LEGAL ISSUE: Who will shoulder my Return Ticket?!

I believe this will be the very first topic here in my blogsite about legalities, between the employer and the employee whom, a month after he avail his vacation leave, he resigned:

My friend returned from his annual vacation last week. He has availed of his annual air ticket to his country as per the contract. Within a month of resuming work, he resigned. Is the employer supposed to provide him an air ticket to his country of residence? 

Name withheld on request

 

The contract says an employer who brings a worker from his home country should provide him an air ticket when he comes to Qatar, when he goes on his annual leave and when he ends his contract.

There is no legal restriction on when these tickets can be used; however, this is governed by the agreement between the two parties. 

The employer’s obligation to return the worker to his home country at the end of his services, whether he is alive or dead, is a firm obligation.  

Law No. 14/2004 states: “The employer should return, at his expense, the employee to the place from where he brought him, or to a destination agreed on by both parties, when he ends his contract.” 

The employer should end the process of returning the employee to the agreed destination within two weeks of the end of his contract.

In case of the employee’s death, the employer is responsible for all financial expenses incurred in returning the body to his home country.

If the sponsor fails to meet these requirements, the Ministry of Labour will return the employee, or the body, at its own expense and take administrative action against the sponsor and make him pay the costs.

The sponsor can also be fined a minimum of QR2,000 and not more than QR5,000 for not complying with the law.

I advice the questioner to approach the labour dispute office or the public relations department at the Ministry of Labour to file a complaint to get a one-way ticket from the employer.

To summarize, return ticket of any employee is not UNDER THE DISCRETION of the company but rather, it is clearly an obligation of the company to the employee. So to those of you who are experiencing the same situation, (Actually, you know who you are, someone very close to my heart...:D) don't be afraid to demand for your return ticket as you have all the right, you have just have to stand for your right.

For full download of this Qatari Law, click HERE:

Source: http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/special-page/law/229018/legal-corner-noc-is-valid-only-for-one-transfer