As the midday summer work ban approaches, employers in Qatar are being reminded to observe special working hours from June 15 to Aug. 31.

According to a ministerial decree issued in 2007, no laborer should log more than five hours of outdoor work in the mornings.

And no outside work can be done from 11:30am to 3pm during the summer months, the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs said.

Furthermore, employers should post the amended working hours schedule where their staff can see it.

Companies that violate the decree’s provisions can face closures of up to one month, the ministry said.

Enforcement

Qatar has been stepping up enforcement of the midday work ban in recent years, and fewer laborers are usually seen toiling in the heat once June 15 rolls around.

However, with temperatures soaring past 40C as early as May, some have lobbied unsuccessfully to get the summer hours instituted earlier in the year.

Meanwhile, some companies have previously told Doha News that they had already begun voluntarily observing the midday work ban, allowing their employees to cease working from 11:30am to 3pm.

But with so many construction projects going on and deadlines being so tight, many employers are waiting until June 15 to honor the new schedule.

Thoughts?