End-of-service gratuity under the Labour Law

Who this is for

Workers in the private sector covered by the Labour Law (Law No. 14 of 2004) who have worked for the same employer for one year or more, and their employers. The Labour Law does not apply to some groups, including government employees, military and police personnel, domestic workers such as drivers, nannies and cooks, and most agricultural workers. If you are in one of those groups, your end-of-service rights come from other rules.

Before you start

• Your attested employment contract, which shows your basic wage and start date.
• Your most recent payslip or bank transfer record showing your current basic wage.
• The exact dates your service started and ended, so you can count full years and any part of a year.
• For a complaint: a mobile number registered under your own Qatar ID, as the Ministry of Labour sends a one-time password to it.

Steps

1. Check that you qualify

   Under Article 54 of the Labour Law, the gratuity is owed to a worker who has completed one full year or more of service. It is paid on top of any other amounts the worker is owed when the job ends, such as unpaid wages.

2. Find your last basic wage

   The law uses the last basic wage as the basis of the calculation. In the Labour Law, the basic wage is the pay for the work itself, including the annual increment, but not other allowances such as housing or transport. Your contract and payslip should show this figure separately.

3. Count your years of service

   Count every full year of service. The law also gives a share of the gratuity for part of a year, in proportion to the time worked. If a worker's contract ends and they go back to the same employer within two months, the service normally counts as continuous, unless the contract ended for one of the disciplinary reasons in Article 61.

4. Work out the minimum amount

   The law sets a minimum of three weeks' wage for each year of service, based on the last basic wage. The employer and worker can agree on a higher gratuity in the contract, but not a lower one. If the employer has a retirement scheme that gives more than the legal gratuity, the worker can receive that instead.

5. Give notice through the Ministry of Labour

   Ending a contract starts with notice. The Ministry of Labour has an online service that lets the worker or employer notify the other side that the contract is ending. Hukoomi lists the notice the worker must give: 30 days for a fixed-term contract, 30 days for an open-ended contract after up to five years of work, and 60 days after more than five years.

6. Receive the gratuity when the job ends

   The employer pays the gratuity when the worker's service ends, together with any other amounts due. The law allows the employer to deduct from the gratuity any sum the worker owes the employer. Ask for a written breakdown of how the amount was calculated.

7. If it is not paid, file a complaint

   Workers can file a complaint with the Ministry of Labour through its Unified Platform for Complaints and Whistleblowers. Log in as an individual with your Qatar ID or visa number and mobile number, choose the complaint type, fill in the form and attach your documents. The service is free and open 24 hours a day. You can then follow your complaint online.

Useful numbers and apps

• Ministry of Labour hotline 16505 Source
• Ministry of Labour (alternative number) +974 4406 8979 Source

Good to know

• Under Article 61, an employer may dismiss a worker without notice and without the gratuity in specific serious cases listed in the law, such as using a false identity, disclosing work secrets, or long absence without a valid reason beyond the limits set in that article.
• If a worker dies while in service, the law requires the employer to deposit the wages, entitlements and gratuity due with the court within 15 days.
• Housing, transport and other allowances are part of the total wage but not of the basic wage, so they are not in the legal minimum calculation unless your contract says otherwise.
• In 2026 the Labour Law was amended by Law No. 9 of 2026. The Ministry of Labour's summary of the changes does not mention the gratuity. Check the Ministry of Labour for any update before relying on a calculation.
• In December 2025 a government committee was set up to propose a savings and investment system for end-of-service gratuities. The decision states that it does not affect existing employment or pension rules.