Domestic workers are entitled to an end-of-service benefits for each year of work after spending a minimum of full year at work, according to Law No 15 of 2007 on domestic workers, issued yesterday by His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.
The entire period of service should be taken into consideration while calculating the end-of-service benefits.
Such gratuity shall be specified by a mutual agreement with the employer in the contract on condition that the calculation shall be a minimum of three weeks wages for each year of service.
The employer can deduct any dues or debts he owes the worker from this sum.
The employer may terminate the contract of the worker without a prior notice and without paying the due end-of-service benefits for the year of termination, if the worker failed to undertake his duties according to this law or the employment contract.
In the meantime, the worker may terminate the work contract before its expiry while maintaining his full right to the end-of-service benefits in certain cases, such as: the employer failing to abide by his obligations in accordance of this law or the employment contract, the employer or his delegate using fraud at the time of making work contract regarding the labour conditions, or the employer or any of his family attacking him putting his body or life at risk.
The worker can prematurely end the contract if he saw serious danger threatening his safety or health on condition that the employer was aware of the danger and did not handle it.
The disputes arising between worker and the employer regarding the implementation of this law or the employment contract shall be governed by the stipulations of the Labour Law and the compensations of the worker for any work injuries will be according to the same law.
Any claims for rights under this law or the employment contract shall expire after the passage of one year of the termination or end of the employment contract for any reason or quitting work.
Any violations of the rights of the worker or the standard recruitment procedures shall be penalised by a fine of a maximum of QR5,000.
However, in case of violating the conditions of the minimum or the maximum employment age and failing to pay the worker the due monthly salary within the set time frame, the violator shall entail a penalty of a maximum of QR10,000.
All the persons addressed by this law are granted a grace period of six months to accommodate their situation according to its stipulation, which may be extended for similar periods upon a decision by the Minister of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs.