Are you a female employee who is expecting a baby soon, or know someone who would need to know their maternity entitlements in Doha? Then, here's the information you need!

The ILoveQatar.net (ILQ) team brings you all the information you need to know about maternity leave and other maternity entitlements in Qatar.

Note: The Qatar Labour Law currently does not stipulate any provisioning regarding paternity leave, and this is subject to employer provisionings.

What is maternity leave?

Maternity leave is an employee benefit that women expecting a baby may take. The duration, prerequisites and payment allowances vary from country to country.

Maternity leave law in Qatar

The Qatari labour law has stipulated prerequisites and the leave allowance for employed expecting mothers as such in articles 96, 97 & 98 of Law No. 14 of 2004. Refer to the end of the article for the law.

Who is entitled to maternity leave in Qatar?

Is maternity leave paid for in Qatar?

Yes. Female workers are entitled to 50 days of paid maternity leave.

How long can maternity leave be in Qatar?

Employees who have worked a full duration of 1 year are entitled to maternity leave of 50 days, including the prenatal (before the birth of the child) and postnatal (after the birth of the child).

Please note that the postnatal period should have a minimum of 35 days of leave.

If there are less than 35 days of maternity leave remaining after the birth of the child then, the employer may provide the female employee with complimentary leave from the annual leave. However, if the annual leave is already used, then the complimentary leave may be provided as unpaid leave.

If the female employee's health condition does not permit her to resume work by the end of the maternity leave and the complimentary leave, she may be provided with additional leave; however, this additional leave will be unpaid. This additional unpaid leave should not exceed 60 working days, whether continuous or interrupted.

What are the prerequisites to getting maternity leave in Qatar?

• The female worker looking to get maternity leave must have completed 1 year of service with the employer.
• A medical report stating the expected date of delivery from a licensed physician must be submitted to the employer.

What are the other maternity entitlements in Qatar?

• A female worker who is nursing her newborn baby may receive 1 hour daily for the purpose of nursing for a period of 1 year. This entitlement will commence after the end of the maternity leave. This nursing period is to be calculated within the working hours, and no salary deduction should be applied for it. The employee may choose the preferred time period for this break.
  
• A female employer should not be deprived of any other type of leave because of having received maternity leave.
  
• The employer cannot terminate an employment contract due to the purpose of the female employee having requested maternity leave or even terminate a contract during the leave.

RELATED: How to calculate End of Service Gratuity in Qatar

Maternity leave according to Labour Law in Qatar

According to Qatar Labour Law (Article 96 of Law No. 14 of 2004):

A female Worker who has spent a whole year in service with the Employer shall be entitled to maternity leave with full Remuneration for a period of fifty days including the prenatal (antenatal) and postnatal periods, provided that the postnatal period is not less than thirty-five days.This leave shall be granted upon a medical report issued by a Licensed Physician stating the expected date of delivery.If the remaining period of the leave after delivery is less than thirty days, the female Worker may be granted a complementary leave from her annual leave. Otherwise, the complementary period shall be deemed to be leave without pay.If the health situation following delivery does not allow the female Worker to return back to work after the end of the leave referred to in the preceding paragraphs, she will be deemed to be on leave without Remuneration provided that the period of her absence from Work shall not exceed sixty consecutive or interrupted days, and provided that a medical certificate of her medical condition shall be produced from a Licensed Physician.The receipt of the delivery leave shall not prejudice the female Worker from entitlement to any other leave.

According to Qatar Labour Law (Article 97 of Law No. 14 of 2004):

The nursing female Worker, in addition to her right to the rest period provided for in Article 73 of this Law, shall be entitled to one hour daily for nursing for a period of one year, which shall start after the end of the maternity leave. Determination of such break period shall be left for the female Worker. The nursing period shall be calculated in the working hours, and shall not result in any reduction in the Remuneration.

According to Qatar Labour Law (Article 98 of Law No. 14 of 2004):

The Employer may not terminate the Employment Contract of a female Worker by reason of her marriage or receiving the leave provided for in Article 96 of this Law.The Employer may not notify the female Worker of the termination of her service Employment Contract during this leave, or send her a notification which ends during the said leave.

Source: Al Meezan Legal Portal

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Fareeha Imtiaz

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