I am back in the States and there is a drama to all this. I was working for a sports retailer in Qatar and got my employment terminated by them in December. This wasn’t a shock but expected, the company had a history of doing such and being a professional it is part of a job. But things got interesting when they proceeded to put an exit block on me so I couldn’t leave Qatar. I complained but went along with this as I was on my 2 month notice period. Once the month ended, I didn’t get my salary. I asked for about my salary multiple times from the HR but couldn’t get a straight answer. Infact they wouldn’t pick up my calls or respond to emails. after a day or two I received an email that stated that my termination was cancelled and I was re-terminated by the company based on the claim that I caused finance loss to the company. I requested the proof of that and they refused to provide it.
During all this drama, I am packing my bags and hoping to leave but couldn’t. I couldnt find a job locally and the job market was not in good shape already.
The HR called me on day and told me to come and sign a paper, give up my rights and they will let me exit and put me on a plane to USA. I was desperate and decided to do it. The HR person even told me to come at 7am so it is done before the office even opens.
That night, i talked to a close friend of mine and he being a local told me not to give up on my rights. He convinced me that i should go to Human Rights Commission Office in Doha and explain the situation to them. It turns out that there is a human rights commission in Qatar which deals with the abuse of the employers, which mean sit is a frequent issue. Once i went there, i was directed to an exit permit section. I explained the situation to the front man (expat) who took my information to a Captain (Qatari) in the back. they contacted the company and was told to wait an hour.
After an hour, i was told that the company will settle with me within three days and provide the exit permit. I left and headed home. I called the Company and this time the HR Head picked up the phone. he informed that he will let me know what the company is going to do. the next day and over the weekend (Friday and Saturday) there was no information or feedback from the company. On Sunday (Sunday is a weekdays in Qatar) I wrote emails to the company HR and Legal department and there was no feedback. Around 4pm on Sunday I got an email informing me that there was nothing owed to me and they will issue the exit permit. I received the exit permit and subsequently left Qatar.
The day I left Qatar, I filed a case with Labor Ministry and hired a lawyer to represent me. So now we are awaiting a court date to get my rights.
Many things I noticed, there is clear abuse in Qatar for employers, doesn’t matter what nationality but private companies would try their best to abuse employees, some might fight back and some will give up and leave. this empowers the employers.
The company is tied to the World Cup and maybe they think their importance to the FIFA world cup will ensure that they don’t have an accountability. The final accountability is with Allah and i will wait for it.
some words about the life in Qatar. it is a dream land. a Façade where everything is like Disneyworld. It has a lot of goods but living there doesn’t prepare you for the real world which is very different. Specially coming from the west, there is a lot of tradeoff. Giving up on your rights, your freedoms, your values and your professionalism. The laws are in favor or Qataris, the rules are in favor of locals to ensure they win. There is a ceiling called Qatari that you cannot break through. you cannot argue or you cannot question. Qataris get alot of benefits while people who are actually building up their country, cleaning their beaches and making this world cup happen are at the bottom. clear racism, in offices, in government centers, in health clinics and many other places. I thought my American passport would help, it did to certain extent but I was always the south Asian with an American passport and not an American. Admissions to universities are with dual standards. The country is a bling bling land but PR the machine will make you believe that they are the most just and peaceful.
