of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan, to be employees for the purposes of this Act or any Part thereof; but does not include any seaman, domestic worker or any person employed in a managerial, executive or confidential position or any person belonging to any other class of person whom the Minister, with the approval of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan, may by notification published in the Gazette, declare not to be employees for the purposes of this Act;
employer
Defined · s 2“employer” means any person who employs another person under a contract of service and includes — (a) the Government, in respect of such categories, classes or descriptions of public officers or employees of the Government as are declared by the Minister, with the approval of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan, to be employees for the purposes of this Act; (b) any statutory body; (c) the duly authorised agent or manager of the employer; (d) the person who owns or is carrying on or for the time being responsible for the management of the profession, business, trade or work in which the employee is engaged;
place of employment
Defined · s 2“place of employment” means any place where work is carried on, for or on behalf of an employer, by an employee;
repatriation
Defined · s 2“repatriation” means the return of an employee to his country of domicile or origin, and includes the return to his house of an employee who has been brought to a place of employment by an employer from any other place within Brunei Darussalam;
salary
Defined · s 2“salary” means all remuneration including allowances payable to an employee in respect of work done under his contract of service, but does not include — (a) the value of any accommodation or the supply of any food, fuel, electricity, water or medical attendance, or of any amenity or service excluded by order of the Minister published in the Gazette; (b) any contribution paid by the employer on his own account to any pension fund or provident fund; (c) any travelling allowance or the value of any travelling concession; (d) any sum paid to the employee to reimburse him for special expenses incurred by him in the course of his employment; (e) any gratuity payable on discharge or retirement; and (f) any retrenchment benefit payable on retrenchment;
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