Maximum working hours of domestic workers shall not exceed 10 hours

DOHA: The working hours for domestic workers including driver, governess, cook, gardener and workers in a similar occupation are eight hours plus two hours overtime as maximum in a day, according to the Law No. 15 of 2017 for regulating domestic workers, said an official.

“The law stipulates that the maximum hours of work shall not exceed 10 hours a day, unless there is an agreement to the contrary, interrupted by periods for worship, rest and food. Such periods shall not be included in the calculation of the hours of work,” said Fares Al Kaabi, Head of the Department of Manpower Agencies at the Ministry of Administrative Development Labor and Social Affairs.

He was speaking to the media persons on the sidelines of a seminar on the rights of domestic workers organised by the  Ministry of Administrative Development Labor and Social Affairs within a technical cooperation programme between Qatar and International Labor Organization (ILO) following strategic goals of labor sector and Qatar National Vision 2030.

The event was attended by the representatives from the Ministry of Interior,  the ILO, embassies of major domestic workers’ exporting countries, manpower agencies for recruitment of domestic helps. Al Kaabi said that a domestic worker shall be entitled to a paid weekly rest holiday, which is not less than  twenty four consecutive hours adding that the timing of the weekly rest shall be determined based on the agreement between both parties as indicated in the labor contract.

Speaking on the recruitment charges of domestic workers, Al Kaabi said that supply and demand in the market rules the charges as recruitment fees is different from one country to another.

According to the law, the recruitment of domestic workers from abroad shall be undertaken by one of the recruitment offices certified in accordance with mentioned provisions of the Labour Law.

As an exception thereof, an employer or the person mandated by him/her may recruit from abroad domestic workers for their own account after the department’s approval.

The law stipulates that an employer shall be responsible to provide suitable housing and food to a domestic worker, appropriate medical care, medicine, and medical equipment in the case of sickness, or injury during the performance of his/her duties, or as a result therefrom, without incurring any financial burdens on the domestic worker.

He should treat domestic workers well, in a manner which will safeguard their dignity and well being.