Doha: The Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs extended the probation period for domestic workers from 3 months to 9 months.
The Ministry announced the implementation of Minister’s decision No. (21) for the year 2021 to amend some provisions of Resolution No. (8) for the year 2005 regarding regulating the conditions and procedures for licensing the recruitment of domestic workers from abroad.
According to the decision agencies recruiting workers from abroad are bound to abide by the labour legislation, systems and policies in the country from which the labour is recruited, to provide the domestic worker, before he is recruited, with a copy of the details and conditions of work signed by the employer.
The employer is obliged to issue a work contract for the worker before arrival in the country as per the same conditions that the worker accepted to work on, in addition to providing private housing and meals for the workers until they start working with the employer or when the worker is returned to agency by the owner according to the terms and conditions.
The ministry clarified that the decision included obligating the licensee to guarantee an additional six-month probationary period for the domestic worker, starting immediately after the end of the three-month preliminary probation period, bringing the total probation period to 9 months.
During the additional probation period, the licensee shall guarantee the return of the sum paid to him by the employer, minus 15% of the total amount due, for each month the worker spent in the service of the employer during the additional probation period, with deduction of government fees incurred in any of the following cases: the worker’s refusal to work, the worker runs away or illness with a chronic disease.
The right of the employer shall also be forfeited if the employer assaults the worker and violates any of the terms of the contract with the worker.
