How do I file a labour complaint in Qatar?

Where does a labour complaint go, and who can file one?

Any individual dispute about the Labour Law or an employment contract goes first to the competent unit at the Ministry of Labour for an amicable settlement (Article 115 bis). If it is not settled, it goes to the Labour Dispute Settlement Committee, which alone decides it. The courts will not hear the claim before the committee rules (Articles 115 bis 2 and 115 bis 7). So you start at the Ministry, not at a court.

• - Workers in establishments covered by the Labour Law, Qatari or not, can complain about a current or a former employer.
• - Domestic workers, such as drivers, nannies and cooks, have their own law but follow the same route (Law No. 15 of 2017, Article 18). Their claims lapse one year after the contract ends or they leave work (Article 20), and the online platform has a complaint type for them.
• - The Labour Law does not cover employees of ministries, government bodies and public institutions. Since 2026 it also excludes part-time and self-employed workers, unless a Cabinet decision applies it to them (Article 3, as amended by Law No. 9 of 2026).
• - Since December 2024 the platform also takes employers' complaints against workers, and complaints against recruitment agencies.

How do you file a labour complaint online?

The Ministry of Labour's online channel is the Unified Platform for Complaints and Whistleblowers (acms.adlsa.gov.qa), linked from the service page on the Ministry's website. Hukoomi lists it as open around the clock and gives these steps:

1. 1

   1. Open the service page on the Ministry of Labour website and click "Apply".

2. 2

   2. Choose "Submit a Complaint (Login as Individual)".

3. 3

   3. Enter your QID or visa number and your mobile number.

4. 4

   4. Click "Request OTP" to get a one-time password by SMS, then enter it and log in.

5. 5

   5. Click "Submit a New Complaint" and choose the complaint type.

6. 6

   6. Fill in the form and list your demands. One complaint can include more than one demand.

7. 7

   7. Attach your documents and click "Review Complaint Details" before you submit.

• - The mobile number must be registered to the QID holder. A visa number works only if the mobile number is registered on that visa. Otherwise, go to the nearest Ministry office.
• - The platform does not accept a passport number, and workers on a work permit under a family member's sponsorship file at the Ministry.
• - A submitted complaint cannot be edited, and you cannot file a new one against the same party while another against them is under review.

Qatari employees in the private sector also have a Ministry service, with a complaint form addressed to the Labour Disputes Department, Sunday to Thursday, 7 am to 2 pm. The Ministry of Labour hotline is 16505 or 44068979.

Which documents do you need?

Hukoomi asks for "the required documents" without listing them. The Ministry's paper form asks for copies of the employment contract and the ID card. The table adds what usually helps prove a claim:

What happens after you file, and how long does it take?

The Ministry contacts you by SMS and email, and the complaint follows these deadlines in the Labour Law:

If both sides accept a settlement, it goes into minutes they sign and the Ministry approves, and it can be enforced like a judgment. If one side refuses or stays silent, the complaint goes to the committee with a memo on the dispute and both sides' documents.

Each of the Ministry's five committees is chaired by a judge of the Court of First Instance. You can attend in person or through a representative. If the claimant or their representative misses every hearing, the committee may strike the claim out, and it may decide a case in one side's absence (Cabinet Decision No. 6 of 2018, Articles 2, 5 and 11). Since 2026 it may also use electronic systems once a party's or witness's identity is verified (Article 115 bis 4).

Watch the one-year limit. Labour claims lapse one year after the contract ends (Article 10), but submitting the dispute to the Ministry pauses that period until the settlement deadlines have run (Article 115 bis).

How do you check or cancel a labour complaint?

You can follow your complaint from your account on the Unified Platform.

• - Checking status: Hukoomi lists a "Query for Labor Complaints" service. You enter the establishment ID number, then the complaint number and year, and click "Search". For help, call 16505 or 44068979.
• - Deleting: the platform lets you delete a complaint only while it is a draft. Once it is submitted, you cannot delete it or change its details.
• - Withdrawing after submission: the official pages describe no online way to withdraw a complaint at the Ministry stage, so ask the Ministry what is possible.
• - Before the committee: at the claimant's request, the committee may record that the claim is abandoned, unless the other side asks it to carry on. A representative can do this only under a power of attorney that allows it (Cabinet Decision No. 6 of 2018, Article 12).

If you are withdrawing because you have settled with your employer, note that the Workers' Support and Insurance Fund closes a payment request once a written amicable settlement is shown, even one that was never carried out (Fund Chairman's Decision No. 2 of 2022, Article 8).

What can the committee order, and can its decision be appealed?

The committee alone decides all individual disputes arising from the Labour Law or the employment contract, such as wages, end-of-service gratuity and leave (Article 115 bis 2). Its decision is reasoned and has the force of an enforceable instrument. It is issued with provisional enforcement, so it can be enforced even if it is appealed (Articles 115 bis 4 and 115 bis 5).

• - Dismissal: if the committee finds a dismissal arbitrary or unlawful, it either cancels it and reinstates the worker with back pay, or awards appropriate compensation, including lost wages and benefits (Article 64).
• - Other disciplinary penalties: the worker objects first to the employer, then to the Ministry, within seven days each, and the Ministry's decision is final. Only dismissal goes to the committee (Article 64).
• - Appeal: either side may appeal to the competent chamber of the Court of Appeal within fifteen days of the decision if it was given in their presence, or from the day after notification if it was given in their absence. An appeal does not stop enforcement unless that chamber orders it (Article 115 bis 6).

If the employer does not pay, one of the tasks of the Workers' Support and Insurance Fund is to pay workers' dues decided by the Labour Dispute Settlement Committees and then recover them from the employer, domestic workers included (Law No. 17 of 2018, Articles 1, 5 and 16). Its limits and conditions are in our guide to unpaid salary.

When should you speak to a lawyer?

You can file a complaint on your own, but these situations are worth a legal review:

• - You are unsure what you are owed, or you dispute your basic wage or allowances.
• - The Ministry or your employer offers a settlement that leaves out part of your claim.
• - You have been dismissed and are considering challenging it.
• - You are thinking of withdrawing your complaint or signing a clearance.
• - The committee has decided and you want to appeal, or to answer your employer's appeal. The deadline is fifteen days.
• - Your employer has filed a complaint against you.
• - It is nearly a year since your contract ended.

Questions people ask