How to Use Qatar's New Portal to File a Complaint Against an Employer

By Qatar Day - June 01, 2021

How to Use Qatar's New Portal to File a Complaint Against an Employer

Are you currently working in Qatar and you feel like being treated unfairly at work? Do you have any concerns about your rights in the workplace? Or do you need support for an issue you're now facing with your employer?

Good news! The Ministry of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs (MADLSA) now makes it easier for you to file a complaint against your company through the Unified Platform for Work-Related Complaints and Disputes.

ADLSA Complaints and Whistleblower Portal is the new channel that will serve as the voice of workers who are mistreated, underpaid, harassed, disrespected, or neglected by their employers in Qatar.

The Ministry has recently announced the launching of the Phase 1 of the platform, which allows all members of society to submit reports against violations of the Labor Law and make a follow-up on previous complaints.

What is this new portal and what is it for?

It is an electronic platform which allows all members of society to submit reports against violations of the Labor Law, entities subject to the provisions of Qatar Labor Law No. 14 of 2004, and the Domestic Workers Law promulgated by Law No. 15 of 2017 or the entities that MADLSA regulate its business.

Who can use the portal?

• Qatari and non-Qatari workers in the private sector who are subject to the Labor Law

• Domestic workers

• Citizens, expatriates and establishments

What services are available through the platform?

• File a complaint

• Report a violation such as:

- gathering of workers

- inappropriate accommodation for workers

- explicit violations at the work site, etc

(The complaint can be filed without revealing the identity of the reporter / user).

• Follow up on complaints

• Review his personal data as it is registered in the Ministry's database and update his contact data from a mobile number and an email

How can you access and use this portal?

Below are the step-by-step procedures on how to use the site:

STEP 1. To use this service, click this link.

STEP 2: Choose between the following 2 options:

• File a new complaint + Follow up previous complaints - This option allows you to log in to submit a complaint by filling in the QID / visa number.

• File a whistleblower complaint - This option allows you to submit a whistleblower and not a complaint.

What is a whistleblower?

A whistleblower is a person who informs on a person or organization regarded as engaging in an unlawful or immoral activity. He/she is usually an employee, who exposes wrongdoing by an employer or by other employees to the attention of a government or law enforcement agency.

FILE A COMPLAINT

If you selected the “File A Complaint” options, the service is accessed in one of the two ways,

•Via the ID card Number or visa and the phone number

• Via the National Authentication System (NAS)

• For Option 1, enter your Qatar QID (QID) or Visa Number and your active mobile number. You will then receive an SMS with a one-time password (OTP) to access your account.

Tip: Please make sure you are providing the phone number linked to your ID and that you are near your phone.Note: The worker can file a complaint through a work visa number, provided that the mobile phone number is registered on the same visa, otherwise the user will have to visit the nearest ministry office to submit the complaint.

• For Option 2, log-in using NAS and it will direct you to the National Authentication System registralink link.

1. Log in

2. After accessing (register a new complaint) page, the user will select the type of complaint, and accordingly the page will display additional sections for him to ll them out General information about the complaint select the intention to notify the employer or keep the complaint condential select the geographically appropriate ministry’s oce to handle the complaint select the employer from the list

3. File a new complaint

4. The data of the employee (the complainant) is displayed automatically from the database, as he can register additional data such as an additional mobile number or additional mail for notifications.

5. Requests - In this section, the user can specify the request and add more than one request for the complaint

• Via the Add New request button notes can be added for each complaint

• Attach the documents that prove the significance of the complaint

6. Before proceeding with registering the complaint, the user can review the request and have the opportunity to amend or remove the complaint.

7. After acknowledging the accuracy of the entered data, the user can file the complaint officially.

FILE A WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINT

• To file a whistleblower complaint, click the right button in the upper left corner of the screen to "file a whistleblower complaint " and then follow the steps listed in the explanation below:

- Enter your valid mobile number: Please enter the mobile phone number on which you can receive the verification code message and click on the Register button then enter the verification code and click on the authentication button.

- Select the subject of the report, and you can add other notes you want, in case your subject matter is not among the options.

- You can report employer information by using any of the 4 fields shown in this section (at least one is mandatory):

1. Establishment’s name

2. Establishment’s Registration Number

4. Workplace address

4. Location on the map

- The user can decide to add or withhold his personal information. If the "No objection to contacting me" box has not been selected, the user can submit the complaint without disclosing his personal information. If the box has been selected, the user can manually add their personal information in the assigned elds. The entered data will be shared with the ministry accordingly.

• This is the home page after login.

• The user can return to this page by clicking the 'complaints' button from the list.

• This page will display a summary table of all the complaints registered by the user or registered on his behalf as a complainant.

• From this page, the user can click the button “File a new complaint” to start preparing a draft of a complaint for submission.

• If the user clicks on any log of the table, it will redirect him to the “Complaint Status Review page”

• From the complaints’ summary table, if the user clicks on one of the logs, it will redirect him to a new page to review the details and status of the complaint.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and Answers About the Portal

Definitions

• The employer (establishment): Every natural or legal person who employs one or more workers in return for a wage.

• The worker (establishment): Every natural person who works for wages for an employer and under his management or supervision.

• The employer (domestic): The natural person for whom the domestic worker works

• The worker (domestic worker): The natural person who performs domestic work, under the management and supervision of the employer, in return for a wage such as the driver, nanny, cook, gardener and the like.

What are the internet browsers that the platform operates through?

The application works well on all modern browsers like Chrome, Safari and Microsoft Edge.

Is it possible to access the platform through smart phones?

The design of the platform allows the user to access and use it through smart phones.

What types of complaints are available for a user to submit?

In the first version of the platform, the user will be able to apply for:

• Firm labour complaint (Qatari / non-Qatari) against establishments

• Domestic workers complaint against employers

• File a report of a violation.

With regard to complaints of the type of facility labour against the establishments, will it be inclusive for all employees of government, semi-government and private sector employees?

For this type of complaints, the platform will be available for filing labour complaints against establishments subject to the Labour Law only.

What is the mechanism for accessing the platform and filing a complaint?

The user can access the platform through the following:

• National Authentication System

• By entering the ID personal card number and the mobile number, to verify the mobile number registered with the ID card number, the system will send a special code OTP to access.

Is it possible to file a complaint through Visa Number?

The worker can file a complaint through a work visa number, provided that the mobile phone number is registered on the same visa, otherwise the user will have to visit the nearest ministry office to submit the complaint.

Can a user file a complaint through the platform by using the passport number?

It is not possible to submit it through the platform. The user can visit the nearest ministry office to file a complaint.

What is reporting a violation?

It is the ability to report any explicit violation of the Labour Law, such as: gathering of workers, inappropriate accommodation for workers, explicit violations at the work site, etc. The complaint can be filed without revealing the identity of the reporter / user.

Are there any conditions for filing a complaint?

There are no conditions for filing a complaint, any citizen or any expatriate can file a complaint for an explicit violation of the Labour Law.

I would like to file a complaint about a violation, but I do not have information about the employer / name of the company?

It is possible to either register the address of the location of the violation or specify the location on the map attached to the system.

I work with a work permit on the sponsorship of parents, is it possible to file a complaint through the platform?

The user will have to visit the ministry to file a complaint.

Is it possible, through the platform, to submit a complaint against the former employer?

Yes, it is possible to file a complaint against the former employer.

Can the complaint include more than one claim?

Yes, it is possible to list more than one claim within one complaint.

How will you communicate with the concerned department for reviewing and resolving the complaint?

The concerned department will review the complaints and disputes after receiving them, and it will communicate with the complainant through SMS and e-mail.

Is it possible to amend the details of the complaint after filing?

It is not possible to modify the details of the complaint after it has been submitted.

Can the complaint be deleted?

The complainant can delete the complaint before filing it when it is in a draft form. It cannot be deleted after it has been submitted.

A worker has submitted a complaint and it is under process. If he wants to file a second complaint, will the platform allow for that?

The system does not allow the complainant to file a new complaint while he has a complaint under process against the same defendant.

What are the new features to be added?

MADLSA also clarified that in the second release of the platform, which will be launched during the upcoming period, there will be additional complaints that are as follows:

• A complaint against a recruitment office

• A complaint against a nursery

• A complaint from an establishment or employers against a worker.

MADLSA also welcomes any feedback from the platform users by sending feedback and suggestions via the following email address: Complaints_support@adlsa.gov.qa.