Hospitality Sector
The hospitality sector will play an essential role in delivering an exceptional experience for all visitors to Qatar in 2022. It is estimated that over 40,000 hotel workers will be involved throughout the duration of the tournament, and the SC is committed to safeguarding their rights.
The scope covers a total of 153 hotels, of which 30 are contracted by the SC, with the rest contracted by Q22.
The Workers’ Welfare Audits and Inspections programme expanded in the last quarter of 2019 to include five hotel operators and their supply chain as part of a pilot phase for the hospitality sector. By the end of 2021, all 30 SC contracted hotel operators began implementing the WWS in their operations, the majority having been audited and inspected by the WWD and the external monitor, Impactt Ltd.
There has been an average improvement of 15% in the compliance score of 12 hotel operators since the SC’s first engagement with them, demonstrating a clear commitment to improve and enhance existing systems. The following improvements were noted during the reporting period:
Access to Remedy
The SC’s Workers’ Welfare Forums (WWFs), played an important role in ensuring workers’ representation in the construction sector, and is now being extended to the hospitality sector. As of December 2021, eight hotel operators implemented forums ensuring workers’ representation across different nationalities and departments. Representatives from ILO and MoL were invited to observe these forum meetings to support the formation of joint committees in the hospitality sector in line with the requirements of the Qatar Labour Law.
In the reporting year, the WWD also collaborated with the ILO, MoL and BWI to initiate training for over 40 Workers’ Representatives, which has been identified as a key priority area to ensure the forums meet the desired expectations.
External Monitor
The SC’s external monitor, Impactt Ltd, revised its audit approach to take account of the unique business environment of hotel operators. The primary adjustment relates to the requirements for accommodation audits, as most hospitality workers live in villa compounds, rather than in dormitory units, which is typical for construction workers.
In the reporting period, Impactt conducted audits and inspections for three hotels, with three additional hotels scheduled for the first quarter of 2022. Full details of these findings will be available in Impactt’s independent report, due in the first half of 2022.
Figures are as of 31 December 2022.