Employee Rights Upon Resignation or Termination in Qatar
Find out what the law says in case you’re ever terminated or if you choose to leave your current job.
The Qatar Labour has an extensive section discussing the rights and obligations of employees in the event that they choose to resign or if they are terminated by their employer.
These laws help ensure that both the employee and employer retain their rights and serve their obligations towards each other.
Here’s all you should know…
Notice period
The notice period needs to be given by the party that’s terminating the contract and it depends on the employee’s period of service.
For employees who receive their wages monthly:
- Five years or less: One month notice
- More than five years: Two months’ notice
For employees who receive their wages hourly, daily or weekly
- Less than one year: One week notice
- More than one year but less than five: two weeks’ notice
- More than five years: One month notice
Failing to give the appropriate notice means that the party terminating the contract will have to pay compensation to the other party. The compensation should be an amount equivalent to the wage of the notice period or what’s remaining of it.
Changing employers
When it comes to limited contracts, if the employee wishes to switch jobs before their contract expires, they will need to get their employer’s permission through a No Objection Certificate (NOC). If the employer refuses to give an NOC, then the employee will be banned from working in Qatar for the remaining duration of the contract. If the contract has ended, then the employee is free to take on new employment without prior permission.
With open-ended contracts, the employee will need an NOC if they have been with the employer for less than five years. If the employer refuses, then the employee will be banned from working until the date when the employee would have completed five years of service. If the employee has been working for the employer for five or more years, then they are free to switch employers without approval.
Exceptions
An employee is allowed to terminate a contract before its expiry whether it’s a limited or unlimited contract and keep all rights and sums due, including gratuity, if:
- The employer breaches his obligations stated in the contract or the law
- The employer or manager physically assaults the employee or commits an immoral act on the employee or his family
- The employer misled the employee at the start of his service concerning the terms and conditions of the job
- The work endangers the safety and health of the employee, given that the employer doesn’t do anything to remove the danger
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Wages and other sums
The employee is entitled to his salary in full for the notice period. The salary and any other owed sums have to be paid to the employee before the end of the day after the notice period ends.
If the employee has leave days which he has not taken, the employee is then entitled to payment in lieu of his annual leave.
The employee may also be entitled to end of service gratuity, read more about it here>>
Repatriation
If the employer terminates the service of the employee, then the employer has to pay the costs related to returning the employee to their home country. This has to be completed within two weeks after the contract is terminated.
If the employee is joining another employer within Qatar, then the current employer is exempt from this.
