In order to comply with Qatar`s federal labor regulations and labor laws, employers should remain aware of the many rules set by the Human Resources Department. Leadership training to stay up-to-date on labour law and regulations and HR policies in Qatar can help companies stay on top of legal employment issues. Different rules apply to young people in Qatar. For example, a teenager is not allowed to work between sunset and sunrise, holidays, official holidays, or longer than normal working hours. In addition, employers should not keep them at work for more than seven hours. The rules governing employment in Qatar, including rights, obligations and relations between workers and employers, fall largely within the scope of the Labour Law No. 14 of 2004. Law No. 4 of 2009 “On the regulation of the entry, exit, stay and sponsorship of expatriates”, which became official on 29 April 2009.

Often referred to simply as the “sponsorship law,” it outlines the protocol for legal entry, residency and sponsorship in the country and aims to guide employers who rely heavily on the country`s predominantly foreign workforce. Law No. 21 of 2015, ratified on 27 October 2015, will replace Law No. 4 of 2009 upon its entry into force on 14 December 2016, one year after its publication in the Official Gazette. Under section 54 of the Labour Act No. 14 of 2004, an employee who has worked for the same employer for one year or more is entitled to EOS in addition to any other compensation due on termination of the employment relationship. Employers in Qatar are required to offer employees either an employment contract (service contract) or a formal agreement with working conditions. Employers can draft employment contracts in English, but the Qatari Ministry of Labour only accepts the Arabic version as official.

It is recommended that a notary certify all working documents. Until now, employees with less than five years of service were entitled to a legal minimum notice period of one month if employers terminated their employment contract. Employees with more than five years of service were entitled to at least two months` notice. The same rules applied to employees who wished to terminate their employment contract with their employer. Article 4 of the Labour Act No. Act No. 14 of 2004 provides for inviolable protection measures and workers` rights to which employers must undertake; Trade policies that violate these rights will be declared invalid, even if they were created before the law came into force. Minimum obligations include limitation of working hours, maternity leave for female workers, advance notice of the employment relationship, clearly defined wages and other procedures designed to protect the mutual interests of the employee and the employer. An employment contract is defined as an agreement between an employer and an employee in which the latter undertakes to work for and under the direction and supervision of the former against payment of wages. As Qatar has strict labor regulations, setting up a team of experts to understand and explain local labor laws can help employers comply with all policies. One of the best practices to protect the organization and its employees is to establish standard employment contracts. (1) Employers may not employ non-citizens or non-Arabs without first ascertaining that no citizen or other Arab registered with employment offices is unemployed and able to do the same work.

Qatari workers can form workers` committees and join larger unions. Strikes are allowed as long as they comply with the rules of the Labour Code. Article 26 of Act No. However, 21/2015 will impose a four-year ban on returning to Qatar for employment on any worker who has been dismissed and has not challenged the dismissal before the competent court or whose appeal has been rejected. Employees are entitled to paid annual leave according to the years of employment (basic salary plus bonus). Annual leave (3) An employee`s employment relationship may end at the end of the 14th week of sick leave if an employer-approved medical report proves that the employee is unable to continue working at that time. 1) For employees who receive their salary on an annual and monthly basis, the termination of the contract must be notified to the other party at least 1 month before leaving the factory, if the period of service was not less than 5 years. If the service period exceeds 5 years, the termination must be made 2 months earlier. Employees of ministries and other state institutions, public bodies, companies and companies established by Qatar Petroleum and employees whose employment matters are governed by special laws. An employer may not terminate an employee`s employment relationship or announce his dismissal while an employee is on annual leave. In addition, an employee may not leave his employment relationship during his annual leave, unless he has declared his intention to do so before taking the leave.

1) Provide the Minister of Labour with a list of the names, jobs and dates of employment of young persons. (3) If the employee has violated the safety rules in the workplace, provided that these rules are posted in writing and in a clear place or are given orally to the employee if he is illiterate; Foreigners can work in Qatar under different employers. Expatriates can change employers after the conclusion of the employment contract in the country where the employer terminates the contract without legal sanctions for the expatriate. The expatriate must spend five years or more with the same employer if the duration of the contract is not defined. (2) Thereafter, the employee may be on sick leave without pay until he is able to return to work and perform his duties properly, or until he terminates his employment relationship or his employment relationship is terminated for health reasons in accordance with paragraph 3. Probationary periods have a maximum duration of six months, which must be specified in the employment contract. The employer or employee may terminate the employment contract with seven days` notice. The Qatari Labour Code is a set of rules and regulations that establish the legal rights, responsibilities and restrictions of workers, employers and workers` committees. The Qatari Labour Code should be followed by all stakeholders. It should be recalled that article 3 of the Labour Act No.

14 of 2004 excludes from its provisions several categories of employment, including EOS. As a reminder, this includes people employed in the public sector, including Qatar Petroleum, members of the armed forces, law enforcement agencies and maritime operations, those who perform casual or domestic work, parents of employers, those who work in agriculture and anyone whose work falls under special laws and regulations. (4) If a worker has terminated his employment relationship due to illness with the consent of a medical practitioner approved by the employer and this has occurred before the expiry of the six weeks, the employee shall be entitled to sick leave with pay in accordance with the provisions of this section and the remaining part of the wages due to him shall be paid. This provision shall also apply if the worker dies as a result of the illness before the end of those six weeks. Due to the higher requirements and conditions, the employment contract takes precedence over Qatar`s local labor laws. However, some regulations provide employers and employees with special protection, regardless of the contract. The Labour Code requires a written contract of employment in standard form between the employer and the employee; If it is written in a language other than Arabic, a translation must be attached.