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Gross Misconduct & Summary Dismissal in Qatar: Article 61 Grounds and Disciplinary Due Process

Under Qatar Labour Law No. 14 of 2004, Article 61 gives employers a closed list of ten grounds to dismiss a worker instantly without notice and without end-of-service gratuity: assuming a false identity or submitting forged documents; causing gross financial loss to the employer (reportable to "the Department" - the competent Ministry of Labour unit - within 24 hours of the employer becoming aware of it); repeated breach of written safety instructions despite a prior written warning; repeated failure to perform essential contractual duties despite a prior written warning; disclosing the employer's secrets; being found during working hours in a clear state of drunkenness or under the influence of a drug; assaulting the employer, the manager, or a supervisor in the workplace; repeating an assault on a colleague in the workplace despite a prior written warning; unauthorised absence exceeding 7 consecutive days or 15 non-consecutive days in a year without legitimate cause; and being convicted by a conclusive judgment of a crime of dishonour or dishonesty. Secondary legal-alert sources (law firm client notes) report that a 2026 amendment, Law No. 9 of 2026, added a further ground allowing dismissal without notice or gratuity where a worker unlawfully incites others to strike in a manner that disrupts operations - however, the official Al Meezan portal's English text of Article 61 (checked 10 August 2026) had not yet been updated to show this addition, and the law's exact promulgation and effective date could not be confirmed against a primary source this session. Article 62 requires employers to follow a documented investigation and hearing process before imposing any penalty, and a worker may not be charged more than 15 days after the employer became aware of the breach.

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Steps

Confirm the ground falls within Article 61's closed list - Verify the conduct matches one of the ten specific grounds in Article 61: false identity/forged documents; gross financial loss; repeated safety-instruction breach after a written warning; repeated failure of essential duties after a written warning; confidentiality breach; on-duty intoxication or drug influence; assault on the employer, manager, or a supervisor; repeated assault on a colleague after a written warning; unauthorised absence over 7 consecutive/15 non-consecutive days in a year; or conviction by a conclusive judgment for a crime of dishonour or dishonesty - plus a strike-incitement ground reported by secondary sources to have been added by Law No. 9 of 2026 (not yet reflected in the official Al Meezan Article 61 text as of last check). Grounds outside this list cannot support a no-notice, no-gratuity dismissal.
Open a documented internal investigation - Notify the worker in writing of the alleged breach and investigate in writing (an oral investigation is permitted only for minor violations carrying a notice or a one-day pay deduction, and even then must be recorded in the worker's file); the violation must relate directly to work, and the charge must be brought within 15 days of the employer becoming aware of the breach (Article 62).
Hold a disciplinary meeting and issue a written decision - Give the worker an opportunity to respond to the allegations, then confirm the disciplinary decision in writing (Article 63 requires written notice of the penalty - posted at the workplace if the worker declines to receive it, or sent by registered post to their address on file if absent), citing the specific Article 61 ground relied upon.
Notify the Ministry of Labour where required - For dismissals grounded in gross financial loss, notify the Department (the competent Ministry of Labour unit) of the incident within 24 hours of the employer becoming aware of it, as required by Article 61.
Handle the worker's grievance if raised - Under Article 64, the worker may lodge a written grievance with the employer within 7 days of being informed of the penalty; the employer must decide within 7 days, and silence is treated as refusal. If refused, the worker may file a claim with the Department within 7 days of the refusal, and the Department must decide within a further 7 days (its decision is otherwise conclusive). For the dismissal penalty specifically, the law gives the worker a direct right to challenge the decision before the competent court/Labour Dispute Settlement Committee, rather than being bound by the Department's decision.
Settle final dues excluding gratuity/notice pay where the ground is upheld - Where a valid Article 61 dismissal is confirmed, the employer withholds notice pay and end-of-service gratuity but must still settle any other outstanding entitlements (e.g., accrued leave, wages due) per Qatar Labour Law.

Timeline

The internal disciplinary process should move promptly: the employer has 15 days from awareness of the breach to charge the worker (Article 62). If a penalty is imposed, the worker has 7 days to raise a written grievance with the employer, the employer has a further 7 days to decide (silence counts as refusal), and if refused the worker can escalate to the Department within 7 days for a decision within another 7 days (Article 64). For a dismissal specifically, the worker may instead go directly to the competent court/Labour Dispute Settlement Committee rather than being bound by the Department's decision. How long court or Committee proceedings themselves take is not fixed by these articles and could not be independently confirmed this session (a commonly cited "~3 weeks" Labour Dispute Settlement Committee resolution figure remains unverified); contested cases can proceed further through the Labour Court.

Cost & fees

No standard government filing fee applies to conducting an Article 61 summary dismissal itself; costs relate to potential Ministry of Labour/Department review and, if the dismissal is contested, Labour Dispute Settlement Committee or Labour Court proceedings (court fees and possible damages/compensation if the dismissal is later found arbitrary or unlawful).

Some figures on this page vary by jurisdiction, zone or nationality, or could not be independently confirmed from a public source at time of writing - confirm the current figure with the regulator before relying on it.

Sources

Frequently asked

Can an employer dismiss a worker without notice for any serious misconduct, or only specific grounds?

Only for the ten specific grounds listed in Article 61 of Law No. 14 of 2004: false identity/forged documents, gross financial loss, repeated safety-instruction or duty breaches after a written warning, confidentiality breaches, on-duty intoxication, assaulting the employer/manager/supervisor, repeated assault on a colleague after a written warning, prolonged unauthorised absence, and conviction for a crime of dishonour or dishonesty. Secondary legal-alert sources report a further strike-incitement ground was added by Law No. 9 of 2026, though as of last check this had not yet appeared in the official Al Meezan text of Article 61. Misconduct outside this list does not qualify for dismissal without notice and gratuity.

Does the employer have to follow a disciplinary process before summarily dismissing a worker under Article 61?

Yes. Article 62 requires a documented process - written notice of the alleged breach, a written (or, for minor violations only, oral) investigation, and a written decision under Article 63 - and the charge must be brought within 15 days of the employer learning of the breach; failing this due process risks the dismissal being challenged as unjustified.

What happens if a worker disputes an Article 61 dismissal?

Under Article 64, the worker can file a written grievance with the employer within 7 days of being notified of the penalty; the employer must decide within 7 days. If the grievance is refused (or not decided in time), the worker may bring a claim to the Department within 7 days, which must then decide within a further 7 days. For dismissal specifically, the law gives the worker a direct right to challenge the decision before the competent court (Labour Dispute Settlement Committee) instead of being limited to the Department's decision.

Is unauthorised absence always grounds for summary dismissal in Qatar?

Only if it exceeds 7 consecutive days or 15 non-consecutive days within a single year without legitimate cause - shorter unauthorised absences do not meet the Article 61 threshold for dismissal without notice.