Qatar's rapidly increasing GDP and rapid infrastructure development have attracted hundreds of thousands of expatriates seeking to better their lives.
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Today, Qatar employs over 2 million people. The government prioritizes the well-being of immigrant workers. It is committed to upgrading Qatar's labor laws and practices to develop a beneficial system for employers and employees.
Qatar Labor Laws
Labor law is a complex issue that will need time to address. On the other hand, Qatar has made significant improvements in recent years to strengthen labor regulations and migrant worker protections. Qatar, in particular, possesses:
- New regulations have been established that remove the need for most employees to get departure permits to leave the country.
- Regulations were published that would enable employees to locate another employment without getting a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from their previous employer.
- There is now a nondiscriminatory minimum wage.
- Twenty Qatar Visa Centres (QVCs) have been announced in Tunisia, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines, which will speed up the hiring process and ensure that employees are not exploited in their home countries.
- A Workers' Welfare and Insurance Fund was established to safeguard and care for workers and secure their rights and create a safe and healthy working environment.
Prominent humanitarian groups and UN entities have lauded Qatar's reforms. Unlike the rest of the area, Qatar is now the Gulf's labor reform leader because its improvements are real, long-lasting, and the product of years of rigorous planning.
Recent Addition of Labor Reforms in Qatar
In recent years, the Qatari government has implemented several significant labor reforms, including:
Labor Mobility
On September 8, 2020, legislation was passed that altered a key component of the kafala or sponsorship system - the ability of employees to change occupations without the approval of their employer.
Furthermore, Law No. 18 of 2020 was enacted, adding legal procedures controlling job termination. It is vital to remember that increased labor mobility benefits both workers and companies.
According to a recent press release regarding Qatar's migrant workers, it was said that, “Over 300 million employees in 142 countries said they dread reporting safety hazards to their bosses for fear of retaliation. Fear of reporting may lead to significant yet avoidable injuries.”
Fair Recruitment
Through a working group comprised of members from MADLSA, MOI, and the US Embassy in Qatar, the ILO continues to give technical advice on the functioning of the Qatar Visa Centers (QVCs).
The initiative is also working with Qatari public institutions to explore cross-border recruiting difficulties and give tangible assistance in completing due diligence on their recruitment procedures.
Domestic Workers
The updated standard employment contract, which supplements Law No. 15 of 2017 on service workers in the home ("Domestic Workers Law"), establishes additional rights for domestic workers and clarifies the terms and circumstances of their employment.
The initiative assists in the design and implementation of a training curriculum for registered private recruiting firms in Qatar on decent employment for domestic workers.
Social Protection
The amended standard employment contract, which complements Law No. 15 of 2017 on domestic service employees ("Domestic Workers Law"), adds additional rights for domestic workers and defines the terms and conditions of their employment.
The program supports the creation and implementation of a training curriculum on decent employment for domestic workers for licensed private recruitment businesses in Qatar.
The press conference also said that ”In Qatar, we've witnessed widespread involvement and engagement. The mix of speakers and attendees today reflects this. Workers' representation in OSH committees and joint committees, multinational unions like the BWI and ITF, professional groups of safety officers like IOSH”.
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