3 days notice for professionals?

Joanne Weaver
By Joanne Weaver

Please can you give some advice - how common is it for professional workers from the uk or America in particular to be given an employment contract that states only the minimum of a 3 day termination period? with a six month probation for a two year contract . Is this common practice amongst professionals - and is it true most Landlords want you to sign a property agreement for a year? This combination makes it seem like we would be taking a huge risk when giving up everything in the UK to work in Qatar. opinions welcome.

By Mandilulur• 2 Feb 2012 00:09
Mandilulur

Bill W.

Mandi

By Joanne Weaver• 1 Feb 2012 23:18
Joanne Weaver

Bill? as in the guy who would have been Jon's new team leader - if so wish him well from us Jon had no problems with him - if not who do you mean by Bill?

By Mandilulur• 1 Feb 2012 01:00
Mandilulur

I am so glad he will be able to continue his job in the UK although I'm sad we are losing you as one of Bill's friends in Doha.

Mandi

By Joanne Weaver• 31 Jan 2012 19:55
Joanne Weaver

Affiliated to the Government to do with health - So i'm shocked I thought they would understand the risks for a uk person to move there, only to be offered 3 day termination on 6 month probation - but maybe i'm just naive. You live and learn. They also refused to put the bonus into the contract saying an English letter would be enough - yet Arabic is the legal language. My husbands job in the UK is contracts so he knows what he is doing and that is what they were going to employ him to do in Qatar so he wasn't exactly going to sign anything himself...

we are not risk adverse but If its not in a contract it does not stand up in court which ever country you are from.

He will be able to withdraw his notice so all is not lost.

Thanks to everyone for your kind and wise words.

By cheekylady• 31 Jan 2012 18:55
cheekylady

typical for Qatar! sorry to hear Joanne, but hopefully your hubby can withdraw his resignation.

Mandilulur is right... at least you found out before coming out here how bad the employer is. Let me take a guess.... local company?

By Mandilulur• 31 Jan 2012 15:04
Mandilulur

I am so sorry, Joanne, but I also believe this is a blessing in disguise. You are never treated better in Doha than you are in the negotiating phase and if that doesn't go well ... Good luck!

Mandi

By Joanne Weaver• 31 Jan 2012 14:10
Joanne Weaver

Thank you everyone, my husband wrote to his potential employer asking them to alter his contract to give him two weeks notice and a probation period of 3 months and be responsible for his tenancy for those three months ( they had offered 2 months to allow time to find our own place) The company wrote back and said good luck in what ever you do.... so we now do not have a job. MY husband is already working his notice period in the uk......

maybe it is a good job that we found this out at this stage rather than getting to Qatar and it all going wrong.

By Mandilulur• 30 Jan 2012 19:56
Mandilulur

Well, yes, coming to Qatar is professionally risky if you are giving anything up back home! Many of us only come with a safety net in place - i.e., a job back home, guaranteed year's severance, etc.

Mandi

By nishan.j• 30 Jan 2012 19:40
Rating: 5/5
nishan.j

if the reason is an offensive or dis-obey to company regulations, it could be a day or 2 for termination. but if it's during probation or just after probation, termination period should be atleast one month. this is an unusual situation, I feel.

By randomguy• 30 Jan 2012 18:36
randomguy

Sure, try..

By cheekylady• 30 Jan 2012 17:20
Rating: 5/5
cheekylady

it is the labour law - during probationary period notice period is 3 days. yes, it is normal practice to give short notice periods during probation (this is certainly the case in the UK - 1 week). this is the reason why companies don't normally allow relocation with entire family until employees have passed probation... this is also why it's not recommended to sign your own lease in the first couple of months. landlords will normally cancel your lease agreement if you show them cancellation of your Residence Permit, but you may lose your deposit... (there's notice period required).

By K71• 30 Jan 2012 16:04
Rating: 5/5
K71

This is the Law as per the labor department. However together you, and the employer, can always change these conditions in a better way than the law. That is, a notice of termination that is more than the minimum of 3 days. And a probation period that is less than maximum stipulated by the law (6 months).

As for the rental of accommodations agreements, yes it is on a yearly basis. And you can not change it. It is better if you ask your employer to provide with the accommodation. This way he will take the risk.

By ulas.gurel• 30 Jan 2012 15:47
Rating: 5/5
ulas.gurel

Three days termination notice during the 6 month probation period is normal and it is a common practice in Qatar (which is legal). After your probation period the termination notice shall be 1 month.

By britexpat• 30 Jan 2012 15:37
Rating: 4/5
britexpat

It sounds very unusual. The termination period is usually 30 days. (perhaps it was a type - they forgot to add the 0)

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