Labor Code

The Labor Code classifies employees as regular, seasonal, project or casual. Regular employees are engaged to
perform activities that are usually necessary or desirable in the usual business or trade of the employer and
those who have rendered at least one year of service, whether continuous or broken, with respect to the activity
in which they are employed. Seasonal employees are those who are engaged to work or perform services that
are seasonal in nature, and the employment is only for the duration of the season. Project employees are those
hired for a specific project or undertaking, the completion or termination of which has been determined at the
time of the engagement of the employee. Casual employees are those who are not regular, project or seasonal
employees and perform work that is usually not necessary or desirable as part of the usual business or trade of
the employer.
employer-employee relationship
1) the selection and engagement of the employee;
2) the payment of wages;
3) the power of dismissal; and
4) the employer’s power to control the employee’s conduct (the ‘control test’).

If substantial evidence is presented to show that a person selects and engages another for employment, pays
his/her wages, has the power to dismiss him/her and/or controls his/her conduct, then the courts will consider
such person as his/her employer.

It is the so-called “control test” which constitutes the most important index of the existence of the employer-
employee relationship that is, whether the employer controls or has reserved the right to control the employee
not only as to the result of the work to be done but also as to the means and methods by which the same is to be
accomplished. Stated otherwise, an employer-employee relationship exists where the person for whom the
services are performed reserves the right to control not only the end to be achieved but also the means to be
used in reaching such end. (Pacific Consultants International Asia, Inc. v. Klaus K. Schonfeld, 516 SCRA 209).

An employee is entitled to the following minimum statutory benefits:

1.the minimum wage (as determined by the regional tripartite wages and productivity in the region where
the company operates);

2.overtime pay for work rendered beyond eight hours a day;

3.one 24-hour rest day for every six consecutive days of work;

4.premium pay for work performed at night, on rest days and on holidays;

5.13th-month pay equivalent to one-twelfth of an employee's annual pay;

6.paid leave days for eligible employees, namely: (1) five days of service incentive leave after rendering
one year of service; (2) seven days of paternity leave and up to 120 days of maternity leave; (3) seven
days of single parent leave; (4) two months of leave for a gynaecological disorder; and (5) up to 10 days
of leave for victims recognised under the VAWC Law;

7.mandatory employer's share in the social security system, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation and
Home Mutual Development funds; and

8.retirement pay of at least half-a-month's pay for every year of service, when the employee reaches the
age of 65.

Employers are also required to withhold the appropriate amount of the employee's income taxes, and to report
and remit the same to the Philippine tax authority (the Bureau of Internal Revenue).

Types of Employment Termination

There are two types of employment termination in the Philippines: termination by employer and voluntary

resignation or termination by employee. Employers can dismiss an employee based on just and authorized
causes. Just causes are based on acts attributable to an employee’s own wrongful actions or negligence while
authorized causes refer to lawful grounds for termination which do not arise from fault or negligence of the
employee.
Voluntary resignation is defined as a voluntary act committed by employees who knowingly dissociate
themselves from their employment for personal reasons. It does not cover instances where employees are
forced to resign with the use of threats, intimidation, coercion, manipulation, or where dismissal is imposed as a
penalty for an offense. Forced or coerced resignation is illegal and considered “constructive” dismissal – a
dismissal in disguise.

Termination by Employer
According to Article 282 of the Labor Code, an employer can terminate an employee for just causes, which could
be any of the following:
•serious misconduct or willful disobedience by the employee of the lawful orders of his employer or
representative in connection with his work;
•gross and habitual neglect by the employee of his duties;
•fraud or willful breach by the employee of the trust reposed in him by his employer or duly authorized
representatives;
•commission of a crime or offense by the employee against the person of his employer or any
immediate member of his family or his duly authorized representatives; and
•other similar causes.

Employers can also terminate an employee based on authorized causes like business and health reasons. Art.
283 of the Labor Code states that an employee can be terminated due to business reasons such as:
•installation of labor-saving devices;
•redundancy;
•retrenchment (reduction of costs) to prevent losses; or
•the closing or cessation of operation.

For termination of employment based on health reasons, employers are allowed to terminate employees found
suffering from any disease and whose continued employment is prohibited by law or is prejudicial to his health
as well as to the health of his co-workers (Art. 284, Labor Code). The employer must obtain from a competent
public health authority a certification that the employee’s disease is of such a nature and at such a stage that it
can no longer be cured within a period of six (6) months even with medical attention.

Voluntary Resignation
This type of termination is strengthened by the provisions of Art. 285 of the Labor Code which recognizes two
kinds of termination an employee can initiate – without just cause and with just cause. If the resignation is
without just cause, the employee must give a one (1) month advance written notice for resignation (commonly
referred to as a “resignation letter”) to the employer to enable them to look for a replacement and prevent work
disruption. If the employee fails to provide a resignation letter, he or she runs the risk of incurring liability for
damages.
If the resignation is with just cause, however, the employee need not serve a resignation notice. Art. 285
indicates the just causes for resignation as follows:
•serious insult to the honor and person of the employee;
•inhuman and unbearable treatment accorded the employee by the employer or his representative;
•crime committed against the person of the employee or any immediate members of the employee’s
family; and
•other similar causes.

It should be noted that employees who voluntarily resign from work are not entitled to separation pay. Philippine
laws only grant separation pay to those who were dismissed from service not due to their own fault or
negligence but for reasons that are beyond their control, i.e. business closure, cessation of operation,
retrenchment (reduction of costs) to prevent losses, etc. However, there are at least two cases where employees
who resign voluntarily may be entitled to separation pay, and they are as follows:
 •when payment of separation pay is provided in the employment contract or Collective Bargaining
Agreement (CBA, for companies with existing bargaining agent or labor union); and
•when it is authorized by established company practice or policy.

Due Process in Termination of Employment

Due process in the context of employment termination is the right of an employee to be notified of the reason for
his or her dismissal and, in case of just causes, to be provided the opportunity to defend himself or herself.
The due process is different for both authorized and just causes. Just cause involves a two-notice rule while
authorized cause requires a 30-day notice. If due process is not accorded to the employee before termination of
the employment or the termination itself is declared illegal, the employee is entitled to receive reinstatement and
full backwages (Art. 279, Labor Code). If reinstatement is no longer possible where the dismissal was unjust,
separation pay may be granted.
Dismissals based on just causes involve the two-notice rule:
1.A written notice, commonly referred to as a notice to explain specifying the grounds for termination
and giving the employee ample opportunity to explain their side;
2.A hearing or conference to allow the employee to respond to the charge/s, present evidence, or rebut
the evidence presented against them; and
3.A notice of decision indicating the justification for termination as well as the corresponding sanctions
(if any) after due consideration of all evidence.

Due Process for Authorized Causes

Dismissals based on authorized causes involve the following:
1.Submission of a written notice of dismissal to the employee specifying the grounds for dismissal at
least 30 days before the date of termination; and
2.A copy of the notice which shall be provided to the Regional Office of the Department of Labor and
Employment (DOLE) where the employer is located.

What is the right to security of tenure?

-The right to security of tenure is a Constitutional guarantee that means an employee cannot be dismissed from
the service for causes other than those provided by the law and only after due process is accorded to them.
Can an employee be placed under suspension while the investigation and/or hearing for the charges filed against
them is ongoing?
-Yes, but only on grounds where the employee’s continued presence inside the company premises poses a
serious and imminent threat to the life or property of the employer and/or the other employees in the company.
The suspension, commonly referred to as “preventive suspension”, shall not last for more than thirty (30) days.
According to Section 9 of Rule XXIII, Book V of the Omnibus Rules Implementing the Labor Code, as amended by
Department Order No. 9, Series of 1997, an employee should be reinstated to their former position or in a
substantially equivalent position after the prescribed 30-day period. If this could not be possible, the employer
can extend the period of suspension provided that during such period, he or she pays the wages and other
benefits due to the employee. In such cases, the worker shall not be bound to reimburse the amount paid to him
during the extension if the employer decides, after completion of the investigation and/or hearing, to dismiss the
worker.
May an employee question the legality of his or her dismissal?
-Yes. The legality of a dismissal may be questioned before the Labor Arbiter of a Regional Arbitration Branch of
the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) of the Philippines, through a complaint for illegal dismissal. In
establishments with a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the dismissal may be questioned through the
grievance machinery established under the CBA. If the complaint is not resolved at this level, it may be submitted
to voluntary arbitration.
On what grounds may an employee question their dismissal?
-An employee may question their dismissal based on substantive or procedural grounds:
•the substantive aspect pertains to the absence of a just or authorized cause supporting the dismissal;
and
 •the procedural aspect refers to the failure of the employer to give the employee the opportunity to
explain their side.

Suppose the employer denies dismissing the employee, who has the duty to prove that the dismissal is without
valid cause?
-The employee must elaborate, support, or substantiate their complaint that they were dismissed without valid
cause.
In cases of illegal dismissal, who has the duty of proving that the dismissal is valid?
-The employer.
What is the sanction if the employer failed to observe procedural due process in cases of legal and authorized
termination?
-The employee is entitled to payment of indemnity or nominal damages in a sum of not more than 30,000 pesos
in cases of termination for just causes and not more than 50,000 pesos for authorized causes.
What are the rights accorded to an unjustly dismissed employee?
-An employee who is dismissed without just cause is entitled to any or all of the following:
•reinstatement without loss of seniority rights;
•separation pay equivalent to the employee’s one-month salary for every year of service if reinstatement
cannot be provided;
•full backwages, inclusive of allowances and other benefits or their monetary equivalent from the time
compensation was withheld up to the time of reinstatement; and
•payment of damages and/or attorney’s fees if the dismissal was done in bad faith.

What is reinstatement?
-Reinstatement means restoration of the employee to the position from which they were unjustly removed.
Can an employee be reinstated to their previous position if they were proven to be illegally dismissed?
-Yes. When a Labor Arbiter rules for an illegal dismissal, reinstatement is immediately executory even when
pending approval by the employer. The employee should be treated in a matter involving seniority and continuity
of employment as though they had not been dismissed from work.
In what forms may reinstatement be affected?
-Under the provisions of Art. 223 of the Labor Code, an employee shall be either admitted back to work under the
same terms and conditions prevailing prior to their dismissal or, at the option of the employer, be reinstated by
payroll. Payroll reinstatement is a means of paying wages and other benefits to the employee without allowing or
requiring them to physically report to work.
When an establishment announces business closure, can an employee entitled to reinstatement claim benefits?
-Yes. When an establishment no longer exists at the time an order for reinstatement is made, the employee can
claim benefits. An employee is entitled to separation pay equivalent to one-month pay or at least one-month pay
for every year of service, whichever is higher. A fraction of at least six months shall be considered as one whole
year.
The period of service is deemed to have lasted up to the time of closure of the establishment. The employee has
the right to claim backwages to cover the period between dismissal from work and business closure.
What is meant by full backwages?
-Full backwages refer to all compensations, including allowances and other benefits with monetary equivalent
that should have been earned by the employee but was not collected because of unjust dismissal. It includes all
the amount they could have earned starting from the date of dismissal up to the time of reinstatement.
What is separation pay?
-Separation pay is the amount given to an employee who has been terminated from service for authorized
causes, which could be either of the two: business closure (Art. 283, Labor Code) or disease contracted by the
employee that could be prejudicial to their health as well as the health of their co-workers (Art. 284, Labor Code).
How much is the separation pay?
-The amount given to the employee depends on the specific authorized cause for their termination, which could
be any of the following:
•installation of labor-saving devices or redundancy- equivalent of at least one (1) month pay or one (1)
month for every year of service, whichever is higher
•retrenchment, closure or cessation of business- equivalent of at least one (1) month pay or one-half
(1/2) month pay for every year of service, whichever is higher
 •incurable disease- equivalent of at least one (1) month pay or one-half (1/2) month pay for every year of
service, whichever is greater

What is constructive dismissal?

-Constructive dismissal is an involuntary resignation resorted to when continued employment becomes
impossible, unreasonable, or unlikely, due to any of the following:
•demotion in rank or a diminution in pay; or
•when a clear discrimination, insensibility, or disdain by an employer becomes unbearable to an
employee.

Constructive dismissal is illegal and usually occurs when an employee resigns as a result of unfavorable work
conditions instigated by the employer. It is typically resorted to by employers who do not want to undergo the
procedural due process involved in legally terminating an employee.
Can an employee be terminated if they participate in a union strike?
-If the strike was organized for a valid purpose and conducted through means allowed by law, the mere
participation of an employee therein is not sufficient ground for an employer to terminate their employment. An
employee who participates in a lawful strike is not deemed to have abandoned their employment but is merely
exercising their constitutional right to self-organization to protect their rights as an employee and/or obtain
better working conditions.
However, if the strike was staged for a purpose not recognized by law, an employee who knowingly participates
in the commission of illegal acts during the strike may be declared to have lost their employment status.
An exhaustive list of the labor policies in the Philippines, including those with regard to Employee Separation,
can be found in the official government publication of the Labor Code of the Philippines.
Unlike the United States of America, which has an “at-will employment” doctrine, employers in the Philippines
can only terminate their relationship with an employee if a “just” or “authorized” cause, as defined under the law,
has been established, after undergoing due process. Thus, terminating an employee in the country is taken VERY
seriously and can be a complex process, especially since, when in doubt, the Labor Code of the Philippines is
construed in favor of employees.

Types of Termination of Employment

There are two types of employment termination in the Philippines: termination by employer and voluntary
resignation or termination by employee. Employers can dismiss an employee based on just and authorized
causes. Just causes are based on acts attributable to an employee’s own wrongful actions or negligence while
authorized causes refer to lawful grounds for termination which do not arise from fault or negligence of the
employee.
Voluntary resignation is defined as a voluntary act committed by employees who knowingly dissociate
themselves from their employment for personal reasons. It does not cover instances where employees are
forced to resign with the use of threats, intimidation, coercion, manipulation, or where dismissal is imposed as a
penalty for an offense. Forced or coerced resignation is illegal and considered “constructive” dismissal – a
dismissal in disguise.

Termination by Employer
According to Article 282 of the Labor Code, an employer can terminate an employee for just causes, which could
be any of the following:
•serious misconduct or willful disobedience by the employee of the lawful orders of his employer or
representative in connection with his work;
•gross and habitual neglect by the employee of his duties;
•fraud or willful breach by the employee of the trust reposed in him by his employer or duly authorized
representatives;