Employers in Qatar must heed special working hours for outdoor employees starting June 15 — or face the consequences, the nation’s labor ministry has announced.

From June 15 to Aug. 31, work must stop on construction sites and other outdoor areas from 11:30am to 3pm, when the sun is at its peak.

Revised schedules should be posted in a place where all employees can see it, the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs said this week.

Companies that fall to follow special working hours can be closed for up to one month, it added.

Heat relief

Since summer set in weeks ago, some companies have already starting observing revised work hours to keep their employees in good health.

But the special schedule is likely to come as a relief to many who are continuing to toil outside in Qatar’s 40C+ heat.

Ramadan also coincides with the hot season, making it harder for many laborers to make it through the day.

Islamic scholars have exempted these employees from fasting. But last year, some construction workers said they were choosing to fast anyway.

Many cited their faith in God and a desire to help their families as their main motivations to keep working.

Thoughts?