The move that smashed the pillars of the kafala system in Qatar
featured
Food
the labour law allowing migrant workers to terminate
Housing
Illness
employment and change jobs, without risk of repatriation by the
Job mobility
was the 30 August 2020 promulgation of new amendments to
former employer.
Job scam
The latest change had been presaged by the abolition of the Exit
Permit system in September 2018 for most workers. Under that
system, employers’ permission had to be sought before a
migrant worker could go home, and denial of permission had
been an easy way to control and exploit workers. Should a
worker leave without permission before the end of a contract,
he or she risked arrest and a charge of “absconding”. In January
2020, nearly all other workers including domestic workers were
also brought within scope and no longer need to get Exit
Permits. That said, exceptions remain, affecting some workers,
and these need to be cleaned out too.
change of employer. The steps
to be taken by the worker are
as follows:
1. Notify current employer and
serve out the required notice
period. Interestingly, workers
should notify employers
through the electronic system
set up by the Ministry of
Administrative Development,
Labour and Social Affairs
(ADLSA, but which we will
refer to more simply as
‘MinLabour’).
2. Submit another form
through the MinLabour
electronic system, to notify the
ministry of one’s intention to
change jobs, attaching (a) a
copy of the contract with the
current (former) employer
which had been attested by
MinLabour and (b) a letter in
Arabic from the new employer
Labour court
Labour relations
Laws & regulations
Lawyers
MC & light duty
MC wages
Media interest
Then in August 2020, came
the big bang, liberalising
Kickback
Notice periods
Medical costs
Medical interaction
If in current job
for two years or
less, the notice
period is one
Medical treatment
MOM processes
month.
Placement agents &
If in current job
fees
for more than two
years, the notice
period is two
months.
If still under
probation (and the
law stipulates that
probation periods
Police processes
Politics and policies
Recruitment
Repatriation agents
Salary & deduction
cannot be longer
Society &
than six months
socialisation
and no worker
can be under
prodation twice in
the same job), the
Survey & statistics
TADM
notice period is at
Temporary Job
least one month.
Scheme
Tra cking