The Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), one of the world’s leading and fastest-growing onshore business and financial centres, recently hosted a 'Think-Lab' session to discuss the introduction of new employment principles into the QFC Employment Regulations, including part-time and fixed-term employment.
The session was organised by the QFC's Employment Standards Office (ESO), which aims to develop, promote and maintain fair and balanced labour standards to encourage a competitive knowledge-based economy that facilitates the growth of the business.
As part of its commitment, the ESO established Think-Lab in 2017 to offer QFC stakeholders an opportunity to share their views on employment legislation and to discuss the introduction of new labour standards in line with the constantly evolving business needs of the QFC community.
“The session comes within the framework set out in the human development pillar of the Qatar National Vision 2030 and further emphasises the QFC’s commitment to creating effective legislative principles that support and enable the welfare of employees and employers alike,” said Yousuf Mohamed al-Jaida, chief executive, QFC Authority.
Luigia Ingianni, Commissioner of the ESO, said it is important for employers and employees affected by new legislation to have a voice in the decision-making process.
"As such, consultation and exchange of ideas not only support the ESO in defining the most appropriate way to balance the different interests of the parties, be it productivity and the business needs of employers, fairness for employees, and the need for high labour standards for employment institutions, or to facilitate compliance given that the final piece of legislation is the result of a common discussion, negotiation and agreement,” she said.