QFCRT 001/2017, [2017] QIC (RT) 1
Philip Leung v Employment Standards Office and Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority
This was an appeal by an employee against a decision of the Employment Standards Office dated 18 January 2017 which had been brought under Article 55(1) of the QFC Employment Regulations about a point of construction of the appellant's contracts of employment with the Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority.
Background
The employee was an Australian citizen who began employment with the QFCRA in 2006 under an employment contract dated 22 June 2006. That contract was for a period of three years with provision to renew. On 18 May 2009 there was a second contract between the two and a third in 9 September 2009. Under these two contracts the employment was to continue until terminated by either party. All the contracts were in writing.
Leung resigned on 31 August 2016 and went to join another QFC employer. Each of the contracts made directly or indirectly reference to repatriation benefits which Leung stated was the cost of an economy flight from Doha to Melbourne. The QFCRA refused this as he was not returning to Australia.