It seems it’s definitely going to be a “merry” Christmas for many employees in the Philippines this year – that is, if employers will comply to the latest instruction by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
Just recently, DOLE made it a point to remind employers to give the 13th-month pay of their workers not later than December 24, Christmas Eve.
Silvestre Bello III, DOLE Secretary, released a statement saying all rank-and-file employees should receive their 13th month pay, regardless of the nature of their work and the methods by which their wages are paid, as long as they have worked for at least one month in a year.
“The 13th month pay is a labor standard provision of the law that the DOLE does not compromise as to its payment,” said the Labor chief.
Bello emphasized that giving well-deserved benefits to workers in a timely manner will boost their productivity in the workplace.
“Good labor-management relations, increased workers’ and enterprises’ productivity and competiveness result to workers being paid what is due them,” shared Bello.
According to local definition, the 13th-month pay is the one-twelfth of the basic salary of a worker within a calendar year.
In a GMA News article, we are further told:
“The basic salary includes all remunerations or earnings paid by an employer to an employee for services rendered, but may not include cost-of-living allowances (COLA), profit-sharing payments, cash equivalents of unused vacation and sick leave credits, overtime pay, premium pay, night shift differential pay, holiday pay, and all allowances and monetary benefits which are not considered, or integrated as part of the regular or basic salary of the employee.”
In the past, several reports tell us that some workers have failed to receive their 13th-month pay before Christmas. This time, DOLE assures aggrieved employees are welcome to file complaints against employer who fail to give their pay at any DOLE regional office.
DOLE is also requiring all covered employers to make a report of compliance not later than January 15 next year.