Professional Documents
Culture Documents
General Concepts employee is validly dismissed for causes other than serious the social justice exception could be made to apply
misconduct or those reflecting on his moral character. Where depending on certain considerations, such as the
A. Labor the reason for the valid dismissal is, for example, habitual length of service of the employee, the amount
intoxication or an offense involving moral turpitude, like theft involved, whether the act is the first offense, the
or illicit sexual relations with a fellow worker, the employer performance of the employee, and the like
B. Labor law may not be required to give the dismissed employee
separation pay, or financial assistance, or whatever other
To reiterate our ruling in Toyota, labor adjudicatory
C. Labor Standards v. Labor relations name it is called, on the ground of social justice.
officials and the CA must demur the award of
separation pay based on social justice when an
E. Social Justice Applying the above considerations, we hold that the grant of employee's dismissal is based on serious
separation pay in the case at bar is unjustified. The private misconduct or willful disobedience; gross and
respondent has been dismissed for dishonesty, as found by habitual neglect of duty; fraud or willful breach of
1. Definition the labor arbiter and affirmed by the NLRC and as she trust; or commission of a crime against the person
herself has impliedly admitted. The fact that she has worked of the employer or his immediate family - grounds
with the PLDT for more than a decade, if it is to be under Article 282 of the Labor Code that sanction
considered at all, should be taken against her as it reflects a dismissals of employees. They must be most
Calalang v Williams regrettable lack of loyalty that she should have strengthened judicious and circumspect in awarding separation
instead of betraying during all of her 10 years of service with pay or financial assistance as the constitutional
the company. If regarded as a justification for moderating the policy to provide full protection to labor is not
penalty of dismissal, it will actually become a prize for meant to be an instrument to oppress the
Social justice is “neither communism, nor despotism, nor disloyalty, perverting the meaning of social justice and employers. The commitment of the Court to the
atomism, nor anarchy,” but the humanization of laws and the undermining the efforts of labor to cleanse its ranks of all cause of labor should not embarrass us from
undesirables. sustaining the employers when they are right, as
equalization of social and economic forces by the State so
here. In fine, we should be more cautious in
that justice in its rational and objectively secular conception
awarding financial assistance to the undeserving
may at least be approximated. Social justice means the and those who are unworthy of the liberality of the
promotion of the welfare of all the people, the adoption by Security bank savings corp v law
the Government of measures calculated to insure economic Singson (214230)
stability of all the competent elements of society, through the
maintenance of a proper economic and social equilibrium in To reiterate, the grant of separation pay to a
dismissed employee is primarily determined by the
the interrelations of the members of the community,
cause of the dismissal.
constitutionally, through the adoption of measures legally Thus, in the PLDT case, the Court required that
justifiable, or extraconstitutionally, through the exercise of the grant of separation pay as financial assistance
powers underlying the existence of all governments on the given in light of social justice be allowed only when In the case at bar, respondent's established act of
time-honored principle of salus populi est suprema lex. the dismissal: repeatedly allowing Branch Manager Pinero to
chanroblespublishingcompany bring the checkbooks and bank forms outside of
the bank's premises in violation of the company's
(a) was not for serious misconduct; and rules and regulations had already been declared
Social justice, therefore, must be founded on the recognition
of the necessity of interdependence among divers and by the LA to be gross and habitual neglect of duty
(b) does not reflect on the moral character of the under Article 282 of the Labor Code, which finding
diverse units of a society and of the protection that should
employee or would involve moral turpitude. was not contested on appeal by respondent. It was
be equally and evenly extended to all groups as a combined petitioners who interposed an appeal solely with
force in our social and economic life, consistent with the respect to the award of separation pay as financial
fundamental and paramount objective of the state of However, in the later case of Toyota Motor assistance. As they aptly pointed out, the
promoting the health, comfort, and quiet of all persons, and Philippines Corporation Workers Association v. infractions, while not clearly indicative of any
of bringing about “the greatest good to the greatest number.” NLRC (Toyota),33 the Court further excluded from wrongful intent, is, nonetheless, serious in nature
the grant of separation pay based on social justice when one considers the employee's functions,
2. Application the other instances listed under Article 282 (now rendering it inequitable to award separation pay
296) of the Labor Code, namely, willful based on social justice. As the records show,
disobedience, gross and habitual neglect of respondent was the custodian of accountable bank
duty, fraud or willful breach of trust, and forms in his assigned branch and as such, was
PLDT v NLRC L-90609 commission of a crime against the employer or mandated to strictly comply with the monitoring
his family. procedure and disposition thereof as a security
measure to avoid the attendant high risk to the
But with respect to analogous cases for bank. Indeed, it is true that the failure to observe
We hold that henceforth separation pay shall be allowed as a termination like inefficiency, drug use, and others, the processes and risk preventive measures and
measure of social justice only in those instances where the worse, to take action and address its violation,
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may subject the bank to regulatory sanction. It Separation pay or financial assistance may also be granted Section 18. The State affirms labor as a primary
bears stressing that the banking industry is imbued to a legally terminated employee as an act of social justice social economic force. It shall protect the rights of
with public interest. Banks are required to possess and equity when the circumstances so warrant. 85 In workers and promote their welfare.
not only ordinary diligence in the conduct of its awarding financial assistance, the interests of both the
business but extraordinary diligence in the care of employer and the employee must be tempered, if only to
Section 20. The State recognizes the
its accounts and the interests of its stakeholders. approximate what Justice Laurel calls justice in its secular
indispensable role of the private sector,
The banking business is highly sensitive with a sense.86 As the term suggests, its objective is to enable an
encourages private enterprise, and provides
fiduciary duty towards its client and the public in employee to get by after he has been stripped of his source
incentives to needed investments.
general, such that central measures must be of income from which he relies mainly, if not, solely.87
strictly observed. 37 It is undisputed that
respondent failed to perform his duties diligently,
We agree with the CA that the reinstatement of
and therefore, not only violated established
Buenviaje is no longer viable given the Article III
company policy but also put the bank's credibility
irreconcilable differences and strained relations
and business at risk. The excuse that his Branch
between her and PNOC-EDC. In light of this,
Manager, Pinero, merely prompted him towards
separation pay with full backwages, in lieu of
such ineptitude is of no moment. He readily
Buenviaje's reinstatement, is warranted. Section 1. No person shall be deprived of life,
admitted that he violated established company
policy against bringing out checkbooks and bank liberty, or property without due process of law, nor
forms, 38 which means that he was well aware of F. Sources shall any person be denied the equal protection of
the fact that the same was prohibited. the laws.
1. 1987 Constitution
Nevertheless, he still chose to, regardless of his
superior's influence, disobey the same not only Section 4. No law shall be passed abridging the
once, but on numerous occasions. All throughout, freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press,
there is no showing that he questioned the acts of or the right of the people peaceably to assemble
Article II
Branch Manager Pinero; neither did he take it and petition the government for redress of
upon himself to report said irregularities to a higher grievances.
authority. Hence, under these circumstances, the
award of separation pay based on social justice
would be improper. Section 5. The maintenance of peace and order, Section 8. The right of the people, including those
the protection of life, liberty, and property, and employed in the public and private sectors, to form
promotion of the general welfare are essential for unions, associations, or societies for purposes not
the enjoyment by all the people of the blessings of contrary to law shall not be abridged.
Philippine Airlines v NLRC (123294) democracy.
Section 16. All persons shall have the right to a
Section 9. The State shall promote a just and speedy disposition of their cases before all judicial,
dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity quasi-judicial, or administrative bodies.
and independence of the nation and free the
In the case at bar, the transgressions imputed to private people from poverty through policies that provide
respondent have never been firmly established as deliberate adequate social services, promote full Section 18.
and willful acts clearly directed at making petitioner lose employment, a rising standard of living, and an
millions of pesos. At the very most, they can only be improved quality of life for all. 1. No person shall be detained solely by
characterized as unintentional, albeit major, lapses in reason of his political beliefs and
professional judgment. Likewise, the same cannot be aspirations.
Section 10. The State shall promote social justice
described as morally reprehensible actions. Thus, private 2. No involuntary servitude in any form
in all phases of national development.
respondent may be granted separation pay on the ground of shall exist except as a punishment for a
equity which this Court had defined as justice outside law, crime whereof the party shall have been
being ethical rather than jural and belonging to the sphere of Section 13. The State recognizes the vital role of duly convicted.
morals than of law. It is grounded on the precepts of the youth in nation-building and shall promote and
conscience and not on any sanction of positive law, for protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual,
equity finds no room for application where there is law and social well-being. It shall inculcate in the youth
patriotism and nationalism, and encourage their Article XIII.
involvement in public and civic affairs.
POC v Buenviaje (June 19, 2016) Section 14. The State recognizes the role of
women in nation-building, and shall ensure the Section 1. The Congress shall give highest priority
fundamental equality before the law of women and to the enactment of measures that protect and
men. enhance the right of all the people to human
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dignity, reduce social, economic, and political Section 14. The State shall protect working In sum, the benefit must be characterized by
inequalities, and remove cultural inequities by women by providing safe and healthful working
equitably diffusing wealth and political power for conditions, taking into account their maternal
1. regularity,
the common good. functions, and such facilities and opportunities that
2. voluntary and
will enhance their welfare and enable them to
3. deliberate intent of the employer
realize their full potential in the service of the
To this end, the State shall regulate the
nation.
acquisition, ownership, use, and disposition of
to grant the benefit over a considerable period of time.
property and its increments.
(1) the extent to which the services performed are Reliance by petitioners on the case of Francisco v. National
an integral part of the employer’s business; Labor Relations Commission31 is misplaced.
(2) the extent of the worker’s investment in
equipment and facilities;
In that case, the Court adopted a two-tiered test in order to
determine the true relationship between the employer and
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2. Who determines ER-E relationship disputing the employer-employee relationship, force the other terms and conditions of employment, if
referral of the matter to the NLRC. accompanied by a claim for reinstatement.
The Court issued the declaration that at least a prima facie If a complaint is filed with the NLRC, and there is still an
People's Broadcasting v Sec of showing of the absence of an employer-employee existing employer-employee relationship, the jurisdiction is
Labor (179652) relationship be made to oust the DOLE of jurisdiction. But it properly with the DOLE. The findings of the DOLE, however,
is precisely the DOLE that will be faced with that evidence, may still be questioned through a petition for certiorari under
and it is the DOLE that will weigh it, to see if the same does Rule 65 of the Rules of Court.
successfully refute the existence of an employer-employee
The question now arises, may the DOLE make a relationship.
In the present case, the finding of the DOLE Regional
determination of whether or not an employer-employee
Director that there was an employer-employee relationship
relationship exists, and if so, to what extent?
If the DOLE makes a finding that there is an existing has been subjected to review by this Court, with the finding
employer-employee relationship, it takes cognizance of the being that there was no employer-employee relationship
No limitation in the law was placed upon the power of the matter, to the exclusion of the NLRC. between petitioner and private respondent, based on the
DOLE to determine the existence of an employer-employee evidence presented.
relationship. The DOLE would have no jurisdiction only if the
employer-employee relationship has already been Private respondent presented self-serving allegations as well
No procedure was laid down where the DOLE would only terminated, or it appears, upon review, that no employer- as self-defeating evidence.10 The findings of the Regional
make a preliminary finding, that the power was primarily held employee relationship existed in the first place. Director were not based on substantial evidence, and private
by the NLRC. respondent failed to prove the existence of an employer-
employee relationship. The DOLE had no jurisdiction over
It must also be remembered that the power of the DOLE to
the case, as there was no employer-employee relationship
The law did not say that the DOLE would first seek the determine the existence of an employer-employee
present. Thus, the dismissal of the complaint against
NLRC’s determination of the existence of an employer- relationship need not necessarily result in an affirmative
petitioner is proper.
employee relationship, or that should the existence of the finding.
employer-employee relationship be disputed, the DOLE
would refer the matter to the NLRC. The DOLE may well make the determination that no
employer-employee relationship exists, thus divesting itself South Cotabato Comm. v Hon. Sto.
The DOLE must have the power to determine whether or of jurisdiction over the case. It must not be precluded from Tomas (217575)
not an employer-employee relationship exists, and from being able to reach its own conclusions, not by the parties,
there to decide whether or not to issue compliance and certainly not by this Court.
orders in accordance with Art. 128(b) of the Labor Code,
as amended by RA 7730. Under Art. 128(b) of the Labor Code, as amended by RA The Orders of the Regional Director and the Secretary of
7730, the DOLE is fully empowered to make a determination Labor do not contain clear and distinct factual basis
The DOLE, in determining the existence of an employer- as to the existence of an employer-employee relationship in necessary to establish the jurisdiction of the DOLE and to
employee relationship, has a ready set of guidelines to the exercise of its visitorial and enforcement power, subject justify the monetary awards to private respondents
follow, the same guide the courts themselves use. The to judicial review, not review by the NLRC
elements to determine the existence of an employment As can be gleaned from the above-quoted Order, the
relationship are: (1) the selection and engagement of the To recapitulate, if a complaint is brought before the DOLE to Regional Director merely noted the discovery of violations of
employee; (2) the payment of wages; (3) the power of give effect to the labor standards provisions of the Labor labor standards provisions in the course of inspection of the
dismissal; (4) the employer’s power to control the Code or other labor legislation, and there is a finding by the DXCP premises.
employee’s conduct.9 The use of this test is not solely limited DOLE that there is an existing employer-employee
to the NLRC. The DOLE Secretary, or his or her relationship, the DOLE exercises jurisdiction to the exclusion
representatives, can utilize the same test, even in the course No such categorical determination was made on the
of the NLRC. existence of an employer-employee relationship utilizing any
of inspection, making use of the same evidence that would
have been presented before the NLRC. of the guidelines set forth. In a word, the Regional Director
If the DOLE finds that there is no employer-employee had presumed, not demonstrated, the existence of the
relationship, the jurisdiction is properly with the NLRC. relationship. Of particular note is the DOLE'S failure to show
The determination of the existence of an employer-employee that petitioners, thus, exercised control over private
relationship by the DOLE must be respected. respondents' conduct in the workplace. The power of the
If a complaint is filed with the DOLE, and it is employee to control the work of the employee, or the control
accompanied by a claim for reinstatement, the test, is considered the most significant determinant of the
The expanded visitorial and enforcement power of the jurisdiction is properly with the Labor Arbiter, under Art.
DOLE granted by RA 7730 would be rendered nugatory if existence of an employer-employee relationship.27
217(3) of the Labor Code, which provides that the Labor
the alleged employer could, by the simple expedient of Arbiter has original and exclusive jurisdiction over those Neither did the Orders of the Regional Director and
cases involving wages, rates of pay, hours of work, and
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Secretary of Labor state nor make reference to any concrete in case of illness, should present a medical certificate certd genuine business necessity that fully warranted the transfer
evidence to support a finding of an employer-employee by the plant doctors. from the Nasugbu, Batangas office to the main office in
relationship and justify the monetary awards to private Manila of the respondents, undoubtedly the best suited to
respondents. In this case, the employee took absence without notice and perform the tasks assigned to the resigned employees
presented an uncertified medical certificate. because of their being themselves account managers who
had recently attended seminars and trainings as such.
Substantial evidence, such as proofs of employment, clear
exercise of control, and the power to dismiss that prove such Held: Valid management prerogative
relationship and that petitioners committed the labor laws The transfer could not be validly assailed as a form of
violations they were adjudged to have committed, are 2. Transfer; Promotion/Demotion constructive dismissal, for, as held in Benguet Electric
grossly absent in this case. Furthermore, the Orders dated Cooperative v.Fianza,36management had the prerogative to
May 20, 2004 and November 8, 2004 do not even allude to determine the place where the employee is best qualified to
the substance of the interviews during the inspection that serve the interests of the business given the qualifications,
became the basis of the finding of an employer-employee training and performance of the affected employee.
Chateau Royal Sports Club v Balba
relationship.
(197492)
Secondly, although the respondents' transfer to Manila might
3. Student Assistants be potentially inconvenient for them because it would entail
additional expenses on their part aside from their being
In the resolution of whether the transfer of the respondents forced to be away from their families, it was neither
from one area of operation to another was valid, finding a unreasonable nor oppressive.
Rule X, Book III, Omnibus Rules balance between the scope and limitation of the exercise
Implementing the Labor Code of management prerogative and the employees' right to The petitioner rightly points out that the transfer would be
security of tenure is necessary.32 without demotion in rank, or without diminution of benefits
and salaries.
We have to weigh and consider, on the one hand, that
SECTION 14. Working scholars. — There is no employer- management has a wide discretion to regulate all aspects of Instead, the transfer would open the way for their eventual
employee relationship between students on one hand, and employment, including the transfer and re-assignment of career growth, with the corresponding increases in pay. It is
schools, colleges or universities on the other, where there is: employees according to the exigencies of the noted that their prompt and repeated opposition to the
business; 33 and, on the other, that the transfer constitutes transfer effectively stalled the possibility of any agreement
1. written agreement between them under which the constructive dismissal when it is unreasonable, between the parties regarding benefits or salary
former agree to work for the latter inconvenient or prejudicial to the employee, or involves adjustments.
2. in exchange for the privilege to study free of a demotion in rank or diminution of salaries, benefits
charge, and other privileges, or when the acts of discrimination,
3. provided the students are given real opportunities, insensibility or disdain on the part of the employer Thirdly, the respondents did not show by substantial
including such facilities as may be reasonable and become unbearable for the employee, forcing him to evidence that the petitioner was acting in bad faith or had ill-
forego her employment. 34 motive in ordering their transfer.1avvphi1 In contrast, the
necessary to finish their chosen courses under
urgency and genuine business necessity justifying the
such agreement.
transfer negated bad faith on the part of the petitioner.
In this case of constructive dismissal, the burden of proof lies
in the petitioner as the employer to prove that the transfer of
the employee from one area of operation to another was for Lastly, the respondents, by having voluntarily affixed their
H. Management prerogative a valid and legitimate ground, like genuine business signatures on their respective letters of appointment,
necessity.35 We are satisfied that the petitioner duly acceded to the terms and conditions of employment
1. Definition/basis incorporated therein.
discharged its burden, and thus established that, contrary to
the claim of the respondents that they had been
constructively dismissed, their transfer had been an exercise One of the terms and conditions thus incorporated was
of the petitioner's legitimate management prerogative. the prerogative of management to transfer and re-assign
San Miguel Corp v NLRC 14621-22
(2008) its employees from one job to another "as it may deem
To start with, the resignations of the account managers and necessary or advisable," to wit:
the director of sales and marketing in the Manila office
brought about the immediate need for their replacements The company reserves the right to transfer you to
SMC dismissed an employee due to several Absence with personnel having commensurate experiences and skills. any assignment from one job to another, or from
Without Notice. one department/section to another, as it may
There is an existing company policy that employees, before With the positions held by the resigned sales personnel deem necessary or advisable.
taking an absence, should notify the former 6 days prior and being undoubtedly crucial to the operations and business of
the petitioner, the resignations gave rise to an urgent and
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Foods.[38] Moreover, we find that Quantum Foods, binding between the employer and the employee unless
Julie's bakeshop v Arnaiz (173882) considering the declining sales and the loss of a major shown to be grossly oppressive or contrary to law50 – as in
account in Cebu, was acting in the legitimate pursuit of what the case at bar. Recognizing the ambiguity in the subject
it considered its best interest in deciding to transfer Endico to policy, the CA was more inclined to adopt the
the head office. recommendation of petitioner corporation’s own Investigating
We agree with the CA in ruling that the transfer of Panel over that of Sliman and the NLRC.
respondents amounted to a demotion. Although there was
no diminution in pay, there was undoubtedly a demotion in
titular rank. One cannot deny the disparity between the 3. Company policies
duties and functions of a chief baker to that of a 4. Employment restriction
utility/security personnel tasked to clean and manage the
a. by Competitor
orderliness of the outside premises of the
bakeshop. Respondents were even prohibited from entering Mirant Corp v Caro (181490)
the bakeshop. The change in the nature of their work
undeniably resulted to a demeaning and humiliating work
condition. Rivera v Solidbank (163269)
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employee of the Repacking Section, could be detrimental to leaves and other benefits it would consequently respond for It is advisable that the stipulations be made in
its business operations. and which obviously it would have wanted to avoid. English and Tagalog or in the dialect known to the
employee. There should be two (2) witnesses to the
execution of the quitclaim who must also sign the quitclaim.
Neither did petitioners explain how this detriment will happen If that employee confesses such fact of marriage, there will
in the case of Wilfreda Comia, then a Production Helper in be no sanction; but if such employee conceals the same
the Selecting Department, who married Howard Comia, then instead of proceeding to the confessional, she will be (1) The document should be subscribed and sworn to
a helper in the cutter-machine. The policy is premised on the dismissed. This line of reasoning does not impress us as under oath preferably before
mere fear that employees married to each other will be less reflecting its true management policy or that we are being (2) any administering official of the Department of
efficient. regaled with responsible advocacy. Labor and Employment or its regional office,
(3) the Bureau of Labor Relations,
(4) the NLRC or
The questioned policy may not facially violate Article 136 of I. Quitclaims/wavers/compromise
(5) a labor attaché in a foreign country.
the Labor Code but it creates a disproportionate effect and 1. Contents
under the disparate impact theory, the only way it could
pass judicial scrutiny is a showing that it Such official shall assist the parties regarding the execution
is reasonable despite the discriminatory, albeit of the quitclaim and waiver. This compromise settlement
disproportionate, effect. becomes final and binding under Article 227 of the Labor
G.R. No. 145587 October
Code which provides that:
26, 2007
The failure of petitioners to prove a legitimate business EDI-STAFFBUILDERS
concern in imposing the questioned policy cannot prejudice INTERNATIONAL, INC., petitioner, [A]ny compromise settlement voluntarily agreed
the employee’s right to be free from arbitrary discrimination vs. upon with the assistance of the Bureau of Labor
based upon stereotypes of married persons working together NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS Relations or the regional office of the DOLE, shall
in one company COMMISSION and ELEAZAR S. be final and binding upon the parties and the
NLRC or any court "shall not assume jurisdiction
GRAN, respondents.
over issues involved therein except in case of non-
compliance thereof or if there is prima facie
evidence that the settlement was obtained through
In order to prevent disputes on the validity and enforceability fraud, misrepresentation, or coercion.
G.R. No. 118978 May 23, 1997 of quitclaims and waivers of employees under Philippine
PHILIPPINE TELEGRAPH AND laws, said agreements should contain the following: It is made clear that the foregoing rules on quitclaim or
TELEPHONE COMPANY, * waiver shall apply only to labor contracts of OFWs in the
petitioner, absence of proof of the laws of the foreign country
vs. 1. A fixed amount as full and final compromise
settlement; agreed upon to govern said contracts. Otherwise, the
NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS foreign laws shall apply.
COMMISSION and GRACE DE
GUZMAN, respondents. 2. The benefits of the employees if possible with
the corresponding amounts, which the employees Is the waiver and quitclaim labeled a Declaration valid? It is
are giving up in consideration of the fixed not.
compromise amount;
Petitioner would asseverate, therefore, that while it has
nothing against marriage, it nonetheless takes umbrage over The Court finds the waiver and quitclaim null and void for the
the concealment of that fact. This improbable reasoning, 3. A statement that the employer has clearly following reasons:
with interstitial distinctions, perturbs the Court since private explained to the employee in English, Filipino, or in
respondent may well be minded to claim that the imputation the dialect known to the employees—that by 1. The salary paid to Gran upon his termination, in the
of dishonesty should be the other way around. signing the waiver or quitclaim, they are forfeiting amount of SR 2,948.00, is unreasonably low. As correctly
or relinquishing their right to receive the benefits pointed out by the court a quo, the payment of SR 2,948.00
which are due them under the law; and is even lower than his monthly salary of SR 3,190.00 (USD
Petitioner would have the Court believe that although private
respondent defied its policy against its female employees 850.00).
contracting marriage, what could be an act of insubordination 4. A statement that the employees signed and
was inconsequential. executed the document voluntarily, and had fully In addition, it is also very much less than the USD 16,150.00
understood the contents of the document and that which is the amount Gran is legally entitled to get from
their consent was freely given without any threat, petitioner EDI as backwages.
What it submits as unforgivable is her concealment of that
violence, duress, intimidation, or undue influence
marriage yet, at the same time, declaring that marriage as a
exerted on their person.
trivial matter to which it supposedly has no objection. In other 2. The Declaration reveals that the payment of SR 2,948.00
words, PT & T says it gives its blessings to its female is actually the payment for Gran's salary for the services he
employees contracting marriage, despite the maternity rendered to OAB as Computer Specialist.
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If the Declaration is a quitclaim, then the consideration public policy as it leaves the weaker party—the employee— He is not an illiterate person who needs special protection.
should be much much more than the monthly salary of SR in a "take-it-or-leave-it" situation. He held a responsible position at PNB as an IT officer. It is
3,190.00 (USD 850.00)—although possibly less than the thus safe to say that he understood the contents of the Deed
estimated Gran's salaries for the remaining duration of his of Quitclaim and Release.
Certainly, the employer is being unjust to the employee as
contract and other benefits as employee of OAB.
there is no meaningful choice on the part of the employee
while the terms are unreasonably favorable to the employer. There is also no showing that the execution thereof was
A quitclaim will understandably be lower than the sum total tainted with deceit or coercion. Although he claims that he
of the amounts and benefits that can possibly be awarded to was "forced to sign"28 the quitclaim, he nonetheless signed it.
employees or to be earned for the remainder of the contract In doing so, Dalmacio was compelled by his own personal
period since it is a compromise where the employees will circumstances, not by an act attributable to PNB.
2. Valid and binding
have to forfeit a certain portion of the amounts they are
claiming in exchange for the early payment of a compromise
amount.
G.R. No. 202308
The court may however step in when such amount is PHILIPPINE NATIONAL
unconscionably low or unreasonable although the employee BANK, Petitioner G.R. No. 203882, January 11, 2016
voluntarily agreed to it. In the case of the Declaration, the vs.
amount is unreasonably small compared to the future wages
JUMELITO T. DALMACIO,
of Gran. LORELEI O.
Respondent
ILADAN, Petitioner, v. LA SUERTE
3. The factual circumstances surrounding the execution of INTERNATIONAL MANPOWER
the Declaration would show that Gran did not voluntarily and AGENCY, INC., AND DEBBIE
freely execute the document. Consider the following Generally, deeds of release, waiver or· quitclaims cannot bar LAO, Respondents.
chronology of events: employees from demanding benefits to which they are
legally entitled or from contesting the legality of their
dismissal since quitclaims are looked upon with disfavor and
a. On July 9, 1994, Gran received a copy of his are frowned upon as contrary to public policy.25 Where,
letter of termination; In the instant case, Iladan executed a resignation letter in her
however, the person making the waiver has done so
own handwriting. She also accepted the amount of
voluntarily, with a full understanding thereof, and the
P35,000.00 as financial assistance and executed an Affidavit
b. On July 10, 1994, Gran was instructed to depart consideration for the quitclaim is credible and reasonable,
the transaction must be recognized as being a valid and of Release, Waiver and Quitclaim and an Agreement, as
Saudi Arabia and required to pay his plane ticket;65 settlement and waiver of any cause of action against
binding undertaking.26
respondents.
c. On July 11, 1994, he signed the Declaration;
The requisites for a valid quitclaim are: The affidavit of waiver and the settlement were
acknowledged/subscribed before Labor Attache Romulo on
d. On July 12, 1994, Gran departed from Riyadh,
(1) that there was no fraud or deceit on the part of any August 6, 2009, and duly authenticated by the Philippine
Saudi Arabia; and
of the parties; Consulate.
(2) that the consideration for the quitclaim is credible
e. On July 21, 1994, Gran filed the Complaint and reasonable; and An affidavit of waiver duly acknowledged before a notary
before the NLRC. (3) that the contract is not contrary to law, public public is a public document which cannot be impugned by
order, public policy, morals or good customs or mere self-serving allegations. Proof of an irregularity in its
The foregoing events readily reveal that Gran was "forced" to prejudicial to a third person with a right recognized execution is absolutely essential.
sign the Declaration and constrained to receive the amount by law.27
of SR 2,948.00 even if it was against his will—since he was The Agreement likewise bears the signature of Conciliator-
told on July 10, 1994 to leave Riyadh on July 12, 1994. He Not having sufficiently proved that he was forced to sign said Mediator Diaz. Thus, the signatures of these officials
had no other choice but to sign the Declaration as he needed Deed of Quitclaim and Release, Dalmacio cannot sufficiently prove that Iladan was duly assisted when she
the amount of SR 2,948.00 for the payment of his ticket. He expediently argue that quitclaims are looked upon with signed the waiver and settlement.
could have entertained some apprehensions as to the status disfavor and considered ineffective to bar claims for the full
of his stay or safety in Saudi Arabia if he would not sign the measure of a worker's legal rights. Concededly, the presumption of regularity of official acts may
quitclaim. be rebutted by affirmative evidence of irregularity or failure to
perform a duty.28
Indeed, it cannot even be said that Dalmacio did not fully
4. The court a quo is correct in its finding that the Declaration understand the consequences of signing the Deed of In this case, no such evidence was presented. Besides,
is a contract of adhesion which should be construed against Quitclaim and Release. "[t]he Court has ruled that a waiver or quitclaim is a valid and
the employer, OAB. An adhesion contract is contrary to
LABOR LAW I under Atty. Nolasco | COMPILATION OF DOCTRINES AND LAWS | DLSU law | Quebal
binding agreement between the parties, provided that it petition. It also covers a claim for interest that may justly To determine whether the Quitclaims signed by respondents
constitutes a credible and reasonable settlement, and that accrue in his favor during the pendency of the case. are valid, one important factor that must be taken into
the one accomplishing it has done so voluntarily and with a account is the consideration accepted by respondents;
full understanding of its import."29 the amount must constitute a reasonable settlement
In effect, while petitioner27 had the luxury of having other
equivalent to the full measure of their legal rights. In this
remedies available to it such as its petition
Absent any extant and clear proof of the alleged case, the Quitclaims signed by the respondents do not appear
for certiorari pending before the appellate court, and an
coercion and threats Iladan allegedly received from to have been made for valuable consideration. x x
eventual appeal to this Court, respondent,28 on the other
respondents that led her to terminate her employment x 33(Emphasis supplied)
hand, could no longer pursue other claims, including for
relations with respondents, it can be concluded that interests that may accrue during the pendency of the case.
Iladan resigned voluntarily. For what they did, respondents are guilty of bad faith, and
31 should suffer the consequences of their actions. One is that
In More Maritime Agencies, Inc. v. NLRC, the Court ruled
their payment of petitioner's claim should properly be treated
that:
as a voluntary settlement of his claim in full satisfaction of the
3. Generally frowned upon NLRC judgment - which thus rendered the Petition in CA-G.R.
The law does not consider as valid any agreement SP No. 124685 moot and academic.
to receive less compensation than what a worker is
entitled to recover nor prevent him from demanding
benefits to which he is entitled.
G.R. No. 209098, November 14, G.R. No. 212764, September 09,
2016 Quitclaims executed by the employees are thus 2015
commonly frowned upon as contrary to public policy
and ineffective to bar claims for the full measure of
JUAN B. the workers legal rights, considering the economic HANSEATIC SHIPPING
HERNANDEZ, Petitioner, v. CROSS disadvantage of the employee and the inevitable PHILIPPINES INC., REEDEREI
WORLD MARINE SERVICES, INC., pressure upon him by financial necessity. (Citation HANS PETERSON & SOEHNE
MYKONOS SHIPPING CO., LTD., omitted) GMBH & CO. HG AND/OR
AND ELEAZAR DIAZ, Respondents. ROSALINDA
BAUMAN, Petitioners, v. ARLES
Respondents could have simply paid the judgment award
without attaching conditions that have far-reaching BALLON, Respondent.
consequences other than those intended by a simple
Indeed, in the Affidavit, petitioner even went so far as to certify compliance with what was required under the circumstances
and warrant that he will not file any other complaint or - that is, the mandatory execution proceedings following a
prosecute any suit or action here or in any other country after favorable judgment allowed under the Labor Code. But they A cursory reading of the certification of fitness for work,
receiving the settlement amount. did not; they had to find a way to tie petitioner's hands dated November 8, 2010, reveals that it was executed by
permanently, dangling the check as bait, so to speak. To Ballon; that it does state the company-designated physician's
6. That I have no further claims whatsoever in any theory of borrow from a fairly recent ruling of the Court, "[t]he execution recommendations or disability grading; and that it basically
law against the Owners of MV "NIKOMARIN" because of the [of the documents] cannot be tolerated as it amounts to a frees Hanseatic from all its liabilities and it may be pleaded
payment made to me. That I certify and warrant that I will not deceptive scheme to unconditionally absolve employers from as a bar to any action that may be taken by any government
file any complaint or prosecute any suit or action in the every liability.32 agency.
Philippines, Panama, Japan or any other country against the
shipowners and/or the released parties herein after receiving x x x. As a rule, quitclaims and waivers or releases are looked In other words, as aptly held by the CA, the certificate of
the payment of US$66,000.00 or its peso equivalent x x upon with disfavor and frowned upon as contrary to public fitness for work is, in truth and in fact, a quitclaim.
x.25 (Emphasis in the original) policy.
In Varorient Shipping Co., Inc. v. Flores,41 the Court ruled
This waiver by petitioner in exchange for nothing has in fact that the law does not consider as valid any agreement to
They are thus ineffective to bar claims for the full measure of
become a reality, since the CA reversed the NLRC ruling, receive less compensation than what a worker is entitled to
a worker's legal rights, particularly when the following
which means that petitioner would now have to return what conditions are applicable: recover nor prevent him from demanding benefits to which
he received from the respondents, and yet he is left with no he is entitled. Quitclaims executed by the employees are,
available recourse since he agreed that he will not thus, commonly frowned upon as contrary to public policy
"prosecute any suit or action in the Philippines x x x against 1) where there is clear proof that the waiver was and ineffective to bar claims for the full measure of the
the shipowners and/or the released parties herein after wangled from an unsuspecting or gullible person, or worker's legal rights, considering the economic disadvantage
receiving the payment of US$66,000.00 or its peso of the employee and the inevitable pressure upon him by
equivalent."26 "Any suit or action" literally includes a petition (2) where the terms of settlement are financial necessity. Thus, it is never enough to assert that
before this Court to review the CA reversal - or the instant unconscionable on their face. the parties have voluntarily entered into such a quitclaim.
LABOR LAW I under Atty. Nolasco | COMPILATION OF DOCTRINES AND LAWS | DLSU law | Quebal
There are other requisites to be met, such as: (a) that there
was no fraud or deceit on the part of any of the parties; (b)
that the consideration of the quitclaim is credible and
reasonable; and (c) that the contract is not contrary to law,
public order, public policy, morals or good customs, or
prejudicial to a third person with a right recognized by law.42
The Court is of the view that the certificate of fitness for work
in this case was a defective quitclaim because it was meant
to conceal its true intent, which was to release petitioners
from any liability arising from Ballon's claim. The execution
cannot be tolerated as it amounts to a deceptive scheme to
unconditionally absolve employers from every liability.
Likewise, no consideration was provided for the questionable
quitclaim.
LABOR LAW I under Atty. Nolasco | COMPILATION OF DOCTRINES AND LAWS | DLSU law | Quebal
2. Labor Standards PAGPALAIN HAULERS, vs.
INC., petitioner, vs. The HON. FRANKLIN M. DRILON as
HONORABLE CRESENCIANO B. Secretary of Labor and
LABOR CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES TRAJANO, in his official capacity as Employment, and TOMAS D.
Secretary of Labor and ACHACOSO, as Administrator of
A. Preliminary title Employment, the HONORABLE the Philippine Overseas
RENATO D. PARUNGO, in his Employment
official capacity as the Med-Arbiter Administration, respondents.
in DOLE Case No. NCR-OD-M-
Chapter 1, Article 1-6, Labor Code 9705-006, and the INTEGRATED
LABOR ORGANIZATION (ILO-
The consequence the deployment ban has on the right to
PHILS) PAGPALAIN WORKERS travel does not impair the right. The right to travel is subject,
UNION-ILO-PHILS. respondents. among other things, to the requirements of "public safety,"
Article 1. Name of Decree. This Decree shall be known as
"as may be provided by law." 25 Department Order No. 1 is a
the "Labor Code of the Philippines".
valid implementation of the Labor Code, in particular, its
basic policy to "afford protection to labor," 26 pursuant to the
Article 2. Date of effectivity. This Code shall take effect six Neither can Pagpalain contend that Department Order respondent Department of Labor's rule-making authority
(6) months after its promulgation. No. 9 is an invalid exercise of rule-making power by the vested in it by the Labor Code. 27 The petitioner assumes
Secretary of Labor. For an administrative order to be valid, it that it is unreasonable simply because of its impact on the
must (i) be issued on the authority of law and (ii) it must not right to travel, but as we have stated, the right itself is not
Article 3. Declaration of basic policy. The State shall afford be contrary to the law and Constitution.[7] absolute. The disputed Order is a valid qualification thereto.
protection to labor, promote full employment, ensure equal
work opportunities regardless of sex, race or creed and Department Order No. 9 has been issued on authority
regulate the relations between workers and employers. The of law. Under the law, the Secretary is authorized to Neither is there merit in the contention that Department
State shall assure the rights of workers to self-organization, promulgate rules and regulations to implement the Labor Order No. 1 constitutes an invalid exercise of legislative
collective bargaining, security of tenure, and just and Code. Specifically, Article 5 of the Labor Code provides that power. It is true that police power is the domain of the
humane conditions of work. [t]he Department of Labor and other government agencies legislature, but it does not mean that such an authority may
charged with the administration and enforcement of this Code not be lawfully delegated. As we have mentioned, the Labor
or any of its parts shall promulgate the necessary Code itself vests the Department of Labor and Employment
Article 4. Construction in favor of labor. All doubts in the
implementing rules and regulations. Consonant with this with rulemaking powers in the enforcement whereof. 28
implementation and interpretation of the provisions of this
Code, including its implementing rules and regulations, shall article, the Secretary of Labor and Employment promulgated
the Omnibus Rules Implementing the Labor Code. By virtue
be resolved in favor of labor. The petitioners's reliance on the Constitutional guaranty of
of this self-same authority, the Secretary amended the above-
worker participation "in policy and decision-making
mentioned omnibus rules by issuing Department Order No. 9, processes affecting their rights and benefits" 29 is not well-
Article 5. Rules and regulations. The Department of Labor Series of 1997. taken. The right granted by this provision, again, must submit
and other government agencies charged with the
Moreover, Pagpalain has failed to show that to the demands and necessities of the State's power of
administration and enforcement of this Code or any of its
Department Order No. 9 is contrary to the law or the regulation.
parts shall promulgate the necessary implementing rules and
regulations. Such rules and regulations shall become Constitution.
effective fifteen (15) days after announcement of their The Constitution declares that:
adoption in newspapers of general circulation. At the risk of being repetitious, the Labor Code does not
require a local or chapter to submit books of account in order
for it to be registered as a legitimate labor organization. There Sec. 3. The State shall afford full
Article 6. Applicability. All rights and benefits granted to is, thus, no inconsistency between the Labor Code and protection to labor, local and overseas,
workers under this Code shall, except as may otherwise be Department Order No. 9.Neither has Pagpalain shown that organized and unorganized, and
provided herein, apply alike to all workers, whether said order contravenes any provision of the Constitution. promote full employment and equality of
agricultural or non-agricultural. (As amended by Presidential employment opportunities for all. 30
Decree No. 570-A, November 1, 1974)
G.R. No. L-58494 July 5, 1989 "Emigrant" means any person, worker or otherwise, who
emigrates to a foreign country by virtue of an immigrant visa
PHILIPPINE NATIONAL OIL
Title I or resident permit or its equivalent in the country of
COMPANY-ENERGY destination.
RECRUITMENT AND PLACEMENT OF WORKERS
DEVELOPMENT
CORPORATION, petitioner,
vs. Chapter I Article 14. Employment promotion. The Secretary of Labor
HON. VICENTE T. LEOGARDO, GENERAL PROVISIONS shall have the power and authority:
DEPUTY MINISTER OF LABOR
AND VICENTE D. Article 13. Definitions. To organize and establish new employment offices in
ELLELINA, respondents. addition to the existing employment offices under the
Department of Labor as the need arises;
"Worker" means any member of the labor force, whether
employed or unemployed.
In National Housing Corporation vs. Juco (L-64313, January To organize and establish a nationwide job clearance and
17, 1985, 134 SCRA 172), we laid down the doctrine that information system to inform applicants registering with a
"Recruitment and placement" refers to any act of particular employment office of job opportunities in other
employees of government-owned and/or controlled canvassing, enlisting, contracting, transporting, utilizing,
corporations, whether created by special law or formed as parts of the country as well as job opportunities abroad;
hiring or procuring workers, and includes referrals, contract
subsidiaries under the general Corporation Law, are services, promising or advertising for employment, locally or
governed by the Civil Service Law and not by the Labor abroad, whether for profit or not: To develop and organize a program that will facilitate
Code. occupational, industrial and geographical mobility of labor
and provide assistance in the relocation of workers from one
Provided, That any person or entity which, in any manner, area to another; and
However, the above doctrine has been supplanted by the offers or promises for a fee, employment to two or more
present Constitution, which provides: persons shall be deemed engaged in recruitment and
placement. To require any person, establishment, organization or
The Civil Service embraces all branches, subdivisions, institution to submit such employment information as may be
instrumentalities and agencies of the Government, including prescribed by the Secretary of Labor.
"Private fee-charging employment agency" means any
government-owned or controlled corporations with original person or entity engaged in recruitment and placement of
charters. (Article IX-B, Section 2 [1]) workers for a fee which is charged, directly or indirectly, from Article 18. Ban on direct-hiring. No employer may hire a
the workers or employers or both. Filipino worker for overseas employment except through the
Thus, under the present state of the law, the test in Boards and entities authorized by the Secretary of Labor.
determining whether a government-owned or controlled Direct-hiring by members of the diplomatic corps,
corporation is subject to the Civil Service Law is the international organizations and such other employers as may
LABOR LAW I under Atty. Nolasco | COMPILATION OF DOCTRINES AND LAWS | DLSU law | Quebal
be allowed by the Secretary of Labor is exempted from this placement of workers for overseas employment whether for Article 34. Prohibited practices. It shall be unlawful for any
provision. profit or not. individual, entity, licensee, or holder of authority:
Article 21. Foreign service role and participation. To provide Article 27. Citizenship requirement. Only Filipino citizens or (1) To charge or accept, directly or indirectly, any
ample protection to Filipino workers abroad, the labor corporations, partnerships or entities at least seventy-five amount greater than that specified in the schedule
attaches, the labor reporting officers duly designated by the percent (75%) of the authorized and voting capital stock of allowable fees prescribed by the Secretary of
Secretary of Labor and the Philippine diplomatic or consular of which is owned and controlled by Filipino citizens Labor, or to make a worker pay any amount
officials concerned shall, even without prior instruction or shall be permitted to participate in the recruitment and greater than that actually received by him as a
advice from the home office, exercise the power and duty: placement of workers, locally or overseas. loan or advance;
(2) To furnish or publish any false notice or
information or document in relation to recruitment
(1) To provide all Filipino workers within their Article 28. Capitalization. All applicants for authority to hire
or employment;
jurisdiction assistance on all matters arising out of or renewal of license to recruit are required to have such
(3) To give any false notice, testimony, information or
employment; substantial capitalization as determined by the Secretary of
document or commit any act of misrepresentation
(2) To insure that Filipino workers are not exploited or Labor.
for the purpose of securing a license or authority
discriminated against; under this Code.
(3) To verify and certify as requisite to authentication Article 29. Non-transferability of license or authority. No (4) To induce or attempt to induce a worker already
that the terms and conditions of employment in license or authority shall be used directly or indirectly by any employed to quit his employment in order to offer
contracts involving Filipino workers are in person other than the one in whose favor it was issued or at him to another unless the transfer is designed to
accordance with the Labor Code and rules and any place other than that stated in the license or authority be liberate the worker from oppressive terms and
regulations of the Overseas Employment transferred, conveyed or assigned to any other person or conditions of employment;
Development Board and National Seamen Board; entity. Any transfer of business address, appointment or (5) To influence or to attempt to influence any person
(4) To make continuing studies or researches and designation of any agent or representative including the or entity not to employ any worker who has not
recommendations on the various aspects of the establishment of additional offices anywhere shall be subject applied for employment through his agency;
employment market within their jurisdiction; to the prior approval of the Department of Labor. (6) To engage in the recruitment or placement of
(5) To gather and analyze information on the workers in jobs harmful to public health or morality
employment situation and its probable trends, and or to the dignity of the Republic of the Philippines;
to make such information available; and Article 30. Registration fees. The Secretary of Labor shall (7) To obstruct or attempt to obstruct inspection by the
(6) To perform such other duties as may be required promulgate a schedule of fees for the registration of all Secretary of Labor or by his duly authorized
of them from time to time. applicants for license or authority. representatives;
(8) To fail to file reports on the status of employment,
Article 22. Mandatory remittance of foreign exchange Article 31. Bonds. All applicants for license or authority shall placement vacancies, remittance of foreign
earnings. It shall be mandatory for all Filipino workers abroad post such cash and surety bonds as determined by the exchange earnings, separation from jobs,
to remit a portion of their foreign exchange earnings to their Secretary of Labor to guarantee compliance with prescribed departures and such other matters or information
families, dependents, and/or beneficiaries in the country in recruitment procedures, rules and regulations, and terms as may be required by the Secretary of Labor.
accordance with rules and regulations prescribed by the and conditions of employment as may be appropriate. (9) To substitute or alter employment contracts
Secretary of Labor. approved and verified by the Department of Labor
from the time of actual signing thereof by the
Article 32. Fees to be paid by workers. Any person applying parties up to and including the periods of
Chapter II with a private fee-charging employment agency for expiration of the same without the approval of the
REGULATION OF RECRUITMENT AND PLACEMENT employment assistance shall not be charged any fee until he Secretary of Labor;
ACTIVITIES has obtained employment through its efforts or has actually (10) To become an officer or member of the Board of
commenced employment. Such fee shall be always covered any corporation engaged in travel agency or to be
with the appropriate receipt clearly showing the amount paid. engaged directly or indirectly in the management
Article 25. Private sector participation in the recruitment and The Secretary of Labor shall promulgate a schedule of
placement of workers. Pursuant to national development of a travel agency; and
allowable fees. (11) To withhold or deny travel documents from
objectives and in order to harness and maximize the use of
private sector resources and initiative in the development applicant workers before departure for monetary or
and implementation of a comprehensive employment Article 33. Reports on employment status. Whenever the financial considerations other than those
program, the private employment sector shall participate in public interest requires, the Secretary of Labor may direct all authorized under this Code and its implementing
the recruitment and placement of workers, locally and persons or entities within the coverage of this Title to submit rules and regulations.
overseas, under such guidelines, rules and regulations as a report on the status of employment, including job
may be issued by the Secretary of Labor. vacancies, details of job requisitions, separation from jobs, Article 35. Suspension and/or cancellation of license or
wages, other terms and conditions and other employment authority. The Minister of Labor shall have the power to
data. suspend or cancel any license or authority to recruit
Article 26. Travel agencies prohibited to recruit. Travel
agencies and sales agencies of airline companies are employees for overseas employment for violation of rules
prohibited from engaging in the business of recruitment and and regulations issued by the Ministry of Labor, the
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Overseas Employment Development Board, or for violation shall be issued by the Philippine Overseas Employment or advertising for employment abroad, whether for profit or
of the provisions of this and other applicable laws, General Administration (POEA). not, when undertaken by non-licensee or non-holder of
Orders and Letters of Instructions. authority contemplated under Article 13(f) of Presidential
Decree No. 442, as amended, otherwise known as the Labor
"The members of the POEA Governing Board who actually
Code of the Philippines: Provided, That any such non-
voted in favor of an order allowing the deployment of migrant
licensee or non-holder who, in any manner, offers or
workers without any of the aforementioned guarantees shall
R.A. No. 8042, as amended by R.A. promises for a fee employment abroad to two or more
suffer the penalties of removal or dismissal from service with
No. 1022 persons shall be deemed so engaged. It shall likewise
disqualification to hold any appointive public office for five (5)
include the following acts, whether committed by any person,
years, Further, the government official or employee
whether a non-licensee, non-holder, licensee or holder of
responsible for the issuance of the permit or for allowing the
authority:
deployment of migrant workers in violation of this section and
Section 2. Section 3, paragraph (a) of Republic Act No. in direct contravention of an order by the POEA Governing
8042, as amended, is hereby amended to read as follows: Board prohibiting deployment shall be meted the same "(a) To charge or accept directly or indirectly any
penalties in this section. amount greater than that specified in the schedule
"(a) "Overseas Filipino worker" refers to a person who is to of allowable fees prescribed by the Secretary of
be engaged, is engaged or has been engaged in a Labor and Employment, or to make a worker pay
"For this purpose, the Department of Foreign Affairs, through
remunerated activity in a state of which he or she is not a or acknowledge any amount greater than that
its foreign posts, shall issue a certification to the POEA,
citizen or on board a vessel navigating the foreign seas other actually received by him as a loan or advance;
specifying therein the pertinent provisions of the receiving
than a government ship used for miliatry or non-commercial country's labor/social law, or the
purposes or on an installation located offshore or on the high convention/declaration/resolution, or the bilateral "(b) To furnish or publish any false notice or
seas; to be used interchangeably with migrant worker." agreement/arrangement which protect the rights of migrant information or document in relation to recruitment
workers. or employment;
Section 3. Section 4 of Republic Act No. 8042, as amended,
is hereby amended to rerad as follows: "The State shall also allow the deployment of overseas "(c) To give any false notice, testimony,
Filipino workers to vessels navigating the foreign seas or to information or document or commit any act of
"SEC. 4. Deployment of Migrant Workers. - The State shall installations located offshore or on high seas whose misrepresentation for the purpose of securing a
allow the deployment of overseas Filipino workers only in owners/employers are compliant with international laws and license or authority under the Labor Code, or for
countries where the rights of Filipino migrant workers are standards that protect the rights of migrant workers. the purpose of documenting hired workers with the
protected. The government recognizes any of the following POEA, which include the act of reprocessing
as a guarantee on the part of the receiving country for the workers through a job order that pertains to
"The State shall likewise allow the deployment of overseas
protection of the rights of overseas Filipino workers: nonexistent work, work different from the actual
Filipino workers to companies and contractors with
overseas work, or work with a different employer
international operations: Provided, That they are compliant
whether registered or not with the POEA;
"(a) It has existing labor and social laws protecting with standards, conditions and requirements, as embodied in
the rights of workers, including migrant workers; the employment contracts prescribed by the POEA and in
accordance with internationally-accepted standards." "(d) To include or attempt to induce a worker
already employed to quit his employment in order
"(b) It is a signatory to and/or a ratifier of to offer him another unless the transfer is designed
multilateral conventions, declarations or Section 4. Section 5 of Republic Act No. 8042, as amended,
to liberate a worker from oppressive terms and
resolutions relating to the protection of workers, is hereby amended to read as follows:
conditions of employment;
including migrant workers; and
"SEC. 5. Termination or Ban on Deployment. -
"(e) To influence or attempt to influence any
"(c) It has concluded a bilateral agreement or Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 4 hereof, in pursuit
person or entity not to employ any worker who has
arrangement with the government on the of the national interest or when public welfare so requires,
not applied for employment through his agency or
protection of the rights of overseas Filipino the POEA Governing Board, after consultation with the
who has formed, joined or supported, or has
Workers: Department of Foreign Affairs, may, at any time, terminate or
contacted or is supported by any union or workers'
impose a ban on the deployment of migrant workers."
organization;
Provided, That the receiving country is taking positive,
concrete measures to protect the rights of migrant workers in Section 5. Section 6 of Republic Act No. 8042, as amended,
"(f) To engage in the recruitment or placement of
furtherance of any of the guarantees under subparagraphs is hereby amended to read as follows:
workers in jobs harmful to public health or morality
(a), (b) and (c) hereof. or to the dignity of the Republic of the Philippines;
"SEC. 6. Definition. - For purposes of this Act, illegal
"In the absence of a clear showing that any of the recruitment shall mean any act of canvassing, enlisting,
"(h) To fail to submit reports on the status of
aforementioned guarantees exists in the country of contracting, transporting, utilizing, hiring, or procuring
employment, placement vacancies, remittance of
destination of the migrant workers, no permit for deployment workers and includes referring, contract services, promising
foreign exchange earnings, separation from jobs,
LABOR LAW I under Atty. Nolasco | COMPILATION OF DOCTRINES AND LAWS | DLSU law | Quebal
departures and such other matters or information annum, which will be used for payment of legal "In the filing of cases for illegal recruitment or any of the
as may be required by the Secretary of Labor and and allowable placement fees and make the prohibited acts under this section, the Secretary of Labor and
Employment; migrant worker issue, either personally or through Employment, the POEA Administrator or their duly
a guarantor or accommodation party, postdated authorized representatives, or any aggrieved person may
checks in relation to the said loan; initiate the corresponding criminal action with the appropriate
"(i) To substitute or alter to the prejudice of the
office. For this purpose, the affidavits and testimonies of
worker, employment contracts approved and
operatives or personnel from the Department of Labor and
verified by the Department of Labor and "(2) Impose a compulsory and exclusive
Employment, POEA and other law enforcement agencies
Employment from the time of actual signing arrangement whereby an overseas Filipino worker
who witnessed the acts constituting the offense shall be
thereof by the parties up to and including the is required to avail of a loan only from specifically
sufficient to prosecute the accused.
period of the expiration of the same without the designated institutions, entities or persons;
approval of the Department of Labor and
Employment; "In the prosecution of offenses punishable under this section,
"(3) Refuse to condone or renegotiate a loan
the public prosecutors of the Department of Justice shall
incurred by an overseas Filipino worker after the
collaborate with the anti-illegal recruitment branch of the
"(j) For an officer or agent of a recruitment or latter's employment contract has been prematurely
POEA and, in certain cases, allow the POEA lawyers to take
placement agency to become an officer or terminated through no fault of his or her own;
the lead in the prosecution. The POEA lawyers who act as
member of the Board of any corporation engaged
prosecutors in such cases shall be entitled to receive
in travel agency or to be engaged directly or
"(4) Impose a compulsory and exclusive additional allowances as may be determined by the POEA
indirectly in the management of travel agency;
arrangement whereby an overseas Filipino worker Administrator.
is required to undergo health examinations only
"(k) To withhold or deny travel documents from from specifically designated medical clinics,
"The filing of an offense punishable under this Act shall be
applicant workers before departure for monetary or institutions, entities or persons, except in the case
without prejudice to the filing of cases punishable under
financial considerations, or for any other reasons, of a seafarer whose medical examination cost is
other existing laws, rules or regulations."1avvphi1
other than those authorized under the Labor Code shouldered by the principal/shipowner;
and its implementing rules and regulations;
Section 7. Section 10 of Republic Act No. 8042, as
"(5) Impose a compulsory and exclusive
amended, is hereby amended to read as follows:
"(l) Failure to actually deploy a contracted worker arrangement whereby an overseas Filipino worker
without valid reason as determined by the is required to undergo training, seminar, instruction
Department of Labor and Employment; or schooling of any kind only from specifically "SEC. 10. Money Claims. - Notwithstanding any provision of
designated institutions, entities or persons, except law to the contrary, the Labor Arbiters of the National Labor
fpr recommendatory trainings mandated by Relations Commission (NLRC) shall have the original and
"(m) Failure to reimburse expenses incurred by the
principals/shipowners where the latter shoulder the exclusive jurisdiction to hear and decide, within ninety (90)
worker in connection with his documentation and
cost of such trainings; calendar days after the filing of the complaint, the claims
processing for purposes of deployment, in cases
arising out of an employer-employee relationship or by virtue
where the deployment does not actually take place
of any law or contract involving Filipino workers for overseas
without the worker's fault. Illegal recruitment when "(6) For a suspended recruitment/manning agency
deployment including claims for actual, moral, exemplary
committed by a syndicate or in large scale shall be to engage in any kind of recruitment activity
and other forms of damage. Consistent with this mandate,
considered an offense involving economic including the processing of pending workers'
the NLRC shall endeavor to update and keep abreast with
sabotage; and applications; and
the developments in the global services industry.
"(n) To allow a non-Filipino citizen to head or "(7) For a recruitment/manning agency or a foreign
"The liability of the principal/employer and the
manage a licensed recruitment/manning agency. principal/employer to pass on the overseas Filipino
recruitment/placement agency for any and all claims under
worker or deduct from his or her salary the
this section shall be joint and several. This provision shall be
payment of the cost of insurance fees, premium or
"Illegal recruitment is deemed committed by a syndicate if incorporated in the contract for overseas employment and
other insurance related charges, as provided
carried out by a group of three (3) or more persons shall be a condition precedent for its approval. The
under the compulsory worker's insurance
conspiring or confederating with one another. It is deemed performance bond to de filed by the recruitment/placement
coverage.
committed in large scale if committed against three (3) or agency, as provided by law, shall be answerable for all
more persons individually or as a group. money claims or damages that may be awarded to the
"The persons criminally liable for the above offenses are the workers. If the recruitment/placement agency is a juridical
principals, accomplices and accessories. In case of juridical being, the corporate officers and directors and partners as
"In addition to the acts enumerated above, it shall also be the case may be, shall themselves be jointly and solidarily
persons, the officers having ownership, control, management
unlawful for any person or entity to commit the following
or direction of their business who are responsible for the liable with the corporation or partnership for the aforesaid
prohibited acts:
commission of the offense and the responsible claims and damages.
employees/agents thereof shall be liable.
"(1) Grant a loan to an overseas Filipino worker
with interest exceeding eight percent (8%) per
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"Such liabilities shall continue during the entire period or a. Definition Clearly, the agency and Modern Metal committed a
duration of the employment contract and shall not be b. Prohibited acts prohibited practice and engaged in illegal recruitment under
affected by any substitution, amendment or modification the law. Article 34 of the Labor Code
made locally or in a foreign country of the said contract.
Art. 34. Prohibited Practices. It shall be unlawful for any
"Any compromise/amicable settlement or voluntary individual, entity, licensee, or holder of authority:
agreement on money claims inclusive of damages under this [G.R. NO. 197528 - September 5,
section shall be paid within thirty (30) days from approval of 2012] x x x
the settlement by the appropriate authority.
"In case of a final and executory judgement against a foreign (i) To substitute or alter to the prejudice of the worker,
employer/principal, it shall be automatically disqualified, employment contracts approved and verified by the
without further proceedings, from participating in the The agency and its principal, Modern Metal, committed Department of Labor and Employment from the time of
Philippine Overseas Employment Program and from flagrant violations of the law on overseas employment, as actual signing thereof by the parties up to and including the
recruiting and hiring Filipino workers until and unless it fully well as basic norms of decency and fair play in an period of the expiration of the same without the approval of
satisfies the judgement award. employment relationship, pushing the respondents to look for the Department of Labor and Employment.
a better employment and, ultimately, to resign from their
jobs.
"Noncompliance with the mandatory periods for resolutions c. Who may be liable
of case provided under this section shall subject the
responsible officials to any or all of the following penalties: First. The agency and Modern Metal are guilty of contract
substitution. The respondents entered into a POEA-
approved two-year employment contract,31ςrνll with G.R. No.
"(a) The salary of any such official who fails to Modern Metal providing among others, as earlier discussed,
render his decision or resolution within the 152642 November 13,
for a monthly salary of 1350 AED. On April 2, 2007, Modern
prescribed period shall be, or caused to be, 2012
Metal issued to them appointment letters32ςrνll whereby the
withheld until the said official complies therewith; HON. PATRICIA A. STO.TOMAS,
respondents were hired for a longer three-year period and a
reduced salary, from 1,100 AED to 1,200 AED, among other ROSALINDA BALDOZ and LUCITA
"(b) Suspension for not more than ninety (90) provisions. Then, on May 5, 2007, they were required to sign LAZO, Petitioners,
days; or new employment contracts33ςrνll reflecting the same terms vs.
contained in their appointment letters, except that this time, REY SALAC, WILLIE D. ESPIRITU,
they were hired as "ordinary laborer," no longer aluminum MARIO MONTENEGRO, DODGIE
"(c) Dismissal from the service with disqualification fabricator/installer. The respondents complained with the BELONIO, LOLIT SALINEL and
to hold any appointive public office for five (5) agency about the contract substitution, but the agency BUDDY BONNEVIE, Respondents.
years. refused or failed to act on the matter.
"Provided, however, That the penalties herein provided shall The fact that the respondents contracts were altered or
be without prejudice to any liability which any such official The key issue that Gumabay, et al. present is whether or not
substituted at the workplace had never been denied by the the 2nd paragraph of Section 10, R.A. 8042, which holds the
may have incured under other existing laws or rules and agency. On the contrary, it admitted that the contract
regulations as a consequence of violating the provisions of corporate directors, officers, and partners of recruitment and
substitution did happen when it argued, "as to their claim for placement agencies jointly and solidarily liable for money
this paragraph." underpayment of salary, their original contract mentioned claims and damages that may be adjudged against the latter
1350 AED monthly salary, which includes allowance while in agencies, is unconstitutional.
their Appointment Letters, they were supposed to receive
1,300 AED. While there was a difference of 50 AED monthly,
the same could no longer be claimed by virtue of their In G.R. 167590 (the PASEI case), the Quezon City RTC held
Affidavits of Quitclaims and Desistance."34ςrνllςrνll as unconstitutional the last sentence of the 2nd paragraph of
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Section 10 of R.A. 8042. It pointed out that, absent sufficient The number of persons dealt with is not an essential
proof that the corporate officers and directors of the erring ingredient of the act of recruitment and placement of
company had knowledge of and allowed the illegal workers. Any of the acts mentioned in the basic rule in Article
recruitment, making them automatically liable would violate The basic issue in this case is the correct interpretation of 13(b) win constitute recruitment and placement even if only
their right to due process of law. Article 13(b) of P.D. 442, otherwise known as the Labor one prospective worker is involved. The proviso merely lays
Code, reading as follows: down a rule of evidence that where a fee is collected in
consideration of a promise or offer of employment to two or
But the Court has already held, pending adjudication of this
(b) Recruitment and placement' refers to more prospective workers, the individual or entity dealing
case, that the liability of corporate directors and officers is
any act of canvassing, enlisting, with them shall be deemed to be engaged in the act of
not automatic.
contracting, transporting, hiring, or recruitment and placement. The words "shall be deemed"
procuring workers, and includes create that presumption.
To make them jointly and solidarily liable with their referrals, contract services, promising or
company, there must be a finding that they were remiss advertising for employment, locally or e. Simple illegal recruitment
in directing the affairs of that company, such as abroad, whether for profit or not:
sponsoring or tolerating the conduct of illegal Provided, That any person or entity f. Illegal recruitment involving economic
activities.19 which, in any manner, offers or sabotage
promises for a fee employment to two
or more persons shall be deemed
In the case of Becmen and White Falcon,20 while there is
engaged in recruitment and
evidence that these companies were at fault in not
placement.
investigating the cause of Jasmin’s death, there is no
mention of any evidence in the case against them that
intervenors Gumabay, et al., Becmen’s corporate officers The view of the private respondents is that to constitute
[ GR No. 214340, Jul 19, 2017 ]
and directors, were personally involved in their company’s recruitment and placement, all the acts mentioned in this
particular actions or omissions in Jasmin’s case. article should involve dealings with two or m•re persons as
an indispensable requirement.
PEOPLE v. GILDA ABELLANOSA
As a final note, R.A. 8042 is a police power measure
intended to regulate the recruitment and deployment of On the other hand, the petitioner argues that the requirement
OFWs. It aims to curb, if not eliminate, the injustices and of two or more persons is imposed only where the
abuses suffered by numerous OFWs seeking to work recruitment and placement consists of an offer or promise of
abroad. employment to such persons and always in consideration of
a fee. The other acts mentioned in the body of the article Illegal recruitment x x x is deemed committed in large scale if
The rule is settled that every statute has in its favor the may involve even only one person and are not necessarily committed against three or more persons individually or as a
presumption of constitutionality. The Court cannot inquire for profit. group.
into the wisdom or expediency of the laws enacted by the We agree with the trial court and the CA that the prosecution
Legislative Department. Hence, in the absence of a clear Neither interpretation is acceptable. We fail to see why the was able to establish that appellant was engaged in illegal
and unmistakable case that the statute is unconstitutional, proviso should speak only of an offer or promise of recruitment in large scale. It was proved that appellant was a
the Court must uphold its validity. employment if the purpose was to apply the requirement of non-licensee or non-holder of authority to recruit workers for
two or more persons to all the acts mentioned in the basic deployment abroad; she offered or promised employment
rule. For its part, the petitioner does not explain why dealings abroad to private complainants; she received monies from
with two or more persons are needed where the recruitment private complainants purportedly as placement or processing
d. Elements and placement consists of an offer or promise of fees; that private complainants were not actually deployed to
employment but not when it is done through "canvassing, Brunei; that despite demands, appellant failed to reimburse or
enlisting, contracting, transporting, utilizing, hiring or refund to private complainants their monies; and that
procuring (of) workers. appellant committed these prohibited acts against three or
G.R. Nos. L-58674-77 July 11, 1990 more persons, individually or as a group.
PEOPLE OF THE As we see it, the proviso was intended neither to impose a
condition on the basic rule nor to provide an exception To recall, private complainants Pomar, Pastolero, Cathedral,
PHILIPPINES, petitioner,
thereto but merely to create a presumption. The Orias, Suobiron, Bueron, and Pelipog testified that appellant
vs. went to Pavia, Iloilo and represented herself as a recruiter who
HON. DOMINGO PANIS, Presiding presumption is that the individual or entity is engaged in
recruitment and placement whenever he or it is dealing could send them to Brunei for work; that appellant impressed
Judge of the Court of First Instance upon them that she had the authority or ability to send them
with two or more persons to whom, in consideration of a
of Zambales & Olongapo City, overseas for work by showing them a job order from Brunei
fee, an offer or promise of employment is made in the
Branch III and SERAPIO course of the "canvassing, enlisting, contracting, and a calling card; and appellant collected processing or
ABUG, respondents. transporting, utilizing, hiring or procuring (of) workers. " placement fees from the private complainants in various
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amounts ranging from P5,000.00 to P20,000.00; and that she In this case, Sison herself admits that she has no license or Since it was proven that the three accused were acting in
did not reimburse said amounts despite demands. authority to undertake recruitment and placement activities'. concert and conspired with one another, their illegal
The Court has held in several cases that an accused who recruitment activity is considered done by a syndicate,
In addition, it was proved that appellant does not have any represents to others that he or she could send workers making the offense illegal recruitment involving economic
license or authority to recruit workers for overseas abroad for employment, even without the authority or license sabotage.
employment as shown by the certification issued by the to do so, commits illegal recruitment.42
Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.[16]
Estafa
Finally, appellant recruited seven persons, or more than the It is the absence of the necessary license or authority to
minimum of three persons required by law, for illegal recruit and deploy workers that renders the recruitment
We affirm Sison's conviction for estafa under Article
recruitment to be considered in large scale. activity unlawful. To prove illegal recruitment, it must be
315(2)(a) of the RPC. It is settled that a person, for the same
shown that "the accused gave the complainants the distinct
acts, may be convicted separately for illegal recruitment
impression that she had the power or ability to deploy the
under RA 8042 and estafa under Article 315(2) (a) of the
complainants abroad in a manner that they were convinced
RPC.
g. Estafa to part with their money for that end."43
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Thus, if the reverse had happened, that is the In sum, prior to R.A. No. 8042, OFWs and local workers with such limitation on the money claims of illegally terminated
seafarer failed or refused to be deployed as agreed upon, he fixed-term employment who were illegally discharged were local workers with fixed-term employment
would be liable for damages. treated alike in terms of the computation of their money
claims: they were uniformly entitled to their salaries for the
Moreover, while the POEA Standard Contract must entire unexpired portions of their contracts. But with the
be recognized and respected, neither the manning agent nor enactment of R.A. No. 8042, specifically the adoption of the
c. Liability of principal/agent; theory of
the employer can simply prevent a seafarer from being subject clause, illegally dismissed OFWs with an unexpired
imputed knowledge
deployed without a valid reason. portion of one year or more in their employment contract
have since been differently treated in that their money claims
Respondents act of preventing petitioner are subject to a 3-month cap, whereas no such limitation is
from departing the port of Manila and boarding MSV imposed on local workers with fixed-term employment.
Seaspread constitutes a breach of contract, giving rise to
petitioners cause of action. G.R. No. 214132, February 18, 2015
The Court concludes that the subject clause contains a
suspect classification in that, in the computation of the
Respondent unilaterally and unreasonably reneged
monetary benefits of fixed-term employees who are SEALANES MARINE SERVICES,
on its obligation to deploy petitioner and must therefore
illegally discharged, it imposes a 3-month cap on the
answer for the actual damages he suffered. INC./ARKLOW SHIPPING NETHERLAND
claim of OFWs with an unexpired portion of one year or
more in their contracts, but none on the claims of other AND/OR CHRISTOPHER
OFWs or local workers with fixed-term employment. The DUMATOL, Petitioners, v. ARNEL G.
b. Money claims
subject clause singles out one classification of OFWs DELA TORRE, Respondent.
and burdens it with a peculiar disadvantage.
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Similarly, a seafarer’s employment contract is terminated They willfully refused to protect and tend to the welfare of the City and DIVINA A.
even before the contract expires as soon as he arrives at the deceased Jasmin, treating her case as just one of those MONTEHERMOZO,Respondents.
point of hire and signs off for medical reasons, due to unsolved crimes that is not worth wasting their time and
shipwreck, voluntary resignation or for other just causes. resources on.
Petitioner, Sunace International Management
In a nutshell, there are three (3) requirements necessary for The evidence does not even show that Becmen and Rajab Services (Sunace), a corporation duly organized and existing
the complete termination of the employment contract: lifted a finger to provide legal representation and seek an under the laws of the Philippines, deployed to Taiwan Divina
investigation of Jasmin’s case. A. Montehermozo (Divina) as a domestic helper under a 12-
month contract effective February 1, 1997.[1] The deployment
(1) termination due to expiration or other was with the assistance of a Taiwanese broker, Edmund
reasons/causes; Worst of all, they unnecessarily trampled upon the person Wang, President of Jet Crown International Co., Ltd.
(2) signing off from the vessel; and and dignity of Jasmin by standing pat on the argument that
(3) arrival at the point of hire. Jasmin committed suicide, which is a grave accusation given
its un-Christian nature. The theory of imputed knowledge ascribes the knowledge of
In this case, there was no clear showing that Caseñas the agent, Sunace, to the principal, employer Xiong, not the
signed off from the vessel upon the expiration of his Private employment agencies are held jointly and severally other way around.[23] The knowledge of the principal-foreign
employment contract, which was in February or April 2005. liable with the foreign-based employer for any violation of the employer cannot, therefore, be imputed to its agent Sunace.
He did not arrive either in Manila, his point of hire, because recruitment agreement or contract of employment.
he was still on board the vessel MV Haitien Pride on the There being no substantial proof that Sunace knew
supposed date of expiration of his contract. It was only on of and consented to be bound under the 2-year employment
This joint and solidary liability imposed by law against contract extension, it cannot be said to be privy thereto.
August 14, 2006 that he signed off21 from MV Haitien Pride
recruitment agencies and foreign employers is meant to
and arrived in Manila on August 30, 2006.
assure the aggrieved worker of immediate and sufficient
payment of what is due him.37 3. Employment of foreign nationals
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Any non-resident alien who shall take up employment in
violation of the provision of this Title and its implementing
rules and regulations shall be punished in accordance with
the provisions of Articles 289 and 290 of the Labor Code.
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C. Apprentice, Learner, Disabled Workers ARTICLE 62. Signing of Apprenticeship Agreement. — ARTICLE 65. Investigation of Violation of Apprenticeship
Every apprenticeship agreement shall be signed by the Agreement. — Upon complaint of any interested person or
employer or his agent, or by an authorized representative upon its own initiative, the appropriate agency of the
ARTICLE 58. Definition of Terms. 59 — As used in this Title: of any of the recognized organizations, associations or Department of Labor and Employment or its authorized
groups and by the apprentice. representative shall investigate any violation of an
(a) "Apprenticeship" means practical training on
apprenticeship agreement pursuant to such rules and
the job supplemented by related theoretical An apprenticeship agreement with a minor shall be signed
instruction. regulations as may be prescribed by the Secretary of
in his behalf by his parent or guardian or, if the latter is not Labor and Employment.
(b) An "apprentice" is a worker who is covered by available, by an authorized representative of the
a written apprenticeship agreement with an Department of Labor, and the same shall be binding ARTICLE 66. Appeal to the Secretary of Labor and
individual employer or any of the entities during its lifetime. Employment. — The decision of the authorized agency of
recognized under this Chapter. the Department of Labor and Employment may be
Every apprenticeship agreement entered into under this appealed by any aggrieved person to the Secretary of
(c) An "apprenticeable occupation" means any Title shall be ratified by the appropriate apprenticeship Labor and Employment within ve (5) days from receipt of
trade, form of employment or occupation committees, if any, and a copy thereof shall be furnished the decision. The decision of the Secretary of Labor and
which requires more than three (3) months of both the employer and the apprentice.
practical training on the job supplemented by Employment shall be final and executory. ITAaHc
related theoretical instruction. ASEcHI ARTICLE 63. Venue of Apprenticeship Programs. — Any ARTICLE 67. Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies. —
employer, group or association, industry organization or No person shall institute any action for the enforcement of
(d) "Apprenticeship agreement" is an employment
contract wherein the employer binds himself to civic group wishing to organize an apprenticeship program any apprenticeship agreement or damages for breach of
train the apprentice and the apprentice in turn may choose from any of the following apprenticeship any such agreement, unless he has exhausted all
accepts the terms of training. schemes as the training venue for apprentice: available administrative remedies.
ARTICLE 59. Qualifications of Apprentice. — To (a) Apprenticeship conducted entirely by and ARTICLE 68. Aptitude Testing of Applicants. —
qualify as an apprentice, a person shall: within the sponsoring firm, establishment or Consonant with the minimum quali cations of
entity; apprenticeapplicants required under this Chapter,
(a) Be at least fourteen (14) years of age; 60 employers or entities with duly recognized apprenticeship
(b) Apprenticeship entirely within a Department
of Labor and Employment training center or programs shall have primary responsibility for providing
(b) Possess vocational aptitude and capacity for
other public appropriate aptitude tests in the selection of apprentices. If
appropriate tests; and
training institution; or they do not have adequate facilities for the purpose, the
(c) Possess the ability to comprehend and follow Department of Labor and Employment shall perform the
oral and written instructions. (c) Initial training in trade fundamentals in a service free of charge.
training center or other institution with
Trade and industry associations may recommend to the subsequent actual work participation within ARTICLE 69. Responsibility for Theoretical Instruction. —
Secretary of Labor appropriate educational requirements the sponsoring firm or entity during the final Supplementary theoretical instruction to apprentices in
for different occupations. stage of training. cases where the program is undertaken in the plant may
ARTICLE 64. Sponsoring of Apprenticeship Program. — be done by the employer. If the latter is not prepared to
ARTICLE 60. Employment of Apprentices. 61 — Only assume the responsibility, the same may be delegated to
Any of the apprenticeship schemes recognized herein
employers in the highly technical industries may employ an appropriate government agency.
may be undertaken or sponsored by a single employer or
apprentices and only in apprenticeable occupations
or by a group or association thereof or by a civic
approved by the Minister of Labor and Employment. ARTICLE 70. Voluntary Organization of Apprenticeship
organization. Actual training of apprentices may be
Programs; Exemptions. —
ARTICLE 61. Contents of Apprenticeship Agreements. 62 undertaken:
— Apprenticeship agreements, including wage rates of (a) The organization of apprenticeship program
apprentices, shall conform to the rules issued by the (a) In the premises of the sponsoring employer in
shall be primarily a voluntary undertaking by employers;
the case of individual apprenticeship
Minister of Labor and Employment. The period of programs;
apprenticeship shall not exceed six months. (b) When national security or particular
(b) In the premises of one or several designated requirements of economic development so demand, the
Apprenticeship agreements providing for wage rates rms in the case of programs sponsored by a President of the Philippines may require compulsory
below the legal minimum wage, which in no case shall group or association of employers or by a civic training of apprentices in certain trades, occupations, jobs
start below 75 per cent of the applicable minimum wage, organization; or or employment levels where shortage of trained manpower
may be entered into only in accordance with is deemed critical as determined by the Secretary of Labor
(c) In a Department of Labor and Employment and Employment. Appropriate rules in this connection shall
apprenticeship programs duly approved by the Minister of be promulgated by the Secretary of Labor and Employment
Labor and Employment. The Ministry shall develop training center or other public training
institution. as the need arises; and
standard model programs of apprenticeship.
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(c) Where services of foreign technicians The wages or salary rates of the learners which shall begin The employment agreement shall be subject to inspection by
are utilized by private companies in apprenticeable trades, at not less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the applicable the Secretary of Labor or his duly authorized representative.
said companies are required to set up appropriate minimum wage; and
apprenticeship programs.
Article 81. Eligibility for apprenticeship. Subject to the
A commitment to employ the learners if they so desire, as appropriate provisions of this Code, handicapped workers
ARTICLE 71. Deductibility of Training regular employees upon completion of the learnership. may be hired as apprentices or learners if their handicap is
Costs. — An additional deduction from taxable income of not such as to effectively impede the performance of job
one-half (1/2) of the value of labor training expenses operations in the particular occupations for which they are
All learners who have been allowed or suffered to work
incurred for developing the productivity and ef ciency of hired.
during the first two (2) months shall be deemed regular
apprentices shall be granted to the person or enterprise employees if training is terminated by the employer before
organizing an apprenticeship program: the end of the stipulated period through no fault of the
Provided, That such program is duly recognized by learners.
RA 7277. MAGNA CARTA FOR
the Department of Labor and Employment: Provided, further, PERSONS WITH DISABILITY
That such deduction shall not exceed ten (10%) percent of The learnership agreement shall be subject to inspection by
direct labor wage: and Provided, finally, That the person or the Secretary of Labor and Employment or his duly
enterprise who wishes to avail himself or itself of this authorized representative.
incentive should pay his apprentices the minimum wage.
SECTION 4. Definition of Terms For purposes of this Act,
Article 76. Learners in piecework. Learners employed in these terms are defined as follows:
piece or incentive-rate jobs during the training period shall be
ARTICLE 72. Apprentices without Compensation. — The (a). Disabled Persons are those suffering from restriction of
paid in full for the work done.
Secretary of Labor and Employment may authorize the different abilities, as a result of a mental, physical or sensory
hiring of apprentices without compensation whose training impairment, to perform an activity in the manner or within the
on the job is required by the school or training program Article 77. Penalty clause. Any violation of this Chapter or its range considered normal for a human being;
curriculum or as requisite for graduation or board implementing rules and regulations shall be subject to the
examination. general penalty clause provided for in this Code. (b). Impairment is any loss, diminution or aberration of
psychological, physiological, or anatomical structure of
Chapter III function;
HANDICAPPED WORKERS
(c). Disability shall mean
Chapter II (1) a physical or mental impairment that substantially
LEARNERS Article 78. Definition. Handicapped workers are those limits one or more psychological, physiological or
whose earning capacity is impaired by age or physical or anatomical function of an individual or activities of such
mental deficiency or injury. individual;
Article 73. Learners defined. Learners are persons hired as (2) a record of such an impairment; or
trainees in semi-skilled and other industrial occupations (3) being regarded as having such an impairment;
which are non-apprenticeable and which may be learned Article 79. When employable. Handicapped workers may be
through practical training on the job in a relatively short employed when their employment is necessary to prevent
curtailment of employment opportunities and when it does (d). Handicap refers to a disadvantage for a given
period of time which shall not exceed three (3) months. individual resulting from an impairment or a disability, that
not create unfair competition in labor costs or impair or lower
working standards. limits or prevents the functions or activity, that is considered
Article 74. When learners may be hired. Learners may be normal given the age and sex of the individual;
employed when no experienced workers are available, the
employment of learners is necessary to prevent curtailment Article 80. Employment agreement. Any employer who (e). Rehabilitation is an integrated approach to physical,
of employment opportunities, and the employment does not employs handicapped workers shall enter into an social, cultural, spiritual, educational and vocational
create unfair competition in terms of labor costs or impair or employment agreement with them, which agreement shall measures that create conditions for the individual to attain
lower working standards. include: the highest possible level of functional ability;
(1) The names and addresses of the handicapped workers (f). Social Barriers refer to the characteristics of
Article 75. Learnership agreement. Any employer desiring to institutions, whether legal, economic, cultural, recreational or
employ learners shall enter into a learnership agreement to be employed;
(2) The rate to be paid the handicapped workers which other, any human group, community, or society which limit
with them, which agreement shall include: the fullest possible participation of disabled persons in the
shall not be less than seventy five (75%) percent of the
applicable legal minimum wage; life of the group. Social barriers include negative attitudes
The names and addresses of the learners; (3) The duration of employment period; and which tends to single out and exclude disabled persons and
(4) The work to be performed by handicapped workers. which distort roles and interpersonal relationship;
The duration of the learnership period, which shall not (g). Auxiliary Aids and Services include:
exceed three (3) months;
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1) qualified interpreters or other effective methods of determining whether an action is readily achievable, factors eligible as apprentices or learners; Provided, That their
delivering materials to individuals with hearing to be considered include handicap is not much as to effectively impede the
impairments; performance of job operations in the particular occupation for
2) qualified readers, taped tests, or other effective 1) the nature and cost of the action; which they are hired; Provided, further, That after the lapse
methods of delivering materials to individuals with visual of the period of apprenticeship if found satisfactory in the job
impairments; performance, they shall be eligible for employment.
3) acquisition or modification of equipment or devices; 2) the overall financial resources of the facility or
and facilities involved in the action; the number of persons TITLE THREE PROHIBITION ON DISCRIMINATION
4) other similar services and actions or all types of aids employed at such facility; the effect on expenses and AGAINST DISABLED PERSONS
and services that facilitate the learning process of CHAPTER 1 Discrimination on Employment
people with mental disability; resources, or the impact otherwise of such action upon
the operation of the facility; SECTION 32. Discrimination on Employment No entity,
(h). Reasonable Accommodation include whether public or private, shall discriminate against a
3) the overall financial resources of the covered entity qualified disabled person by reason of disability in regard to
(1) improvement of existing facilities used by employees with respect to the number of its employees; the job application procedures, the hiring, promotion, or
in order to render these readily accessible to and number, type and location of its facilities; and discharge of employees, employee compensation, job
usable by disabled persons; and training, and other terms, conditions, and privileges of
employment. The following constitute acts of discrimination:
4) the type of operation or operations of the covered
(2) modification of work schedules, reassignment to a
entity, including the composition, structure and
vacant position, acquisition or modification of equipment (a). Limiting, segregating or classifying a disabled job
functions of the work force of such entity; the
or devices, appropriate adjustments or modifications of applicant in such a manner that adversely affects his
geographic
examinations, training materials or company policies, work opportunities;
rules and regulations, the provisions of auxiliary aids
and services, and other similar accommodations for separateness, administrative or fiscal relationship of the (b). Using qualification standards, employment tests or
disabled persons; facilities in question to the covered entity; other selection criteria that screen out or tend to screen
out a disabled person unless such standards, tests or
(i). Sheltered Employment refers to the provision of (n). Public Transportation means transportation by air, land other selection criteria are shown to be jobrelated for
productive work for disabled persons through workshop and sea that provides the public with general or special the position on question and are consistent with
providing special facilities, income producing projects or service on a regular and continuing basis; business necessity;
homework schemes with a view to given them the
opportunity to earn a living thus enabling them to acquire a (o). Covered entity means employer, employment agency, (c). Utilizing standards, criteria, or methods of
working capacity required in open industry. labor organization or joint labor-management committee; and administration that:
1). have the effect of discrimination on the
(j). Auxiliary Social Services are the supportive activities in (p). Commerce shall be taken to mean a s travel, trade, basis of disability; or
the delivery of social services to the marginalized sectors of traffic, commerce, transportation, or communication among 2). perpetuate the discrimination of others
society; the provinces or between any foreign country or any territory who are subject to common administrative
or possession and any province. control;
(k). Marginalized Disabled Persons refer to disabled persons (d). Providing less compensation, such as salary, wage
who lack access to rehabilitative services and opportunities TITLE TWO RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES OF DISABLED or other forms of remuneration and fringe benefits, to a
to be able to participate fully in socioeconomic activities and PERSONS qualified disabled employee, by reason of his disability,
who have no means of livelihood or whose incomes fall CHAPTER I – Employment than the amount to which a non-disabled person
below poverty threshold; performing the same work is entitled;
SECTION 5. Equal Opportunity for Employment No
(l). Qualified Individual with a Disability shall mean an disabled (e). Favoring a non-disabled employee over a qualified
individual with a disability who, with or without reasonable persons shall be denied access to opportunities for suitable disabled employee with respect to promotion, training
accommodations, can perform the essential functions of the employment. A qualified disabled employee shall be subject opportunities, study and scholarship grants, solely on
employment position that such individual holds or desires. to the same terms and conditions of employment and the account of the latter’s disability;
However, consideration shall be given to the employer’s same compensation, privileges, benefits, fringe benefits,
judgement as to what functions of a job are essential, and if incentives or allowances as a qualified able-bodied person. (f). Re-assigning or transferring a disabled employee to a job
an employer has prepared a written description before Five percent (5%) of all casual, emergency and contractual or position he cannot perform by reason of his disability;
advertising or interviewing applicants for the job, this positions in the Department of Social Welfare and
description shall be considered evidence of the essential Development; Health; Education, Culture and Sports; and (g). Dismissing or terminating the services of a disabled
functions of the job; other government agencies, offices or corporations engaged employee by reason of his disability unless the employer can
in social development shall be reserved for disabled prove that he impairs the satisfactory performance of the
(m). Readily Achievable means a goal can be easily attained persons. work involve to the prejudice of the business entities;
and carried out without much difficulty or expense. In Provided, however, That the employer first sought provide
SECTION 7. Apprenticeship Subject to the provision of reasonable accommodations for disabled persons;
the Labor Code as amended, disabled persons shall be
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television or other forms of media is SECTION 4. Definition of Terms. — As used in this Act:
(h). Failing to select or administer in the effective manner essential:
employment tests which accurately reflect the skills, aptitude
or other factor of the disabled applicant or employee that
such test purports to measure, rather than the impaired
Provided, That the employment a) “Skill” shall mean the acquired and practiced ability to
contract is concluded by the child's carry out a task or job;
sensory, manual or speaking skills of such applicant or
parents or legal guardian, with the
employee, if any; and
express agreement of the child
(i). Excluding disabled persons from membership in labor
concerned, if possible, and the b) “Skills Development” shall mean the process through
approval of the Department of which learners and workers are systematically provided
unions or similar organization.
Labor and Employment: with learning opportunities to acquire or upgrade, or
both, their ability, knowledge and behavior pattern
required as qualifications for a job or range of jobs in a
Provided, further, That
given occupational area;
the following
RA 7610 as amended by R.A. No. 9231 requirements in all
instances are strictly c) “Technical Education” shall refer to the education
complied with: process designed at post-secondary and lower tertiary
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR STRONGER levels, officially recognized as non-degree programs
DETERRENCE AND SPECIAL "(a) The employer shall ensure the aimed at preparing technicians, para-professionals and
PROTECTION AGAINST CHILD ABUSE, protection, health, safety, morals other categories of middle-level workers by providing
EXPLOITATION AND and normal development of the them with a broad range of general education,
DISCRIMINATION, AND FOR OTHER child; theoretical, scientific and technological studies, and
PURPOSES related job skills training;
"(b) The employer shall institute
measures to prevent the child's d) “Trade” shall mean any group of interrelated jobs or any
exploitation or discrimination taking occupation which is traditionally or officially recognized
Section 2. Section 12 of the same Act, as amended, is into account the system and level
hereby further amended to read as follows: as craft or artisan in nature requiring specific
of remuneration, and the duration qualifications that can be acquired through work
and arrangement of working time; experience and/or training;
"Sec. 2. Employment of Children - Children below and
fifteen (15) years of age shall not be employed except:
"(c) The employer shall formulate
e) “Middle-Level Manpower” refers to those :
"1) When a child works directly under the sole and implement, subject to the
responsibility of his/her parents or legal approval and supervision of 1) who have acquired practical skills and knowledge
guardian and where only members of his/her competent authorities, a continuing through formal or non-formal education and training
family are employed: program for training and skills equivalent to at least a secondary education but
acquisition of the child. preferably a post-secondary education with a
Provided, however, That his/her corresponding degree or diploma; or
employment neither endangers "In the above-exceptional cases where any
his/her life, safety, health, and such child may be employed, the employer
morals, nor impairs his/her normal
development:
shall first secure, before engaging such child,
a work permit from the Department of Labor
2) skilled workers who have become highly
competent in their trade or craft as attested by industry.
and Employment which shall ensure
observance of the above requirements.
Provided, further, That
the parent or legal f) “Private Enterprises” refers to an economic system
guardian shall provide "For purposes of this Article, the term "child" under which property of all kinds can be privately owned and
the said child with the shall apply to all persons under eighteen (18) in which individuals, alone or in association with another, can
prescribed primary years of age." embark on a business activity. This includes industrial,
and/or secondary agricultural, or agro-industrial establishments engaged in the
education; or production, manufacturing, processing, repacking or
assembly of goods including service-oriented enterprises;
R.A. No 7796 (TESDA Act of 1994)
"2) Where a child's employment or
participation in public entertainment or
information through cinema, theater, radio,
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g) “Trainers” shall mean persons who direct the
and in the production plant. In-school training provides the
trainee the theoretical foundation, basic training, guidance
ART. 61. Contents of apprenticeship agreements. —
Apprenticeship agreements, including the wage rates of
practice of skills towards immediate improvement in some apprentices, shall conform to the rules issued by the Minister
and human formation, while in-plant training develops his
task; of Labor and Employment. The period of apprenticeship shall
skills and proficiency in actual work conditions as it continues
to inculcate personal discipline and work values; not exceed six months.
h) “Trainors/trainers” shall mean persons who
provide training to trainers aimed at developing the latter’s
capacities for imparting attitudes, knowledge, skills and
q) “Levy Grant System” refers to a legal contribution Apprenticeship agreements providing for wage rates
below the legal minimum wage, which in no case shall
from participating employers who would be beneficiaries of
behavior patterns required for specific jobs, tasks, start below 75 percent of the applicable minimum wage,
the program (often as a percentage of the payroll) which is
occupations or group of related occupations; may be entered into only in accordance with
subsequently turned over or rebated to enterprises offering
apprenticeship programs duly approved by the Minister
employee training programs.
i) “Trainees” shall mean persons who are
of Labor and Employment. The Ministry shall develop
standard model programs of apprenticeship. (Emphasis
participants in a vocational, administrative or technical 1. Definition supplied)
training program for the purpose of acquiring and developing 2. Qualifications
job-related skills;
3. Minimum employable age In Nitto Enterprises v. National Labor Relations
4. Period of engagement Commission,13 the Court cited Article 61 of the Labor Code
j) “Apprenticeship” training within employment with
5. Requirement/effect of an invalid agreement
and held that an apprenticeship program should first be
compulsory related theoretical instructions involving a approved by the DOLE before an apprentice may be hired,
contract between an apprentice and an employer on an otherwise the person hired will be considered a regular
approved apprenticeable occupation; employee. The Court held:
chanroblespublishingcompany
In the case at bench, the apprenticeship agreement between
k) “Apprentice” is a person undergoing training for an petitioner and private respondent was executed on May 28,
1990 allegedly employing the latter as an apprentice in the
approved apprenticeable occupation during an established
trade of "care maker/molder."
period assured by an apprenticeship agreement; G.R. No. 152894 August 17,
2007
l) “Apprenticeship Agreement” is a contract wherein CENTURY CANNING On the same date, an apprenticeship program was prepared
by petitioner and submitted to the Department of Labor and
a prospective employer binds himself to train the apprentice CORPORATION, Petitioner,
Employment. However, the apprenticeship agreement
who in turn accepts the terms of training for a recognized vs. was filed only on June 7, 1990.
apprenticeable occupation emphasizing the rights, duties COURT OF APPEALS and GLORIA C.
and responsibilities of each party; PALAD, Respondents.
Notwithstanding the absence of approval by the Department
of Labor and Employment, the apprenticeship agreement
m) “Apprenticeable Occupation” is an occupation was enforced the day it was signed.
officially endorsed by a tripartite body and approved for Registration and Approval by the TESDA of
apprenticeship by the Authority; Apprenticeship Program Required Before Hiring of
Based on the evidence before us, petitioner did not comply
Apprentices
with the requirements of the law. It is mandated that
n) “Learners” refer to persons hired as trainees in
The Labor Code defines an apprentice as a worker who is
apprenticeship agreements entered into by the employer
and apprentice shall be entered only in accordance with
semi-skilled and other industrial occupations which are non-
apprenticeable. Learnership programs must be approved by covered by a written apprenticeship agreement with an the apprenticeship program duly approved by the
the Authority. employer.11 One of the objectives of Title II (Training and Minister of Labor and Employment.
Employment of Special Workers) of the Labor Code is to
establish apprenticeship standards for the protection of
o) “User-Led” or “Market-Driven Strategy” refers to a apprentices.12 In line with this objective, Articles 60 and 61 of Prior approval by the Department of Labor and
Employment of the proposed apprenticeship program is,
strategy which promotes strengthened linkages between the Labor Code provide:
therefore, a condition sine qua non before an
educational/training institutions and industry to ensure that apprenticeship agreement can be validly entered into.
appropriate skills and knowledge are provided by the ART. 60. Employment of apprentices. — Only employers in
educational system; the highly technical industries may employ apprentices
The act of filing the proposed apprenticeship program with
and only in apprenticeable occupations approved by the
the Department of Labor and Employment is a preliminary
p) “Dual System/Training” refers to a delivery of
Minister of Labor and Employment. (Emphasis supplied)
step towards its final approval and does not instantaneously
quality technical and vocational education which requires give rise to an employer-apprentice relationship.
training to be carried out alternatively in two venues: In school
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Article 57 of the Labor Code provides that the State aims to the NLRC relied upon and, for Sebolino and Sagun, the
"establish a national apprenticeship program through the production and work schedule for March 7 to 12, 200545 cited
participation of employers, workers and government and by the CA.
non-government agencies" and "to establish apprenticeship
standards for the protection of apprentices." To translate
Third. The fact that Costales, Almoite, Sebolino and Sagun
such objectives into existence, prior approval of the DOLE to
were already rendering service to the company when they
any apprenticeship program has to be secured as a
were made to undergo apprenticeship (as established by the
condition sine qua non before any such apprenticeship
evidence) renders the apprenticeship agreements irrelevant
agreement can be fully enforced. The role of the DOLE in
as far as the four are concerned.
apprenticeship programs and agreements cannot be
debased.
This reality is highlighted by the CA finding that the
respondents occupied positions such as machine operator,
Hence, since the apprenticeship agreement between
scaleman and extruder operator - tasks that are usually
petitioner and private respondent has no force and
necessary and desirable in Atlanta’s usual business or trade
effect in the absence of a valid apprenticeship program
as manufacturer of plastic building materials.57
duly approved by the DOLE, private respondent’s
assertion that he was hired not as an apprentice but as a
delivery boy ("kargador" or "pahinante") deserves These tasks and their nature characterized the four as
credence. regular employees under Article 280 of the Labor Code.
Thus, when they were dismissed without just or authorized
cause, without notice, and without the opportunity to be
He should rightly be considered as a regular employee
heard, their dismissal was illegal under the law.58
of petitioner as defined by Article 280 of the Labor Code
x x x. (Emphasis supplied
Even if we recognize the company’s need to train its
employees through apprenticeship, we can only
consider the first apprenticeship agreement for the
G.R. No. 187320 January 26, purpose. With the expiration of the first agreement and
2011 the retention of the employees, Atlanta had, to all intents
ATLANTA INDUSTRIES, INC. and/or and purposes, recognized the completion of their
ROBERT CHAN, Petitioners, training and their acquisition of a regular employee
vs. status.
APRILITO R. SEBOLINO, KHIM V.
COSTALES, ALVIN V. ALMOITE, and To foist upon them the second apprenticeship agreement for
JOSEPH S. SAGUN, Respondents. a second skill which was not even mentioned in the
agreement itself,59 is a violation of the Labor Code’s
implementing rules60 and is an act manifestly unfair to the
We find no merit in the petition. The CA committed no employees, to say the least. This we cannot allow.
reversible error in nullifying the NLRC decision42 and in
affirming the labor arbiter’s ruling,43 as it applies to Costales,
Almoite, Sebolino and Sagun. Specifically, the CA correctly
ruled that the four were illegally dismissed because (1) they
were already employees when they were required to
undergo apprenticeship and (2) apprenticeship agreements
were invalid.
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(1) to maintain the integrity of the signature card files of In contrast, in the case at bar, during the entire course principal place of business of the employer and whose actual
certificates of deposits and/or detect spurious signature of their fishing voyage, fishermen employed by hours of work in the field cannot be determined with
cards in the same files; petitioner have no choice but to remain on board its reasonable certainty.
(2) to ensure that releases of original CDS are done only vessel. Although they perform non-agricultural work
Thus, in order to conclude whether an employee is a field
against valid considerations and made only to the away from petitioner's business offices, the fact remains
employee, it is also necessary to ascertain if actual hours of
legitimate depositors or their duly authorized that throughout the duration of their work they are under
work in the field can be determined with reasonable certainty
representatives; the effective control and supervision of petitioner
by the employer. In so doing, an inquiry must be made as to
(3) to approve payments or withdrawals of deposits by through the vessel's patron or master as the NLRC
whether or not the employee's time and performance are
clients to ensure that such withdrawals are valid correctly held
constantly supervised by the employer.31
transactions of the bank; and
(4) to supervise the performance of certain rank-and-file
employees of the branch.
Guided by the foregoing norms, the NLRC properly
concluded that the petitioners are not field personnel but
Petitioner holds a managerial status since she is tasked to
G.R. No. 211141, June 29, 2016 regular employees who perform tasks usually necessary and
act in the interest of her employer as she exercises
HILARIO DASCO, REYMIR PARAFINA, desirable to the respondents' business.
independent judgment when she approves pre-termination of
USD CDs or the withdrawal of deposits. RICHARD PARAFINA, EDILBERTO
ANIA, MICHAEL ADANO, JAIME BOLO, Evidently, the petitioners are not field personnel as defined
RUBEN E. GULA, ANTONIO above and the NLRC's finding in this regard is supported by
In fact, petitioner admitted the exercise of independent
CUADERNO AND JOVITO the established facts of this case:
judgment when she explained that as regards the pre-
termination of the USD CDs of Uymatiao and Caluag, the CATANGUI, Petitioners, v. PHILTRANC
transactions were approved on the basis of her independent O SERVICE ENTERPRISES (1) the petitioners, as bus drivers and/or conductors, are
judgment that the signatures in all the documents presented INC/CENTURION SOLANO, directed to transport their passengers at a specified
to her by the traders matched, as shown in her reply25 dated MANAGER, Respondents. time and place;
April 23, 2002 to respondent's memorandum asking her to (2) they are not given the discretion to select and contract
explain the unauthorized preterminations/withdrawals of U.S. with prospective passengers;
dollar deposits in the BPI Ayala Avenue Branch. The main issue in this case is whether the petitioners as bus (3) their actual work hours could be determined with
drivers and/or conductors are field personnel, and thus reasonable certainty, as well as their average trips per
entitled to overtime pay and SIL pay.28chanrobleslaw month; and
b. Field personnel
(4) the respondents supervised their time and performance
1. Actual hours of work cannot Ruling of the Court of duties.
be determined with reasonable certainty
The petition is impressed with merit.
In order to monitor their drivers and/or conductors, as
The determination of whether bus drivers and/or conductors
well as the passengers and the bus itself, the bus
G.R. No. 112574 October 8, 1998 are considered as field personnel was already threshed out
companies put checkers, who are assigned at tactical
MERCIDAR FISHING CORPORATION in the case of Auto Bus Transport Systems, Inc. v.
places along the travel routes that are plied by their
represented by its President DOMINGO Bautista,30 where the Court explained that:
buses.
B. NAVAL, petitioner,
vs. As a general rule, [field personnel] are those whose
NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS performance of their job/service is not supervised by the The drivers and/or conductors are required to be at the
employer or his representative, the workplace being away specific bus terminals at a specified time. In addition,
COMMISSION and FERMIN AGAO,
from the principal office and whose hours and days of work there are always dispatchers in each and every bus
JR., respondents.
cannot be determined with reasonable certainty; hence, they terminal, who supervise and ensure prompt departure
are paid specific amount for rendering specific service or at specified times and arrival at the estimated proper
performing specific work. If required to be at specific places time. Obviously, these drivers and/or conductors cannot
Petitioner argues essentially that since the work of private at specific times, employees including drivers cannot be said be considered as field personnel because they are
respondent is performed away from its principal place of to be field personnel despite the fact that they are performing under the control and constant supervision of the bus
business, it has no way of verifying his actual hours of work work away from the principal office of the employee, x x x companies while in the performance of their work.
on the vessel. It contends that private respondent and other xxxx
fishermen in its employ should be classified as "field x x x At this point, it is necessary to stress that the definition
personnel" who have no statutory right to service incentive of a "field personnel" is not merely concerned with the location
leave pay. where the employee regularly performs his duties but also
with the fact that the employee's performance is unsupervised
by the employer. As discussed above, field personnel are
those who regularly perform their duties away from the
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c. Family members (d) Domestic worker or "Kasambahay" refers to any
d. Domestic helpers; persons in the person engaged in domestic work within an
personal service of another employment relationship such as, but not limited to, the
following: general househelp, nursemaid or "yaya",
cook, gardener, or laundry person, but shall exclude G.R. Nos. 169295-96 November
any person who performs domestic work only 20, 2006
occasionally or sporadically and not on an occupational REMINGTON INDUSTRIAL SALES
Title I, Book III, Rule I, Sec. 2(d) CORPORATION, Petitioner,
basis.
vs.
ERLINDA CASTANEDA, Responden
The term shall not include children who are under foster
(d) Domestic servants and persons in the personal service of family arrangement, and are provided access to
another if they perform such services in the employer's home education and given an allowance incidental to
which are usually necessary or desirable for the education, i.e. "baon", transportation, school projects The petitioner raises the following errors of law: (1) the Court
and school activities. of Appeals erred in affirming the NLRC’s ruling that the
maintenance and enjoyment thereof, or minister to the
personal comfort, convenience, or safety of the employer as respondent was petitioner’s regular employee and not a
well as the members of his employer's household. (e) Employer refers to any person who engages and domestic helper;
controls the services of a domestic worker and is party
to the employment contract. Petitioner relies heavily on the affidavit of a certain Mr.
Antonio Tan and contends that respondent is the latter’s
Section 1 (b), Omnibus Rules, Rule XIII (f) Household refers to the immediate members of the domestic helper and not a regular employee of the company
family or the occupants of the house that are directly since Mr. Tan has a separate and distinct personality from
provided services by the domestic worker. the petitioner.
Section 23. Extent of Duty. – The domestic worker and the In the case at bar, the petitioner itself admits in its position
employer may mutually agree for the former to temporarily paper that respondent worked at the company premises and
perform a task that is outside the latter’s household for the her duty was to cook and prepare its employees’ lunch
benefit of another household. and merienda.
RA 10361 AN ACT INSTITUTING
POLICIES FOR THE PROTECTION
AND WELFARE OF DOMESTIC However, any liability that will be incurred by the domestic Clearly, the situs, as well as the nature of respondent’s work
WORKERS worker on account of such arrangement shall be borne by as a cook, who caters not only to the needs of Mr. Tan and
the original employer. In addition, such work performed his family but also to that of the petitioner’s employees,
outside the household shall entitle the domestic worker to an makes her fall squarely within the definition of a regular
additional payment of not less than the existing minimum employee under the doctrine enunciated in the Apex Mining
Section 4. Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act, the wage rate of a domestic worker. It shall be unlawful for the case. That she works within company premises, and that she
term: original employer to charge any amount from the said does not cater exclusively to the personal comfort of Mr. Tan
household where the service of the domestic worker was and his family, is reflective of the existence of the petitioner’s
temporarily performed. right of control over her functions, which is the primary
(c) Domestic work refers to work performed in or for a
household or households.
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indicator of the existence of an employer-employee Petitioners allege that they were dismissed by private Payment by the piece is just a method of compensation and
relationship. respondents as they were about to file a petition with the does not define the essence of the relations.[7] Nor does the
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for the fact that petitioners are not covered by the SSS affect the
payment of benefits such as Social Security System (SSS) employer-employee relationship.
Moreover, it is wrong to say that if the work is not directly
coverage, sick leave and vacation leave. They deny that they
related to the employer's business, then the person
abandoned their work.
performing such work could not be considered an employee Indeed, the following factors show that petitioners, although
of the latter. piece-rate workers, were regular employees of private
The petition is meritorious. respondents:
Indeed, it would be the height of injustice if we were to hold
that despite the fact that respondent was made to cook lunch First. There is no dispute that petitioners were employees of (1) within the contemplation of Art. 280 of the Labor Code,
and merienda for the petitioner’s employees, which work private respondents although they were paid not on the basis their work as tailors was necessary or desirable in the
ultimately redounded to the benefit of the petitioner of time spent on the job but according to the quantity and the usual business of private respondents, which is
corporation, she was merely a domestic worker of the family quality of work produced by them. engaged in the tailoring business;
of Mr. Tan (2) petitioners worked for private respondents throughout
the year, their employment not being dependent on a
There are two categories of employees paid by results:
specific project or season; and,
(3) petitioners worked for private respondents for more
(1) those whose time and performance than one year
e. Workers paid by results
are supervised by the employer. (Here, there is an
element of control and supervision over the manner as
to how the work is to be performed. A piece-rate worker
belongs to this category especially if he performs his 2. Hours of work
Section 9, Title I, Rule VII, Book III, work in the company premises.); and
Omnibus Rules
a) All workers paid by results, including those who are paid Article 84. Hours worked. Hours worked shall include
on piecework, takay, pakyaw, or task basis, shall receive not Both classes of workers are paid per unit accomplished.
less than the applicable statutory minimum wage rates
prescribed under the Act for the normal working hours which Piece-rate payment is generally practiced in garment (a) all time during which an employee is required to be on
shall not exceed eight hours work a day, or a proportion factories where work is done in the company premises, duty or to be at a prescribed workplace; and
thereof for work of less than the normal working hours.cralaw while payment on pakyao and takay basis is commonly (b) all time during which an employee is suffered or
observed in the agricultural industry, such as in sugar permitted to work.
plantations where the work is performed in bulk or in
volumes difficult to quantify.[4] Rest periods of short duration during working hours shall be
i. Categories counted as hours worked.
Petitioners belong to the first category, i.e., supervised
employees.
G.R. No. 111042. October 26, 1999] DOLE D.O. No. 118-12
In this case, private respondents exercised control over the
work of petitioners. As tailors, petitioners worked in the
companys premises from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily,
AVELINO LAMBO and VICENTE
including Sundays and holidays. The mere fact that they
BELOCURA, petitioners, vs. NATIONAL Section 3. Hours of Work and Hours of Rest. - The normal
were paid on a piece-rate basis does not negate their status
LABOR RELATIONS COMMISSION and hours of work of a driver and conductor shall not exceed
as regular employees of private respondents.
J.C. TAILOR SHOP and/or JOHNNY eight (8) hours a day.
CO, respondents.
The term wage is broadly defined in Art. 97 of the Labor
If a driver/conductor is required to work overtime, the
Code as remuneration or earnings, capable of being
maximum hours of work shall not exceed twelve (12) hours
expressed in terms of money whether fixed or ascertained
in any 24-hour period, subject to the overriding safety
on a time, task, piece or commission basis.
operational conditions of the public utility bus.
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Driver and conductors shall be entitled to rest periods of at c. Engaged to wait/idle time seamen, i.e., those employed in vessels plying in rivers and
least one (1) hour, exclusive of meal breaks, within a 12-hour bays, since admittedly there is no need for such ruling with
shift respect to officers and crew of interisland vessels which
have aboard 2 shifts of said men and strictly follow the 8-
Rule I, Book III, Omnibus Rules hour working period.
Section 5(b), Rule I, Book III, Omnibus 1) Whether or not the 30-minute activity of the petitioners f. Commuting time, travel time at
Rules before the scheduled working time is compensable under the lectures, seminars, etc
Labor Code.
However, they find themselves in a most peculiar situation if the driver/conductor is required to work on special days
whereby they are forced to go on leave during semestral SECTION 7. Meal and Rest Periods. — under R.A. No. 9849, he/she shall also be paid an additional
breaks. premium pay of 30% of the basic wage. Whenever work is
Every employer shall give his employees, regardless of sex, performed on a rest day, which happens to be also a special
not less than one (1) hour time-off for regular meals, day, he/she is entitled to an additional 50% of the basic
These semestral breaks are in the nature of work
wage.
interruptions beyond the employees’ control. The duration of
the semestral break varies from year to year dependent on a except in the following cases when a meal period of not less
variety of circumstances affecting at times only the private than twenty (20) minutes may be given by the employer Section 3. Hours of Work and Hours of Rest. - The normal
respondent but at other times all educational institutions in hours of work of a driver and conductor shall not exceed
the country. eight (8) hours a day.
provided that such shorter meal period is credited as
compensable hours worked of the employee:
As such, these breaks cannot be considered as absences If the driver/conductor is required to work overtime, the
within the meaning of the law for which deductions may be maximum hours of work shall not exceed twelve (12) hours
made from monthly allowances. (a) Where the work is non-manual work in nature or in any 24-hour period, subject to the overriding safety and
does not involve strenuous physical exertion; operational conditions of the public utility bus.
The "No work, no pay" principle does not apply in the instant
case. The petitioner’s members received their regular (b) Where the establishment regularly operates not less Drivers and conductors shall be entitled to rest periods of at
salaries during this period. It is clear from the aforequoted than sixteen (16) hours a day; least one (1) hour, exclusive of meal breaks, within a 12-hour
provision of law that it contemplates a "no work" situation shift
where the employees voluntarily absent themselves. (c) In case of actual or impending emergencies or there
is urgent work to be performed on machineries,
Petitioners, in the case at bar, certainly do not, ad equipment or installations to avoid serious loss which
voluntatem, absent themselves during semestral breaks. the employer would otherwise suffer; and RA 10361 - AN ACT INSTITUTING
Rather, they are constrained to take mandatory leave from POLICIES FOR THE PROTECTION
work. AND WELFARE OF DOMESTIC
(d) Where the work is necessary to prevent serious loss
WORKERS
of perishable goods
There are papers to correct, students to evaluate, deadlines
to meet, and periods within which to submit grading reports. Rest periods or coffee breaks running from five (5) to twenty
Although they may be considered by the respondent to be on (20) minutes shall be considered as compensable working Section 20. Daily Rest Period. – The domestic worker shall
leave, the semestral break could not be used effectively for time. be entitled to an aggregate daily rest period of eight (8)
the teacher’s own purposes for the nature of a teacher’s job
hours per day.
imposes upon him further duties which must be done during
the said period of time.
Section 21. Weekly Rest Period. – The domestic worker
shall be entitled to at least twenty-four (24) consecutive
h. Meal break, coffee break
hours of rest in a week. The employer and the domestic
i. Rest period worker shall agree in writing on the schedule of the weekly
rest day of the domestic worker:
Labor Code
Provided, That the employer shall respect the preference of
Dole D.O. No. 118-12
the domestic worker as to the weekly rest day when such
preference is based on religious grounds.
Article 85. Meal periods. Subject to such regulations as the
Secretary of Labor may prescribe, it shall be the duty of Section 2. Minimum benefits. - The public utility bus drivers Nothing in this provision shall deprive the domestic worker
every employer to give his employees not less than sixty (60) and conductors are entitled to the following benefits: and the employer from agreeing to the following:
minutes time-off for their regular meals.
(c) Rest day for twenty-four (24) consecutive hours for every (a) Offsetting a day of absence with a particular rest
six (6) consecutive working days. day;
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(b) Waiving a particular rest day in return for an We already resolved the question of overtime pay of worker indeed been rendered, we cannot affirm the grant of
equivalent daily rate of pay; aboard a vessel in the case of National Shipyards and Steel overtime pay to Pigcaulan.
Corporation v. CIR (3 SCRA 890). We ruled:
(c) Accumulating rest days not exceeding five (5) days;
or We can not agree with the Court below that respondent
Malondras should be paid overtime compensation for Robina farms Cebu v Villa, 175869
every hour in excess of the regular working hours that (2012)
(d) Other similar arrangements.
he was on board his vessel or barge each day,
irrespective of whether or not he actually put in work
j. Overtime during those hours. Seamen are required to stay on
board their vessels by the very nature of their duties, Although ordering Villa's reinstatement, the Labor Arbiter
and it is for this reason that, in addition to their regular denied her claim for backwages and overtime pay because
compensation, they are given free living quarters and she had not adduced evidence of the overtime work actually
Labor Code subsistence allowances when required to be on board. performed.
The correct criterion in determining whether or not sailors are The Labor Arbiter declared that Villa was entitled to service
entitled to overtime pay is not, therefore, whether they were incentive leave pay for the period of the last three years
Article 87. Overtime work. Work may be performed beyond on board and can not leave ship beyond the regular eight counted from the filing of her complaint because the
eight (8) hours a day provided that the employee is paid for working hours a day, but whether they actually rendered petitioner did not refute her claim thereon.
the overtime work, an additional compensation equivalent to service in excess of said number of hours. (Italics supplied)
his regular wage plus at least twenty-five percent (25%)
Firstly, entitlement to overtime pay must first be established
thereof. Work performed beyond eight hours on a holiday or
ii. Evidence/Required proof by proof that the overtime work was actually performed
rest day shall be paid an additional compensation equivalent
before the employee may properly claim the benefit.[31]
to the rate of the first eight hours on a holiday or rest day
plus at least thirty percent (30%) thereof.
The burden of proving entitlement to overtime pay rests on
Pigcaulan v Security and Credit, 173648 the employee because the benefit is not incurred in the
i. Seafarers (2012) normal course of business.[32] Failure to prove such actual
performance transgresses the principles of fair play and
equity.
[G.R. No. 122240. November 18, 1999] There was no substantial evidence to support the grant of And, secondly, the NLRC's reliance on the daily time records
CRISTONICO B. LEGAHI, petitioner, vs. overtime pay. (DTRs) showing that Villa had stayed in the company's
NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS premises beyond eight hours was misplaced.
COMMISSION and UNITED PHILIPPINE
LINES, INC., NORTHSOUTH SHIP The handwritten itemized computations are self-serving,
unreliable and unsubstantial evidence to sustain the grant of The DTRs did not substantially prove the actual performance
MGT., (PTE), LTD., SINGAPORE, of overtime work.
salary differentials, particularly overtime pay.
GREGORIO V. DE LIMA, JR., TOR
KARLSEN and PIONEER INSURANCE
& SURETY CORP., respondents. Unsigned and unauthenticated as they are, there is no way The petitioner correctly points out that any employee could
of verifying the truth of the handwritten entries stated render overtime work only when there was a prior
therein. Written only in pieces of paper and solely prepared authorization therefor by the management.[33]
by Canoy and Pigcaulan, these representative daily time
Petitioners dismissal without a valid cause constitute a records, as termed by the Labor Arbiter, can hardly be
Without the prior authorization, therefore, Villa could not
breach of contract. Consequently, he should only be paid the considered as competent evidence to be used as basis to
validly claim having performed work beyond the normal
unexpired portion of his employment contract. prove that the two were underpaid of their salaries. hours of work. Moreover, Section 4(c), Rule I, Book III of
the Omnibus Rules Implementing the Labor Code relevantly
However, the payment of the overtime pay should be We find nothing in the records which could substantially states as follows:
disallowed in the light of our ruling in the case of Cagampan support Pigcaulans contention that he had rendered service
v. NLRC,[11] where we held that: beyond eight hours to entitle him to overtime pay and during
Sundays to entitle him to restday pay.
(a) x x x
For the employer to give him overtime pay for the extra (b)
hours when he might be sleeping or attending to his personal Hence, in the absence of any concrete proof that additional If the work performed was necessary, or it benefited the
chores or even just lulling away his time would be extremely service beyond the normal working hours and days had (c) employer, or the employee could not abandon his work at
unfair and unreasonable. the end of his normal working hours because he had no
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replacement, all time spent for such work shall be "Article 157. Transfer. - Night workers who are certified as which may attach to her regular
considered as hours worked, if the work was with the unfit for night work, due to health reasons, shall be night work position.
knowledge of his employer or immediate supervisor. transferred, whenever practicable, to a similar job for which
(bold emphasis supplied) they are fit to work.
"Pregnant women and nursing
(d) x x x.
mothers may be allowed to work .at
"If such transfer to a similar job is not practicable, these night only if a competent physician,
k. Undertime workers shall be granted the same benefits as other workers other than the company physician,
who are unable to work, or to secure employment during shall certify their fitness to render
l. Night work such period. night work, and specify, in the case
of pregnant employees, the period
of the pregnancy that they can
"A night worker certified as temporarily unfit for night work
safely work.
Labor Code shall be given the same protection against dismissal or
notice of dismissal as other workers who are prevented from
working for reasons of health." "The measures referred to in this
article may include transfer to day
work where this is possible, the
Article 86. Night shift differential. Every employee shall be "Article 158. Women Night Workers. - Measures shall be
provision of social security benefits
paid a night shift differential of not less than ten percent taken to ensure that an alternative to night work is available
or an extension of maternity leave.
(10%) of his regular wage for each hour of work performed to women workers who would otherwise be called upon to
between ten o’clock in the evening and six o’clock in the perform such work:
morning. "The provisions of this article shall
not leave the effect of reducing the
"(a) Before and after childbirth, for a period of at least
protection and benefits connected
sixteen (16) weeks, which shall be divided between the
with maternity leave under existing
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10151 time before and after childbirth;
laws."
AN ACT ALLOWING THE
EMPLOYMENT OF NIGIIT WORKERS, "(b) For additional periods, in respect of winch a
THEREBY REPEALING ARTICLES 130 medical certificate IS produced stating that said
AND 131 OF PRESIDENTIAL DECREE additional periods are necessary for the health of the DOLE D.O. 119-12 Rules implementing
NUMBER FOUR HUNDRED FORTY- mother or child: R.A. No. 10151
TWO, AS AMENDED, OTHERWISE
KNOWN AS THE LABOR CODE OF "(1) During pregnancy;
THE PHILIPPINES
Section 1. Coverage - This rule shall apply to all persons
"(2) During a specified time beyond the who shall be employed or permitted or suffered to work at
period, after childbirth is fixed pursuant to night, except those employed in agriculture, stock raising,
"Chapter V subparagraph (a) above, the length of which fishing, maritime transport and inland navigation
"Employment of Night Workers shall be determined by the DOLE after
consulting the labor organizations and
employers. Section 2. Definition. - As used herein, "night worker"
"Article 154. Coverage. - This chapter' shall apply to means any employed person whose work covers the period
of 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. provided that the worker performs
"During the periods referred to in this article: work no less than seven (7) consecutive hours of work
(a) all persons, who shall be employed or permitted or
suffered to work at night,
(b) except those employed in agriculture, stock raising, "(i) A woman worker shall not be Section 5. Transfer. - Night workers who are certified by
fishing, maritime transport and inland navigation, dismissed or given notice of competent physician as unfit to render night work, due to
(c) during a period of not less than seven (7) consecutive dismissal, except for just or health reasons, shall be transferred to a job for which they
hours, authorized causes provided for in are fit to work whenver practicable. The transfer of the
(d) including the interval from midnight to five o'clock in the this Code that are not connected employee must be similar or equivalent position and in good
morning, with pregnancy, childbirth and faith.
(e) to be determined by the Secretary of Labor and childcare responsibilities.
Employment,
(f) after consulting the workers' representatives/labor If such transfer is not practicable or the workers are unable
"(ii) A woman worker shall not lose to render night work for a continuous period of not less than
organizations and employers.
the benefits regarding her status, six (6) months upon the certification of a competent public
seniority, and access to promotion health authority, these workers shall be granted the same
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company benefits as other workers who are unable to work woman employee who is not in a position to render night perform it, it is but just that the laborer should earn greater
due to illness. work, she shall be allowed to go on leave or on extended salary than ordinary work so as to compensate the laborer to
maternity leave, using her earned leave credits. some extent for the said inconveniences.34
A night worker certified a temporarily unfit for night work for a
period less than six (6) months shall be given the same A woman employee shall not be dismissed for reason of Anent the payment of overtime pay, the Court explained its
protection against dismissal or notice of dismissal as other pregnancy, childbirth and childcare responsibilities as rationale in Philippine National Bank v. Philippine National
workers who are prevented from working for health reasons defined under this Rule. She shall not lose the benefits Bank Employees Association (PEMA):35
regarding her employment status, seniority, and access to
promotion which may attach to her regular night work
Section 6. Alternative measures to night work for pregnant x x x Why is a laborer or employee who works beyond
position
and nursing employees. - Employers shall ensure that the regular hours of work entitled to extra compensation
measures shall be undertaken to provide an alternative night called in this enlightened time, overtime pay?
work for pregnant and nursing employees who would Section 9. Compensation. - The night workers'
otherwise be called upon to perform such work. Such compensation shall include but not be limited to working
Verily, there can be no other reason than that he is
measures may include the transfer to day work, where is time, pay and benefits under the Labor Code, as amended
made to work longer than what is commensurate with
possible, as well as the provision of social security benefits and under existing laws, such as service incentive leave, rest
his agreed compensation for the statutorily fixed or
or an extension of maternity leave. day, night differential pay, 13th month pay, and other
voluntarily agreed hours of labor he is supposed to do.
benefits as provided for by law, company policy or CBA.
(a) Transfer to day work. - As far as practicable,
When he thus spends additional time to his work, the
pregnant or nursing employees shall be assigned to day i. Rationale
effect upon him is multi-faceted: he puts in more effort,
work, before and after childbirth for a period of at least
physical and/or mental; he is delayed in going home to
sixteen (16) weeks which shall be divided between the time
his family to enjoy the comforts thereof; he might have
before and after childbirth
no time for relaxation, amusement or sports; he might
Association of International shipping v miss important pre-arranged engagements; etc., etc. It
Medical certificate issued by competent physician United Harbors' Pilot Association, 172029 is thus the additional work, labor or service employed
is necessary for the grant of: (2008) and the adverse effects just mentioned of his longer
stay in his place of work that justify and is the real
reason for the extra compensation that he called
i. Additional periods of assignment to day work
overtime pay.
during pregnancy or after childbirth other than the period
Members of respondent UHPAP are entitled to nighttime
mentioned in the foregoing paragraph, provided that the
and overtime pay. Undoubtedly, pursuant to PPA AO No.
length of additional period should not be more than four (4) Overtime work is actually the lengthening of hours
03-85, members of respondent UHPAP are legally entitled to
weeks or for a longer period as may be agreed upon by the developed to the interests of the employer and the
nighttime and overtime pay.
employer and the worker; requirements of his enterprise. It follows that the wage
or salary to be received must likewise be increased,
It bears pointing out that additional compensation for and more than that, a special additional amount must
ii. extension of maternity leave; and
nighttime work is founded on public policy.32 Working at night be added to serve either as encouragement or
is violative of the law of nature for it is the period for rest and inducement or to make up for the things he loses which
iii. clearance to render night work sleep. An employee who works at night has less stamina and we have already referred to. And on this score, it must
vigor. always be borne in mind that wage is indisputably
intended as payment for work done or services
(b) Provision of social security benefits. - Social security
rendered
benefits, such as paid maternity leave shall be provided to Thus, he can easily contract disease. The lack of sunlight
women workers in accordance with the provisions of R.A. No tends to produce anemia and tuberculosis and predispose
8282 and other existing company policy or collective him to other ills. ii. Seafarers
bargaining agreement
Night work brings increased liability to eyestrain and
(c) Extension of maternity leave. - Where transfer to day accident.
work is not possible, a woman employee may be allowed to Dacut v CA, 169434 (2008)
extend, as recommended by a competent physician, her
Serious moral dangers also are likely to result from the
maternity leave without pay or using earned leave credits of
necessity of traveling the street alone at night, and from the
the worker, if any.
interference with normal home life.33 Apropos the monetary claims, there is insufficient evidence
to prove petitioners entitlement thereto. As crew members,
Section 8. Protection against dismissal and loss of benefits petitioners were required to stay on board the vessel by the
Hygienic, medical, moral, cultural and socio-biological
attached to employment status, seniority and access to very nature of their duties, and it is for this reason that, in
reasons are in accord that night work has many
promotion. - Where no alternative work can be provided to a addition to their regular compensation, they are given free
inconveniences and when there is no alternative but to
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living quarters and subsistence allowances when required to o. Exceptions to the 8-hour rule 3. The employer shall notify DOLE, through the
be on board. It could not have been the purpose of our law to i. Compressed work week Regional Office having jurisdiction over the workplace,
require their employers to give them overtime pay or night of the adoption of the CWW scheme. The notice shall
shift differential, even when they are not actually be in DOLE CWW Report form attached to this
working. Thus, the correct criterion in determining whether advisory.
they are entitled to overtime pay or night shift differential is
DOLE Advisory No. 2. (2004) -
not whether they were on board and cannot leave ship Effects. A CWW scheme which complies with the foregoing
Implementation of compressed workweek
beyond the regular eight working hours a day, but whether conditions shall have the following effects:
they actually rendered service in excess of said number of schemes
hours. In this case, petitioners failed to submit sufficient 1. Unless there is a more favorable practice existing in
proof that overtime and night shift work were actually the firm, work beyond eight hours will not be
performed to entitle them to the corresponding pay.
III. Concept and Definition - The labor code provides that compensable by overtime premium, provided the total
the normal work hours per day shall be eight hours. Work number of hours work per day shall not exceed twelve
m. No offsetting rule (12) hours. In any case, any work performed beyond 12
may be performed beyond eight hours a day provided the
employee is paid for overtime work. hours a day or 48 hours a week shall be subject to
overtime premium.
On the other hand, the normal number of workdays per week
Labor code shall be six days, or a total of forty-eight (48) hours based on 2. Consistent with Article 85 of the Labor Code,
the normal workday of eight hours. This is without prejudice employees under a CWW scheme are entitled to meal
to firms whose normal workweek is five days or total of forty periods of not less than sixty (60) minutes. Nothing
(40) hours based on the normal workday of eight hours. herein shall impair the right of employees to rest days
Article 88. Undertime not offset by overtime. Undertime as well as to holiday pay, rest day pay or leaves in
work on any particular day shall not be offset by overtime For the purposes of this advisory, a CWW scheme is an accordance with law or applicable collective bargaining
work on any other day. Permission given to the employee to agreement or company practice.
alternative arrangement whereby the normal workweek is
go on leave on some other day of the week shall not exempt
reduced to less than six days but the total number of work
the employer from paying the additional compensation 3. Adoption of the CWW scheme shall in no case result
required in this Chapter. hours per week shall remain at 48 hours. The normal
workday is increased to more than eight hours without in diminution of existing benefits. Reversion to the
corresponding overtime premium. This concept can be normal 8-hour workday shall not constitute a diminution
n. Power interruptions/brownout adjusted accordingly in cases where the normal workweek of of benefits. The reversion shall be considered a
the firm is five days. legitimate exercise of management prerogative,
provided that the employer shall give the employees
Power interruptions or brown-outs, basic rules: - IV. Specific Guidelines. - prior notice of such reversion within a reasonable period
of time
1. Brown-outs of short duration not exceeding twenty (20) Conditions. DOLE shall recognize CWW schemes adopted
minutes - compensable hours worked. in accordance with the following:
2. Brown-outs running for more than twenty (20) minutes
may not be treated as hours worked provided any of the 1. The CWW scheme is undertaken as a result of an Bisig Manggagawa sa Tryco v NLRC,
following conditions are present: express and voluntary agreement of majority of the 151309 (2008)
covered employees or their duly authorized
a. The employees can leave their workplace representatives. This agreement may be expressed
or go elsewhere whether within or without the through CBA or other legitimate workplace mechanisms
work premises; or of participation such as labor-management councils, Tryco and the petitioners signed separate
employee assemblies or referanda. Memorand[a] of Agreement[2] (MOA), providing for a
b. The employees can use the time effectively compressed workweek schedule to be implemented in the
for their own interest. 2. In firms using subtances, chemicals and process or company effective May 20, 1996.
operating under conditions where there are airborne The MOA was entered into pursuant to Department
contaminants, human carcinogens or noise, prolonged of Labor and Employment Department Order (D.O.) No. 21,
exposure to which may pose hazards to employees' Series of 1990, Guidelines on the Implementation of
health and safety, there must be a certification from an Compressed Workweek. As provided in the MOA, 8:00 a.m.
to 6:12 p.m., from Monday to Friday, shall be considered as
accredited health and safety organization or practitioner
the regular working hours, and no overtime pay shall be due
or from the firm's safety committee that work beyond
and payable to the employee for work rendered during those
eight hours is within threshold limits or tolerable levels hours. The MOA specifically stated that the employee waives
of exposure, as set in the OSHS. the right to claim overtime pay for work rendered after 5:00
p.m. until 6:12 p.m. from Monday to Friday considering that
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the compressed workweek schedule is adopted in lieu of the (1) A woman who gives birth as a result of prolonged absence of the parents or solo
regular workweek schedule which also consists of 46 hours. rape and other crimes against chastity even parent.
However, should an employee be permitted or required to without a final conviction of the
work beyond 6:12 p.m., such employee shall be entitled to offender: Provided, That the mother keeps
A change in the status or circumstance of the
overtime pay. and raises the child;
parent claiming benefits under this Act, such
that he/she is no longer left alone with the
Finally, we do not agree with the petitioners
(2) Parent left solo or alone with the responsibility of parenthood, shall terminate
assertion that the MOA is not enforceable as it is contrary to
responsibility of parenthood due to death of his/her eligibility for these benefits.
law. The MOA is enforceable and binding against the
spouse;
petitioners. Where it is shown that the person making the
waiver did so voluntarily, with full understanding of what he (e) "Flexible work schedule" - is the right granted to a
was doing, and the consideration for the quitclaim is credible (3) Parent left solo or alone with the solo parent employee to vary his/her arrival and
and reasonable, the transaction must be recognized as a valid responsibility of parenthood while the spouse departure time without affecting the core work hours as
and binding undertaking.[27] is detained or is serving sentence for a defined by the employer.
criminal conviction for at least one (1) year;
PESALA v. NLRC,[28] cited by the petitioners, is not Section 6. Flexible Work Schedule. - The employer shall
applicable to the present case. In that case, an employment (4) Parent left solo or alone with the provide for a flexible working schedule for solo parents:
responsibility of parenthood due to physical Provided, That the same shall not affect individual and
contract provided that the workday consists of 12 hours and
the employee will be paid a fixed monthly salary rate that was and/or mental incapacity of spouse as company productivity:
above the legal minimum wage. certified by a public medical practitioner;
However, unlike the present MOA which specifically Provided, further, That any employer may request exemption
states that the employee waives his right to claim overtime (5) Parent left solo or alone with the from the above requirements from the DOLE on certain
pay for work rendered beyond eight hours, the employment responsibility of parenthood due to legal meritorious grounds.
contract in that case was silent on whether overtime pay was separation or de facto separation from
included in the payment of the fixed monthly salary. spouse for at least one (1) year, as long as
This necessitated the interpretation by the Court as he/she is entrusted with the custody of the
to whether the fixed monthly rate provided under the children;
employment contract included overtime pay. q. Rest days and holidays
The Court noted that if the employee is paid only 1. Rest day
the minimum wage but with overtime pay, the amount is still (6) Parent left solo or alone with the
2. Compulsory work on rest
greater than the fixed monthly rate as provided in the responsibility of parenthood due to
declaration of nullity or annulment of marriage day
employment contract. It, therefore, held that overtime pay was
not included in the agreed fixed monthly rate. as decreed by a court or by a church as long
as he/she is entrusted with the custody of the Chapter II
Considering that the MOA clearly states that the children; WEEKLY REST PERIODS
employee waives the payment of overtime pay in exchange of
a five-day workweek, there is no room for interpretation and (7) Parent left solo or alone with the Article 91. Right to weekly rest day.
its terms should be implemented as they are written. responsibility of parenthood due to
abandonment of spouse for at least one (1)
year; It shall be the duty of every employer, whether operating for
p. Flexible work hours for solo parents profit or not, to provide each of his employees a rest period
of not less than twenty-four (24) consecutive hours after
(8) Unmarried mother/father who has every six (6) consecutive normal work days.
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8972
preferred to keep and rear her/his
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR BENEFITS child/children instead of having others care
AND PRIVILEGES TO SOLO PARENTS for them or give them up to a welfare The employer shall determine and schedule the weekly rest
AND THEIR CHILDREN, institution; day of his employees subject to collective bargaining
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR agreement and to such rules and regulations as the
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES Secretary of Labor and Employment may provide. However,
(9) Any other person who solely provides the employer shall respect the preference of employees as
parental care and support to a child or to their weekly rest day when such preference is based on
children; religious grounds.
Section 3. Definition of Terms. - Whenever used in this Act,
the following terms shall mean as follows: (10) Any family member who assumes the Article 92. When employer may require work on a rest
responsibility of head of family as a result of day. The employer may require his employees to work on
(a) "Solo parent" - any individual who falls under any of the death, abandonment, disappearance or any day:
the following categories:
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(a) In case of actual or impending emergencies caused by Every worker shall be paid his regular daily wage during RULE IV
serious accident, fire, flood, typhoon, earthquake, regular holidays, except in retail and service Holidays with Pay
epidemic or other disaster or calamity to prevent loss of establishments regularly employing less than ten (10)
life and property, or imminent danger to public safety; workers;
SECTION 1. Coverage. — This rule shall apply to all
(b) In cases of urgent work to be performed on the
employees except:
machinery, equipment, or installation, to avoid serious
The employer may require an employee to work on any
loss which the employer would otherwise suffer;
holiday but such employee shall be paid a compensation
(c) In the event of abnormal pressure of work due to (a) Those of the government and any of the political
equivalent to twice his regular rate; and
special circumstances, where the employer cannot subdivision, including government-owned and
ordinarily be expected to resort to other measures; controlled corporation;
(d) To prevent loss or damage to perishable goods; (a) As used in this Article, "holiday" includes:
(e) Where the nature of the work requires continuous (b) New Year’s Day,
(b) Those of retail and service establishments regularly
operations and the stoppage of work may result in (c) Maundy Thursday,
irreparable injury or loss to the employer; and employing less than ten (10) workers;
(d) Good Friday,
(f) Under other circumstances analogous or similar to the (e) the ninth of April, Araw ng Kagitingan
foregoing as determined by the Secretary of Labor and (f) the first of May, (c) Domestic helpers and persons in the personal
Employment. (g) the twelfth of June, Independence day service of another;
(h) the fourth of July,
(i) the thirtieth of November,
Article 93. Compensation for rest day, Sunday or holiday (d) Managerial employees as defined in Book Three of
(j) the twenty-fifth and thirtieth of December and
work. the Code;
(k) the day designated by law for holding a general
election.
Where an employee is made or permitted to work on his (e) Field personnel and other employees whose time and
scheduled rest day, he shall be paid an additional performance is unsupervised by the employer including
Article 95. Right to service incentive leave.
compensation of at least thirty percent (30%) of his regular those who are engaged on task or contract basis, purely
wage. An employee shall be entitled to such additional commission basis, or those who are paid a fixed amount for
compensation for work performed on Sunday only when it is Every employee who has rendered at least one year of performing work irrespective of the time consumed in the
his established rest day. service shall be entitled to a yearly service incentive leave of performance thereof.cralaw
five days with pay.
When the nature of the work of the employee is such that he SECTION 2. Status of employees paid by the month. —
has no regular workdays and no regular rest days can be This provision shall not apply to those who are already Employees who are uniformly paid by the month, irrespective
scheduled, he shall be paid an additional compensation of at enjoying the benefit herein provided, those enjoying vacation of the number of working days therein, with a salary of not
least thirty percent (30%) of his regular wage for work leave with pay of at least five days and those employed in less than the statutory or established minimum wage shall be
performed on Sundays and holidays. establishments regularly employing less than ten employees paid for all days in the month whether worked or not.cralaw
or in establishments exempted from granting this benefit by
the Secretary of Labor and Employment after considering the
Work performed on any special holiday shall be paid an For this purpose, the monthly minimum wage shall not be
viability or financial condition of such establishment.
additional compensation of at least thirty percent (30%) of less than the statutory minimum wage multiplied by 365 days
the regular wage of the employee. Where such holiday work divided by twelve.cralaw
falls on the employee’s scheduled rest day, he shall be The grant of benefit in excess of that provided herein shall
entitled to an additional compensation of at least fifty per not be made a subject of arbitration or any court or
cent (50%) of his regular wage. SECTION 3. Holiday Pay. — Every employer shall pay his
administrative action.
employees their regular daily wage for any worked regular
holidays.cralaw
Where the collective bargaining agreement or other Article 96. Service charges. All service charges collected by
applicable employment contract stipulates the payment of a hotels, restaurants and similar establishments shall be
higher premium pay than that prescribed under this Article, distributed at the rate of eighty-five percent (85%) for all As used in the rule, the term 'regular holiday' shall
the employer shall pay such higher rate. covered employees and fifteen percent (15%) for exclusively refer to:
management. The share of the employees shall be equally
distributed among them. In case the service charge is (a) New Year's Day,
Chapter III
abolished, the share of the covered employees shall be (b) Maundy Thursday,
HOLIDAYS, SERVICE INCENTIVE LEAVES AND
considered integrated in their wages. (c) Good Friday,
SERVICE CHARGES
(d) the ninth of April,
(e) the first of May,
Article 94. Right to holiday pay. (f) the twelfth of June,
Rule IV, Book III, Omnibus Rules (g) the last Sunday of August,
(h) the thirtieth of November,
(i) the twenty-fifth and thirtieth of December.
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(j) Nationwide special days shall include the first of were declared national holidays to afford Filipinos with a lt is readily apparent that the declared purpose of the holiday
November and the last day of December.cralaw recurring opportunity to commemorate the heroism of the pay which is the prevention of diminution of the monthly
Filipino people, promote national identity, and deepen the income of the employees on account of work interruptions is
spirit of patriotism. defeated when a regular class day is cancelled on account of
As used in this Rule legal or regular holiday and special
a special public holiday and class hours are held on another
holiday shall now be referred to as 'regular holiday' and
working day to make up for time lost in the school calendar.
'special day', respectively.cralaw Labor Day (May 1) is a day traditionally reserved to celebrate
Otherwise stated, the faculty member, although forced to take
the contributions of the working class to the development of
a rest, does not earn what he should earn on that day. Be it
the nation, while the religious holidays designated in
SECTION 4. Compensation for holiday work. — Any noted that when a special public holiday is declared, the
Executive Order No. 203 allow the worker to celebrate his
employee who is permitted or suffered to work on any faculty member paid by the hour is deprived of expected
faith with his family.
regular holiday, not exceeding eight (8) hours, shall be paid income, and it does not matter that the school calendar is
at least two hundred percent (200%) of his regular daily extended in view of the days or hours lost, for their income
wage. If the holiday work falls on the scheduled rest day of As reflected above, Art. 94 of the Labor Code, as amended, that could be earned from other sources is lost during the
the employee, he shall be entitled to an additional premium affords a worker the enjoyment of ten paid regular extended days. Similarly, when classes are called off or
pay of at least 30% of his regular holiday rate of 200% based holidays.9 The provision is mandatory,10 regardless of shortened on account of typhoons, floods, rallies, and the like,
on his regular wage rate.cralaw whether an employee is paid on a monthly or daily basis.11 these faculty members must likewise be paid, whether or not
extensions are ordered.
SECTION 5. Overtime pay for holiday work. — For work Unlike a bonus, which is a management 5. Muslim holidays
performed in excess of eight hours on a regular holiday, an prerogative,12 holiday pay is a statutory benefit demandable
employee shall be paid an additional compensation for the under the law. Since a worker is entitled to the enjoyment of
overtime work equivalent to his rate for the first eight hours ten paid regular holidays, the fact that two holidays fall on
on such holiday work plus at least 30% thereof.cralaw the same date should not operate to reduce to nine the ten San Miguel Corp v CA, 146775 (2002)
holiday pay benefits a worker is entitled to receive.
Where the regular holiday work exceeding eight hours falls
on the scheduled rest day of the employee, he shall be paid It is elementary, under the rules of statutory construction,
Petitioner asserts that Article 3(3) of Presidential Decree No.
an additional compensation for the overtime work equivalent that when the language of the law is clear and unequivocal,
1083 provides that "(t)he provisions of this Code shall be
to his regular holiday-rest day for the first 8 hours plus 30% the law must be taken to mean exactly what it says.13 In the
applicable only to Muslims x x x." However, there should be
thereof. The regular holiday rest day rate of an employee case at bar, there is nothing in the law which provides or
no distinction between Muslims and non-Muslims as regards
shall consist of 200% of his regular daily wage rate plus 30% indicates that the entitlement to ten days of holiday pay shall
payment of benefits for Muslim holidays. The Court of
thereof be reduced to nine when two holidays fall on the same day.
Appeals did not err in sustaining Undersecretary Español
who stated:
4. Teachers paid by the hour
Assuming arguendo that the respondent’s position is
correct, then by the same token, Muslims throughout
the Philippines are also not entitled to holiday pays on
3. Regular v special holiday Jose Rizal College v NLRC, L-65482 Christian holidays declared by law as regular holidays.
i. Rationale/Entitlement; (1987) We must remind the respondent-appellant that wages
and other emoluments granted by law to the working
2 Regular holidays man are determined on the basis of the criteria laid
down by laws and certainly not on the basis of the
JOSE RIZAL COLLEGE V. NLRC worker’s faith or religion.
ISSUE: W/N the school faculty who according to their
Asian Transmission Corp v CA, 144644 contracts are paid per lecture hour are entitled to unworked
holiday pay. [Depends on the holiday] At any rate, Article 3(3) of Presidential Decree No. 1083 also
(2004) declares that "x x x nothing herein shall be construed to
HELD: operate to the prejudice of a non-Muslim."
Regular unworked holidays→ NOT ENTITLED TO
(a) Independence Day (June 12),
COMPENSATION. In addition, the 1999 Handbook on Workers’ Statutory
Regular holidays specified as such by law are known to both Benefits, approved by then DOLE Secretary Bienvenido E.
(b) Araw ng Kagitingan (April 9),
school and faculty members as "no class days;" certainly the Laguesma on 14 December 1999 categorically stated:
(c) National Heroes Day (last Sunday of August),
latter do not expect payment for said unworked days, and this
(d) Bonifacio Day (November 30) and
was clearly in their minds when they entered into the teaching
(e) Rizal Day (December 30) Considering that all private corporations, offices, agencies,
contracts.
and entities or establishments operating within the
SPECIAL HOLIDAYS→ ENTITLED TO PAY designated Muslim provinces and cities are required to
observe Muslim holidays, both Muslim and Christians
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working within the Muslim areas may not report for work continuous or broken reckoned from the date the employee incentive leave pay in favor of respondent, in accordance
on the days designated by law as Muslim holidays.9 started working, including authorized absences and paid with the finding of the CA that respondent was a regular
regular holidays unless the working days in the establishment employee of petitioner and is, therefore, entitled to such
as a matter of practice or policy, or that provided in the benefit. As the CA aptly pointed out:
employment contracts, is less than 12 months, in which case
said period shall be considered as one year. [40] It is also [R]espondent is not a field personnel as defined above
r. Service incentive leave
commutable to its money equivalent if not used or exhausted because of the nature of his job as a company driver.
at the end of the year.[41] In other words, an employee who has
Expectedly, respondent is directed to deliver the goods at a
served for one year is entitled to it.
specified time and place and he is not given the discretion to
Labor Code He may use it as leave days or he may collect its solicit, select[,] and contact prospective clients.
monetary value. To limit the award to three years, as the Respondent in his Position Paper claimed that he was
solicitor general recommends, is to unduly restrict such required to report for work from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the
right. The law indeed does not prohibit its commutation. company's store located at Velez-Gomez Street, Cagayan de
Article 95. Right to service incentive leave. Oro City. Certainly then, respondent was under the control
Moreover, the solicitor generals recommendation is
and supervision of petitioners. Respondent, therefore, is a
contrary to the ruling of the Court in Bustamante et al. vs.
Every employee who has rendered at least one year of regular employee whose task is usually necessary and
NLRC et al.[42] lifting the three-year restriction on the amount
service shall be entitled to a yearly service incentive leave of desirable to the usual trade and business of the company.
of backwages and other allowances that may be awarded an
five days with pay. Thus, he is entitled to the benefits accorded to regular
illegally dismissed employee, thus:
employees, including service incentive leave
pay.72chanroblesvirtuallawlibrary
This provision shall not apply to Therefore, in accordance with R.A. No. 6715, petitioners are
The Court has already held that company drivers who are
entitled to their full backwages, inclusive of allowances and
other benefits or their monetary equivalent, from the time under the control and supervision of management
(a) those who are already enjoying the benefit herein officers — like respondent herein — are regular
provided, their actual compensation was withheld from them up to the
time of their actual reinstatement. (Underscoring supplied.) employees entitled to benefits including service
(b) those enjoying vacation leave with pay of at least five
incentive leave pay.73
days
(c) and those employed in establishments regularly Since a service incentive leave is clearly demandable Petitioner, as the employer of respondent, and having
employing less than ten employees or after one year of service -- whether continuous or broken -- or
(d) in establishments exempted from granting this benefit complete control over the records of the company, could
its equivalent period, and it is one of the benefits which would
by the Secretary of Labor and Employment after have easily rebutted the said monetary claim against it by
have accrued if an employee was not otherwise illegally
considering the viability or financial condition of such presenting the vouchers or payrolls showing payment of the
dismissed, it is fair and legal that its computation should be up
establishment. to the date of reinstatement as provided under Section 279 of same. However, since petitioner opted not to lift a finger in
the Labor Code, as amended, which reads: providing the required documentary evidence, the ineluctable
conclusion that may be derived therefrom is that it never paid
The grant of benefit in excess of that provided herein shall
said benefit and must, perforce, be ordered to settle its
not be made a subject of arbitration or any court or ART. 279. Security of Tenure. -- An employee who is
administrative action. obligation to respondent.
unjustly dismissed from work shall be entitled to
reinstatement without loss of seniority rights and other
privileges and to his full backwages, inclusive of allowances,
and to his other benefits or their monetary 2. Employees not entitled
1. When demandable: Computation equivalent computed from the time his compensation is
withheld from him up to the time of his actual
G.R. No. 195466 July 2, 2014
reinstatement. (underscoring supplied).
ARIEL L. DAVID, doing business under
the name and style "YIELS HOG
Fernandez v NLRC, G.R. No. DEALER," Petitioner,
105892. January 28, 1998 vs.
JOHN G. MACASIO, Respondent
G.R. No. 219569, August 17, 2016
HSY MARKETING LTD.,
Is there a limit to the amount of service incentive leave pay CO.,* Petitioner, v. VIRGILIO O.
and backwages that may be awarded to an illegally VILLASTIQUE, Respondent. The issue revolves around the proper application and
dismissed employee? interpretation of the labor law provisions on holiday, SIL and
13th month pay to a worker engaged on "pakyaw" or task
Service incentive leave is a right which accrues to every While petitioner should not be adjudged liable for separation basis
employee who has served within 12 months, whether pay, the Court nonetheless sustains the award of service
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In short, in determining whether workers engaged on Thus, as properly held by the Court of Appeals and by the The issue is whether petitioners are liable to pay
"pakyaw" or task basis" is entitled to holiday and SIL pay, the NLRC, private respondents are entitled to the 13th month pay the tips to Orlando.
presence (or absence) of employer supervision as regards and service incentive leave pay.
the worker’s time and performance is the key: The word [tip] has several meanings, with origins
However, the Court disagrees with the Court of Appeals ruling more or less obscure, connected with "tap" and with
that the 13th month pay and service incentive leave pay should "top."
if the worker is simply engaged on pakyaw or task basis,
be computed from the start of employment up to the finality of
then the general rule is that he is entitled to a holiday pay In the sense of a sum of money given for good
the NLRC resolution.
and SIL pay unless exempted from the exceptions service, other languages are more specific, e.g., Fr.
specifically provided under Article 94 (holiday pay) and pourboire, for drink. It is suggested that [the word] is
While computation for the 13th month pay should properly
Article95 (SIL pay) of the Labor Code. formed from the practice, in early 18th c. London
begin from the first day of employment, the service incentive
leave pay should start a year after commencement of service, coffeehouses, of having a box in which persons in a
hurry would drop a small coin, to gain immediate
However, if the worker engaged on pakyaw or task basis for it is only then that the employee is entitled to said benefit.
attention. The box was labelled To Insure Promptness;
also falls within the meaning of "field personnel" under the
On the other hand, the computation for both benefits should then just with the initials T.I.P.[22]
law, then he is not entitled to these monetary benefits.
only be up to 15 August 1996, or the last day that private It is more frequently used to indicate additional
respondents worked for JPL. To extend the period to the date compensation, and in this sense "tip" is defined as
Based on the definition of field personnel under Article 82, of finality of the NLRC resolution would negate the absence of
we agree with the CA that Macasio does not fall under the meaning a gratuity; a gift; a present; a fee; money
illegal dismissal, or to be more precise, the want of dismissal given, as to a servant to secure better or more prompt
definition of "field personnel." The CA’s finding in this regard in this case. Besides, it would be unfair to require JPL to pay
is supported by the established facts of this case: first, service.
private respondents the said benefits beyond 15 August 1996
Macasio regularly performed his duties at David’s principal
when they did not render any service to JPL beyond that date. A tip may range from pure gift out of
place of business; second, his actual hours of work could be
benevolence or friendship, to a compensation for a
determined with reasonable certainty; and, third, David These benefits are given by law on the basis of the service
supervised his time and performance of duties. Since service measured by its supposed value but not fixed
actually rendered by the employee, and in the particular case by an agreement, although usually the word is applied
Macasio cannot be considered a "field personnel," then he is of the service incentive leave, is granted as a motivation for to what is paid to a servant in addition to the regular
not exempted from the grant of holiday, SIL pay even as he the employee to stay longer with the employer. There is no compensation for his service in order to secure better
was engaged on "pakyaw" or task basis. cause for granting said incentive to one who has already service or in recognition of it.
terminated his relationship with the employer.
Not being a "field personnel," we find the CA to be legally It has been said that a tip denotes a voluntary
correct when it reversed the NLRC’s ruling dismissing act, but it also has been said that from the very
Macasio’s complaint for holiday and SIL pay for having been s. Service charges; tips beginning of the practice of tipping it was evident that,
rendered with grave abuse of discretion. whether considered from the standpoint of the giver or
the recipient, a tip lacked the essential element of a
gift, namely, the free bestowing of a gratuity without a
3. At least one year of service; consideration, and that, despite its apparent
Labor code
reckoning period voluntariness, there is an element of compulsion in
tipping.[23]
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"The contract of employment entered into by and between Furthermore, it is presumed that the parties were charges on certain specified transactions), Article 96
the complainant and Ace Navigation Co., Inc. (p. 82, Record) aware of the plain, ordinary and common meaning of will not operate.
clearly provides xxx: the word "tip." As a bartender, Orlando can not feign
ignorance on the practice of tipping and that tips are In this case, the CA found that the PPHI had not in fact
normally paid by customers and not by the employer. been collecting services charges on the specified
'That the employee shall be employed on board under the
entries/transactions that we pointed out as either
following terms and conditions: It is also absurd that petitioners intended to give falling under “negotiated contracts” and/or “special
Orlando a salary higher than that of the ship captain. rates” or did not involve a “sale of food, beverage,
1.1 Duration of Contract: (12 months) 10 months As petitioners point out, the captain of M/V "Orient etc.” Accordingly, Article 96 of the Labor Code finds
remaining duration of contract Princess" receives US$3,000.00 per month while no application in this case; the PPHI did not abolish or
Orlando will receive US$3,450.00 per month if the tip terminate the implementation of any company policy
of US$2.00 per passenger per day will be given in providing for the collection of service charges on
1.2 Position: Bartender addition to his US$450.00 monthly salary. It will be specified entries/transactions that could have
against common sense for an employer to give a lower otherwise rendered it liable to pay an amount
1.3 Basic Monthly Salary: U.S.$450.00 Flat rate ranked employee a higher compensation than an representing the covered employees’ share in the
including overtime pay for employee who holds the highest position in an alleged abolished service charges.
enterprise.
The petitioners herein do not deny their participation in Mere availment is not sufficient to allow deductions from
the June 15, 1993 strike. As such, they did not suffer any loss employees’ wages.21 Specifically, "wage" is defined in letter (f) as the
of earnings during their absence from work. Their
remuneration or earnings, however designated, capable of
reinstatement sans backwages is in order, to conform to the
These requirements, however, have not been met in this being expressed in terms of money, whether fixed or
policy of a fair days wage for a fair days labor.
case. ascertained on a time, task, piece, or commission basis, or
other method of calculating the same, which is payable by
Under the principle of a fair days wage for a fair
an employer to an employee under a written or unwritten
days labor, the petitioners were not entitled to the wages 1. SLL failed to present any company policy or guideline contract of employment for work done or to be done, or for
during the period of the strike (even if the strike might be showing that provisions for meals and lodging were part services rendered or to berendered and includes the fair and
legal), because they performed no work during the strike. of the employee’s salaries. reasonable value, as determined by the Secretary of Labor, of
2. It also failed to provide proof of the employees’ written board, lodging, or other facilities customarily furnished by the
Verily, it was neither fair nor just that the dismissed authorization, much less show how they arrived at their employer to the employee.
employees should litigate against their employer on the latters valuations. At any rate, it is not even clear whether
[25]
time. Thus, the Court deleted the award of backwages and private respondents actually enjoyed said facilities. We invite attention to the above-underlined
held that the striking workers were entitled only to clause. Stated differently, when an employer customarily
reinstatement in Philippine Diamond Hotel and Resort, Inc. furnishes his employee board, lodging or other facilities, the
(Manila Diamond Hotel) v. Manila Diamond Hotel The Court, at this point, makes a distinction between
"facilities" and "supplements." It is of the view that the food fair and reasonable value thereof, as determined by the
Employees Union,[26] considering that the striking employees Secretary of Labor and Employment, is included in "wage."
did not render work for the employer during the strike. and lodging, or the electricity and water allegedly consumed
by private respondents in this case were not facilities but In order to ascertain whether the subject allowances
supplements. In the case of Atok-Big Wedge Assn. v. Atok- form part of petitioner's "wages," we divide the discussion on
2. Facilities v Supplement Big Wedge Co.,22 the two terms were distinguished from one the following –
another in this wise:
1. "customarily furnished;"
"Supplements," therefore, constitute extra remuneration or 2. "board, lodging or other facilities;" and,
G.R. No. 172161 March 2, 2011 special privileges or benefits given to or received by the
SLL INTERNATIONAL CABLES laborers over and above their ordinary earnings or wages. 3. "fair and reasonable value as determined by the
SPECIALIST and SONNY L. Secretary of Labor."
LAGON, Petitioners,
"Facilities," on the other hand, are items of expense
vs. "Customary" is founded on long-established and
necessary for the laborer's and his family's existence and
NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS constant practice[13] connoting regularity.[14] The receipt of an
subsistence so that by express provision of law (Sec. 2[g]),
COMMISSION, 4th DIVISION, ROLDAN allowance on a monthly basis does not ipso facto characterize
they form part of the wage and when furnished by the
it as regular and forming part of salary[15] because the nature
employer are deductible therefrom, since if they are not so
of the grant is a factor worth considering. We agree with the
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observation of the Office of the Solicitor General- that the (a) It is for necessary travelling and representation or b. the provision of deductiblefacilities must be
subject allowances were temporarily, not regularly, received entertainment expenses paid or incurred by the employee in voluntarily accepted in writingby the employee; and
by petitioners because - the pursuit of the trade or business of the employer, and
c. The facilities must be charged at fair and reasonable
In the case of the housing allowance, once a vacancy occurs (b) The employee is required to, and does, make an value.40
in the company-provided housing accommodations, the accounting/liquidation for such expense in accordance with
employee concerned transfers to the company premises and the specific requirements of substantiation for such category
We examine Our Haus’ compliance with each of these
his housing allowance is discontinued x x x x or expense.
requirements in seriatim.
On the other hand, the transportation allowance is in the Board and lodging allowances furnished to an employee not
a. The facility must be customarily furnished by the trade
form of advances for actual transportation expenses subject in excess of the latter's needs and given free of charge,
to liquidation x x x given only to employees who have constitute income to the latter except if such allowances or
personal cars. benefits are furnished to the employee for the convenience In a string of cases, we have concluded that one of the
of the employer and as necessary incident to proper badges to show that a facility is customarily furnished by the
performance of his duties in which case such benefits or trade is the existence of a company policy or guideline
The Bislig allowance is given to Division Managers and
allowances do not constitute taxable income.[18] showing that provisions for a facility were designated as part
corporate officers assigned in Bislig, Surigao del Norte. Once
of the employees’ salaries.41 To comply with this, Our Haus
the officer is transferred outside Bislig, the allowance
presented in its motion for reconsideration with the NLRC the
stops.[16] The Secretary of Labor and Employment under Sec. 6,
joint sinumpaang salaysayof four of its alleged employees.
Rule VII, Book III, of the Rules Implementing the Labor
These employees averred that they were recipients of free
Code may from time to time fix in appropriate issuances the
We add that in the availment of the transportation lodging, electricity and water, as well as subsidized meals
"fair and reasonable value of board, lodging and other facilities
allowance, respondent PICOP set another requirement that from Our Haus.42
customarily furnished by an employer to his employees."
the personal cars be used by the employees in the
Petitioners' allowances do not represent such fair and
performance of their duties.
reasonable value as determined by the proper authority We agree with the NLRC’s finding that the sinumpaang
When the conditions for availment ceased to exist, the simply because the Staff/Manager's allowance and salaysay statements submitted by Our Haus are self-
allowance reached the cutoff point. The finding of the NLRC transportation allowance were amounts given by respondent serving.1âwphi1 For one, Our Haus only produced the
along the same line likewise merits concurrence, i.e., company in lieu of actual provisions for housing and documents when the NLRC had already earlier determined
petitioners' continuous enjoyment of the disputed allowances transportation needs whereas the Bislig allowance was given that Our Haus failed to prove that it was traditionally giving
was based on contingencies the occurrence of which in consideration of being assigned to the hostile environment the respondents their board and lodging. This document did
wrote finis to such enjoyment. then prevailing in Bislig. not state whether these benefits had been consistently
enjoyed by the rest of Our Haus’ employees.
Although it is quite easy to comprehend "board" and The inevitable conclusion is that, as reached by the
"lodging," it is not so with "facilities." NLRC, subject allowances did not form part of petitioners'
wages Moreover, the records reveal that the board and lodging
Thus Sec. 5, Rule VII, Book III, of the Rules were given on a per project basis. Our Haus did not show if
Implementing the Labor Code gives meaning to the term as these benefits were also provided inits other construction
including articles or services for the benefit of the employee or projects, thus negating its claimed customary nature. Even
his family but excluding tools of the trade or articles or service Our Haus Realty v Parian, 204651 (2014) assuming the sinumpaang salaysay to be true, this
primarily for the benefit of the employer or necessary to the document would still work against Our Haus’ case.
conduct of the employer's business.
If Our Haus really had the practice of freely giving lodging,
The Staff /Manager's allowance may fall under "lodging" In reality, deduction and charging both operate to lessen the electricity and water provisions to its employees, then Our
but the transportation and Bislig allowances are not embraced actual take-home pay of an employee; they are two sides of Haus should not deduct its values from the respondents’
in "facilities" on the main consideration that they are granted the same coin. In both, the employee receives a lessened wages. Otherwise, this will run contrary to the affiants’ claim
as well as the Staff/Manager's allowance for respondent amount because supposedly, the facility’s value, which is that these benefits were traditionally given free of charge.
PICOP's benefit and convenience, i.e., to insure that part of his wage, had already been paid to him in kind. As
petitioners render quality performance. In determining there is no substantial distinction between the two, the
whether a privilege is a facility, the criterion is not so much its Apart from company policy, the employer may also prove
requirements set by law must apply to both.
kind but its purpose.[17] That the assailed allowances were for compliance with the first requirement by showing the
the benefit and convenience of respondent company was existence of an industry-wide practice of furnishing the
supported by the circumstance that they were not subjected As the CA correctly ruled, these requirements, as benefits in question among enterprises engaged in the same
to withholding tax. Revenue Audit Memo Order No. 1-87 summarized in Mabeza, are the following: line of business. If it were customary among construction
pertinently provides - companies to provide board and lodging to their workers and
treat their values as part of their wages, we would have more
a. proof must be shown thatsuch facilities are
reason to conclude that these benefits were really facilities.
3.2 x x x x transportation, representation or entertainment customarily furnished by the trade;
expenses shall not constitute taxable compensation if:
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However, Our Haus could not really be expected to prove employee. This test is used to address inequitable situations If it is primarily for the employee’s gain, then the benefit is a
compliance with the first requirement since the living wherein employers consider a benefit deductible from the facility;
accommodation of workers in the construction industry is not wages even if the factual circumstances show that it clearly
simply a matter of business practice. redounds to the employers’ greater advantage.
if its provision is mainly for the employer’s advantage, then it
is a supplement. Again, this is to ensure that employees are
Peculiar to the construction business are the occupational While the rules serve as the initial test in characterizing a protected in circumstances where the employer designates a
safety and health (OSH) services which the law itself benefit as a facility, the purpose test additionally recognizes benefit as deductible from the wages even though it clearly
mandates employers to provide to their workers. that the employer and the employee do not stand at the works to the employer’s greater convenience or advantage.
same bargaining positions on benefits that must or must not
formpart of an employee’s wage. In the ultimate analysis, the
This is to ensure the humane working conditions of Under the purpose test, substantial consideration must be
purpose test seeks to prevent a circumvention of the
construction employees despite their constant exposure to given to the nature of the employer’s business in relation to
minimum wage law.
hazardous working environments. the character or type of work performed by the employees
involved.
a1. The purpose test in jurisprudence
Under Section 16 of DOLE Department Order (DO) No. 13,
series of 1998,43 employers engaged in the construction Our Haus is engaged in the construction business, a labor
business are required to providethe following welfare In the present case, the board and lodging provided by Our intensive enterprise. The success of its projects is largely a
amenities: Haus cannot be categorized asfacilities but as supplements. function of the physical strength, vitality and efficiency of its
In SLL International Cables Specialist v. National Labor laborers. Its business will be jeopardized if its workers are
Relations Commission,49 this Court was confronted with the weak, sickly, and lack the required energy to perform
16.1 Adequate supply of safe drinking water
issue on the proper characterization of the free board and strenuous physical activities. Thus, by ensuring that the
lodging provided by the employer. We explained: workers are adequately and well fed, the employer is actually
16.2 Adequate sanitaryand washing facilities investing on its business.
The Court, at this point, makes a distinction between
16.3 Suitable living accommodation for workers, and as "facilities" and "supplements". It is of the view that the food Unlike in office enterprises where the work is focused on
may be applicable, for their families and lodging, or the electricity and water allegedly consumed desk jobs, the construction industry relies heavily and
by private respondents in this case were not facilities but directly on the physical capacity and endurance of its
supplements. In the case of Atok-Big Wedge Assn. v. Atok- workers. This is not to say that desk jobs do not require
16.4 Separate sanitary, washing and sleeping
Big Wedge Co., the two terms were distinguished from one muscle strength; wesimply emphasize that in the
facilitiesfor men and women workers. [emphasis ours] construction business, bulk of the work performed are
another in this wise:
strenuous physical activities.
Moreover, DOLE DO No. 56, series of 2005, which sets out "Supplements", therefore, constitute extra remuneration or
the guidelines for the implementation ofDOLE DO No. 13, special privileges or benefits given to or received by the Moreover, in the construction business, contractors are
mandates that the cost of the implementation of the laborers overand above their ordinary earnings or wages. usually faced with the problem of meeting target deadlines.
requirements for the construction safety and health of "Facilities", on the other hand, are items of expense More often than not, work is performed continuously, day
workers, shall be integrated to the overall project cost.44 The necessary for the laborer's and his family's existence and and night, in order to finish the project on the designated
rationale behind this isto ensure that the living
subsistence so thatby express provision of law (Sec. 2[g]), turn-over date. Thus, it will be more convenient to the
accommodation of the workers is not substandard and is they form part of the wage and when furnished by the employer if itsworkers are housed near the construction site
strictly compliant with the DOLE’s OSH criteria. employer are deductible therefrom, since if they are not so to ensure their ready availability during urgent or emergency
furnished, the laborer would spend and pay for them just the circumstances. Also, productivity issues like tardiness and
As part of the project cost that construction companies same. unexpected absences would be minimized. This observation
already charge to their clients, the value of the housing of strongly bears in the present case since three of the
their workers cannot be charged again to their employees’ respondents are not residents of the National Capital
In short, the benefit or privilege given to the employee which
salaries. Our Haus cannot pass the burden of the OSH costs Region. The board and lodging provision might have been a
constitutes an extra remuneration above and over his basic
of its construction projects to its employees by deducting it substantial consideration in their acceptance of employment
or ordinary earning or wage is supplement; and when said
as facilities. This is Our Haus’ obligation under the law. benefit or privilege is part of the laborers' basic wages, it is a
in a place distant from their provincial residences.
facility. The distinction lies not so much in the kind of benefit
Lastly, even if a benefit is customarily provided by the trade, or item (food, lodging, bonus or sick leave) given, but in the Based on these considerations, we conclude that even under
it must still pass the purpose testset by jurisprudence. Under purpose for which it is given.In the case at bench, the items the purpose test, the subsidized meals and free lodging
this test, if a benefit or privilege granted to the employee is provided were given freely by SLLfor the purpose of provided by Our Haus are actually supplements. Although
clearly for the employer’s convenience, it will not be maintaining the efficiency and health of its workers while they also work to benefit the respondents, an analysis of the
considered as a facility but a supplement.45 they were working attheir respective projects.50 nature of these benefits in relation to Our Haus’ business
shows that they were given primarily for Our Haus’ greater
convenience and advantage. If weighed on a scale, the
Here, careful consideration is given to the nature of the Ultimately, the real difference lies not on the kind of the
balance tilts more towards Our Haus’ side. Accordingly, their
employer’s business in relation to the work performed by the benefit but on the purpose why it was given by the employer.
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values cannot be considered in computing the total amount Curiously, in the case at bench, the only valuations relied
of the respondents’ wages. Under the circumstances, the upon by the labor arbiter in his decision were figures
dailywages paid to the respondents are clearly below the furnished by the private respondent's own accountant,
prescribed minimum wage rates in the years 2007-2010. without corroborative evidence.
b. The provision of deductible facilities must be On the pretext that records prior to the July 16, 1990
voluntarily accepted in writing by the employee earthquake were lost or destroyed, respondent failed to
produce payroll records, receipts and other relevant
documents, where he could have, as has been pointed out in
In Mayon Hotel, we reiterated that a facility may only be
the Solicitor General's manifestation, "secured certified
deducted from the wage if the employer was authorized in
copies thereof from the nearest regional office of the
writingby the concerned employee.51 As it diminishes the
Department of Labor, the SSS or the BIR".52 [emphasis ours]
take-home pay of an employee, the deduction must be with
his express consent.
In the present case, Our Haus never explained how it came
up with the valuesit assigned for the benefits it provided; it
Again, in the motion for reconsideration with the NLRC, Our
merely listed its supposed expenses without any supporting
Haus belatedly submitted five kasunduans, supposedly
document. Since Our Haus is using these additional
executed by the respondents, containing their conformity to
expenses (cook’s salary, water and LPG) to support its claim
the inclusion of the values of the meals and housing to their
that it did not withhold the full amount of the meals’ value,
total wages. Oddly, Our Haus only offered these documents
Our Haus is burdened to present evidence to corroborate its
when the NLRC had already ruled that respondents did not
claim. The records however, are bereft of any evidence to
accomplish any written authorization, to allow deduction from
support Our Haus’ meal expense computation. Eventhe
their wages. These five kasunduans were also undated,
value it assigned for the respondents’ living accommodations
making us wonder if they had reallybeen executed when
was not supported by any documentary evidence. Without
respondents first assumed their jobs.
any corroborative evidence, it cannot be said that Our Haus
complied withthis third requisite.
Moreover, in the earlier sinumpaang salaysay by Our Haus’
four employees, it was not mentioned that they also
executed a kasunduanfor their board and lodging benefits.
Because of these surrounding circumstances and the
suspicious timing when the five kasunduanswere submitted
as evidence, we agree withthe CA that the NLRC committed
no grave abuse of discretion in disregarding these
documents for being self serving.
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FINALS c. Employers of household helpers and persons in the
REVISED GUIDELINES ON THE personal service of another in relation to such workers;
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 13TH and
3. 13th month pay MONTH PAY LAW.
a. Employees not entitled d. Employers of those who are paid on purely
commission, boundary, or task basis, and those who
are paid a fixed amount for performing specific work,
1. Removal of Salary Ceiling. irrespective of the time consumed in the performance
thereof, except where the workers are paid on piece-
PRESIDENTIAL DECREE No. On August 13, 1986, President Corazon C. Aquino issued rate basis in which case the employer shall grant the
851 December 16, 1976 Memorandum Order No. 28 which provides as follows: required 13th month pay to such workers.
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Assailed wage order is void because it added an across-the- a. The Secretary of Labor and Employment
board wage increase of P15 to all EEs and wokers of region b. or his duly authorized representatives,
2 without showing it followed the floor wage or salary ceiling c. including labor regulation officers,
WHO:
methods. Hence, it made earners receiving more then the
minimum wage to earn more What:
a. The Secretary or
In line with its declared policy, R.A. No. 6727 created the b. his duly authorized representatives
NWPC, vested with the power to prescribe rules and a. shall have access to employer’s records and premises
guidelines for the determination of appropriate minimum b. at any time of the day or night whenever work is being
WHAT
undertaken therein,
wage and productivity measures at the regional, provincial or
c. and the right to copy therefrom,
industry levels; and authorized the RTWPB to determine and
d. to question any employee c. shall issue writs of execution to the appropriate authority
fix the minimum wage rates applicable in their respective e. and investigate any fact, condition or matter
regions, provinces, or industries therein and issue the
corresponding wage orders, subject to the guidelines issued PURPOSE
by the NWPC. Pursuant to its wage fixing authority, the Purpose:
RTWPB may issue wage orders which set the daily minimum d. for the enforcement of their orders,
wage rates, based on the standards or criteria set by Article a. which may be necessary to determine violations
124 of the Labor Code. b. or which may aid in the enforcement of this Code and of
any labor law, wage order or rules and regulations except in cases
In ECOP, the Court declared that there are two ways of issued pursuant thereto.
fixing the minimum wage: the “floor-wage” method and the a. where the employer contests the findings of the labor
“salary-ceiling” method. SECOND POWER employment and enforcement officer
b. and raises issues supported by documentary proofs
The “floorwage” method involves the fixing of a determinate c. which were not considered in the course of inspection
amount to be added to the prevailing statutory minimum Notwithstanding the provisions of Articles 129 and 217 of this
wage rates. Code to the contrary, and in cases where the relationship of
employer-employee still exists:
On the other hand, in the “salary-ceiling” method, the wage
adjustment was to be applied to employees receiving a WHO An order issued by the duly authorized representative of the
certain denominated salary ceiling. Secretary of Labor and Employment under this Article may
be appealed to the latter.
In other words, workers already being paid more than the a. the Secretary of Labor and Employment
existing minimum wage (up to a certain amount stated in the b. or his duly authorized representatives
In case said order involves a monetary award:
Wage Order) are also to be given a wage increase.
Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company, Inc. vs. National WHAT
a. an appeal by the employer may be perfected only upon
Wages and Productivity Commission, 514 SCRA 346, G.R.
the posting of a cash or surety bond
No. 144322 February 6, 2007 a. shall have the power to issue compliance orders b. issued by a reputable bonding company
c. duly accredited by the Secretary of Labor and
F. Administration and Enforcement Employment
d. in the amount equivalent to the monetary award in the
order appealed from.
Chapter VI
PURPOSE
ADMINISTRATION AND ENFORCEMENT
FOURTH POWER
b. to give effect to the labor standards provisions of this Code
1. Visitorial and Enforcement power
and other labor legislation
WHO
c. based on the findings of labor employment and enforcement
Article 128. Visitorial and enforcement power. officers or industrial safety engineers made in the course of
inspection. 1. The Secretary of Labor and Employment
FIRST POWER
WHAT
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SECTION 2. Notwithstanding any law, rules and regulations "(1) A child below fifteen (15) years of age may be child labor. The phrase "worst forms of child labor" shall
to the contrary, every married male employee in the private allowed to work for not more than twenty (20) hours a refer to any of the following:
and public sectors shall be entitled to a paternity leave of week:
seven (7) days with full pay for the first four (4) deliveries of "(1) All forms of slavery, as defined under the
the legitimate spouse with whom he is cohabiting. Provided, That the work shall not be more than four (4) "Anti-trafficking in Persons Act of 2003", or
hours at any given day; practices similar to slavery such as sale and
The male employee applying for paternity leave shall notify trafficking of children, debt bondage and
his employer of the pregnancy of his legitimate spouse and serfdom and forced or compulsory labor,
the expected date of such delivery. For purposes, of this Act, "(2) A child fifteen (15) years of age but below eighteen
including recruitment of children for use in
(18) shall not be allowed to work for more than eight (8)
delivery shall include childbirth or any miscarriage. armed conflict; or
hours a day, and in no case beyond forty (40) hours a
SECTION 3. Definition of Term. - For purposes of this Act, week;
"(2) The use, procuring, offering or exposing
Paternity Leave refers to the benefits granted to a married
of a child for prostitution, for the production of
male employee allowing him not to report for work for seven "(3) No child below fifteen (15) years of age shall be
pornography or for pornographic
(7) days but continues to earn the compensation therefor, on allowed to work between eight o'clock in the evening
performances; or
the condition that his spouse has delivered a child or and six o'clock in the morning of the following day and
suffered a miscarriage for purposes of enabling him to no child fifteen (15) years of age but below eighteen
effectively lend support to his wife in her period of recovery (18) shall be allowed to work between ten o'clock in the "(3) The use, procuring or offering of a child
evening and six o'clock in the morning of the following for illegal or illicit activities, including the
and/or in the nursing of the newly-born child.
day." production and trafficking of dangerous drugs
SECTION 4. The Secretary of Labor and Employment, the and volatile substances prohibited under
existing laws; or
Chairman of the Civil Service Commission and the Secretary "Sec. 12-B. Ownership, Usage and Administration of
of Health shall, within thirty (30) days from the effectivity of the Working Child's Income. - The wages, salaries,
this Act, issue such rules and regulations necessary for the earnings and other income of the working child shall "(4) Work which, by its nature or the
belong to him/her in ownership and shall be set aside circumstances in which it is carried out, is
xxxx primarily for his/her support, education or skills hazardous or likely to be harmful to the
acquisition and secondarily to the collective needs of health, safety or morals of children, such that
the family: Provided, That not more than twenty percent it:
(20%) of the child's income may be used for the
2. Children collective needs of the family.
"a) Debases, degrades or demeans
the intrinsic worth and dignity of a
"The income of the working child and/or the property child as a human being; or
acquired through the work of the child shall be
administered by both parents. In the absence or
Republic Act No. 7610 June 17, "b) Exposes the child to physical,
incapacity of either of the parents, the other parent shall
1992 (AS AMENDED by RA 9231) emotional or sexual abuse, or is
administer the same. In case both parents are absent or
found to be highly stressful
incapacitated, the order of preference on parental
psychologically or may prejudice
authority as provided for under the Family Code shall
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR STRONGER morals; or
apply.
DETERRENCE AND SPECIAL
PROTECTION AGAINST CHILD ABUSE, "c) Is performed underground,
"Sec. 12-C. Trust Fund to Preserve Part of the Working
EXPLOITATION AND underwater or at dangerous
Child's Income. - The parent or legal guardian of a
DISCRIMINATION, AND FOR OTHER heights; or
working child below eighteen (18) years of age shall set
PURPOSES up a trust fund for at least thirty percent (30%) of the
earnings of the child whose wages and salaries from "d) Involves the use of dangerous
work and other income amount to at least two hundred machinery, equipment and tools
thousand pesos (P200,000.00) annually, for which such as power-driven or explosive
Section 3. The same Act, as amended, is hereby further he/she shall render a semi-annual accounting of the power-actuated tools; or
amended by adding new sections to be denominated as fund to the Department of Labor and Employment, in
Sections 12-A, 12-B, 12-C, and 12-D to read as follows: compliance with the provisions of this Act. The child
shall have full control over the trust fund upon reaching "e) Exposes the child to physical
danger such as, but not limited to
"Sec. 2-A. Hours of Work of a Working Child. - Under the age of majority.
the dangerous feats of balancing,
the exceptions provided in Section 12 of this Act, as physical strength or contortion, or
amended: "Sec. 12-D. Prohibition Against Worst Forms of Child which requires the manual
Labor. - No child shall be engaged in the worst forms of transport of heavy loads; or
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"f) Is performed in an unhealthy ARTICLE 156. Mandatory Facilities. — Suitable rst-aid
environment exposing the child to facilities shall be made available for workers performing
hazardous working conditions, night work, including arrangements where such workers,
5. Night workers
elements, substances, co-agents or where necessary, can be taken immediately to a place for
processes involving ionizing, appropriate treatment. The employers are likewise
radiation, fire, flammable required to provide safe and healthful working conditions
substances, noxious components
LABOR CODE and adequate or reasonable facilities such as sleeping or
and the like, or to extreme
resting quarters in the establishment and transportation
temperatures, noise levels, or
vibrations; or from the work premises to the nearest point of their
residence subject to exceptions and guidelines to be
ARTICLE 154. Coverage. — This chapter shall apply to provided by the DOLE.
"g) Is performed under particularly
all persons, who shall be employed or permitted or
difficult conditions; or ARTICLE 157. Transfer. — Night workers who are certi ed
suffered to work at night,
as un t for night work, due to health reasons, shall be
"h) Exposes the child to biological (a) except those employed in transferred, whenever practicable, to a similar job for
agents such as bacteria, fungi, (b) agriculture, which they are fit to work.
viruses, protozoans, nematodes (c) stock raising,
and other parasites; or (d) shing, If such transfer to a similar job is not practicable, these
(e) maritime transport and inland navigation, workers shall be granted the same bene ts as other
workers who are unable to work, or to secure employment
"i) Involves the manufacture or
handling of explosives and other during a period of not less than seven (7) consecutive during such period.
pyrotechnic products." hours, including the interval from midnight to ve o'clock in
the morning, to be determined by the Secretary of Labor A night worker certi ed as temporarily un t for night work
and Employment, after consulting the workers' shall be given the same protection against dismissal or
Section 5. Section 14 of the same Act is hereby amended to notice of dismissal as other workers who are prevented
representatives/labor organizations and employers.
read as follows: from working for reasons of health.
"Night worker" means any employed person whose work
"Sec. 14. Prohibition on the Employment of Children in requires performance of a substantial number of hours of ARTICLE 158. Women Night Workers. — Measures shall
Certain Advertisements. - No child shall be employed night work which exceeds a specifed limit. This limit shall be taken to ensure that an alternative to night work is
as a model in any advertisement directly or indirectly be fixed by the Secretary of Labor after consulting the available to women workers who would otherwise be
promoting alcoholic beverages, intoxicating drinks, workers' representatives/labor organizations and called upon to perform such work:
tobacco and its byproducts, gambling or any form of employers.
violence or pornography." (a) Before and after childbirth, for a period of at
ARTICLE 155. Health Assessment. — At their request, least sixteen (16) weeks, which shall be
divided between the time before and after
4. Solo parents workers shall have the right to undergo a health
childbirth;
assessment without charge and to receive advice on how
to reduce or avoid health problems associated with their (b) For additional periods, in respect of which a
work: medical certi cate is produced stating that said
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8972 additional periods are necessary for the health
(a) Before taking up an assignment as a night of the mother or child:
worker;
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR BENEFITS (1) During pregnancy;
AND PRIVILEGES TO SOLO PARENTS (b) At regular intervals during such an
AND THEIR CHILDREN, assignment; and (2) During a speci ed time beyond the
period, after childbirth is xed
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
(c) If they experience health problems during pursuant to subparagraph (a)
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES such an assignment which are not caused by above, the length of which shall be
factors other than the performance of night determined by the DOLE after
work. consulting the labor organizations
and employers. IDTSEH
Section 8. Parental Leave. - In addition to leave privileges With the exception of a nding of un tness for night work,
under existing laws, parental leave of not more than seven the ndings of such assessments shall not be transmitted During the periods referred to in this article:
(7) working days every year shall be granted to any solo to others without the workers' consent and shall not be
parent employee who has rendered service of at least one used to their detriment. (i) A woman worker shall not be
(1) year. dismissed or given notice of
dismissal, except for just or
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authorized causes provided ARTICLE 162. [156] First-Aid Treatment. — Every employees exceeds three hundred
for in this Code that are not employer shall keep in his establishment such first-aid (300).
connected with pregnancy, medicines and equipment as the nature and conditions of
childbirth and childcare a In cases of hazardous workplaces,
work may require, in accordance with such regulations as i. no employer shall engage the services
responsibilities.
the Department of Labor and Employment shall prescribe. of a physician or a dentist who cannot
(ii) A woman worker shall not
The employer shall take steps for the training of a
stay in the premises of the
lose the bene ts regarding establishment
her status, seniority, and sufficient number of employees in first-aid treatment.
1. for at least two (2) hours, in
access to promotion which the case of those engaged on
may attach to her regular ARTICLE 163. [157] Emergency Medical and Dental
Services. 111 — It shall be the duty of every employer to part-time basis,
night work position.
furnish his employees in any locality with free medical and 2. and not less than eight (8)
Pregnant women and nursing mothers may be allowed to dental attendance and facilities consisting of: hours, in the case of those
work at night only if a competent physician, other than the employed on full-time basis.
company physician, shall certify their tness to render night (a) The services of a full-time registered
work, and specify, in the case of pregnant employees, the nurse when the number of employees b Where the undertaking is non-
period of the pregnancy that they can safely work. exceeds fty (50) but not more than two hazardous in nature, the physician and dentist
hundred (200) may be engaged on retained basis, subject to
The measures referred to in this article may include such regulations as the Secretary of Labor and
transfer to day work where this is possible, the provision of a except when the employer does not
maintain hazardous workplaces, in Employment may prescribe to insure immediate
social security benefits or an extension of maternity leave. availability of medical and dental treatment and
which case, the services of a
graduate rst-aider shall be provided attendance in case of emergency.
The provisions of this article shall not have the effect of
for the protection of workers, where
reducing the protection and bene ts connected with no registered nurse is available. ARTICLE 164. [158] When Emergency Hospital Not
maternity leave under existing laws. Required. — The requirement for an emergency hospital
b The Secretary of Labor and or dental clinic shall not be applicable in case there is a
ARTICLE 159. Compensation. — The compensation for Employment shall provide by hospital or dental clinic which is accessible from the
night workers in the form of working time, pay or similar appropriate regulations the employer's establishment and he makes arrangement for
benefits shall recognize the exceptional nature of night services that shall be required
the reservation therein of the necessary beds and dental
work. where the number of employees
does not exceed fty (50) and shall facilities for the use of his employees.
ARTICLE 160. Social Services. — Appropriate social determine by appropriate order,
hazardous workplaces for purposes ARTICLE 165. [159] Health Program. — The physician
services shall be provided for night workers and, where
of this Article; engaged by an employer shall, in addition to his duties
necessary, for workers performing night work.
under this Chapter, develop and implement a
ARTICLE 161. Night Work Schedules. — Before (b) The services of a comprehensive occupational health program for the
introducing work schedules requiring the services of night benefit of the employees of his employer.
a full-time registered nurse,
workers, the employer shall consult the workers'
ARTICLE 166. [160] Qualications of Health Personnel. —
representatives/labor organizations concerned on the b a part-time physician and dentist, The physicians, dentists and nurses employed by
details of such schedules and the forms of organization of
employers pursuant to this Chapter shall have the
night work that are best adapted to the establishment and c and an emergency clinic,
necessary training in industrial medicine and occupational
its personnel, as well as on the occupational health
d when the number of employees safety and health. The Secretary of Labor and
measures and social services which are required. In
exceeds two hundred (200) but not Employment, in consultation with industrial, medical, and
establishments employing night workers, consultation
more than three hundred (300); and occupational safety and health associations, shall
shall take place regularly.
establish the qualifications, criteria and conditions of
(c) The services of a employment of such health personnel.
a full-time physician, dentist and a
ARTICLE 167. [161] Assistance of Employer. — It shall
full-time registered nurse as well as
a dental clinic be the duty of any employer to provide all the necessary
G. Health and Safety
assistance to ensure the adequate and immediate medical
b and an in rmary or emergency and dental attendance and treatment to an injured or sick
hospital with one bed capacity for employee in case of emergency.
every one hundred (100)
Labor code employees when the number of
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full-time nurses as regular employees of a company An employment shall be deemed to be casual if it is not
Ocean Builders v Sps. Cubcub,150898 employing not less than 50 workers. covered by the preceding paragraph:
(2009)
Provided, That any employee who has rendered
Under the foregoing provision, Shangri-la, which at least one year of service, whether such service is
employs more than 200 workers, is mandated to furnish its continuous or broken, shall be considered a regular
employees with the services of a full-time registered nurse, employee with respect to the activity in which he is
a part-time physician and dentist, and an emergency clinic employed and his employment shall continue while such
In the present case, there is no allegation that the which means that it should provide or make available such activity exists.
company premises are hazardous. Neither is there any medical and allied services to its employees, not
allegation on the number of employees the company has. If necessarily to hire or employ a service provider. ARTICLE 296. [281] Probationary Employment. —
Haos testimony[4] would be believed, the company had only Probationary employment shall not exceed six (6) months
seven regular employees and 20 contractual employees ─ still The term full-time in Art. 157 cannot be construed
from the date the employee started working,
short of the minimum 50 workers that an establishment must as referring to the type of employment of the person engaged
have for it to be required to have a full-time registered nurse. to provide the services, for Article 157 must not be read
unless it is covered by an apprenticeship agreement
alongside Art. 280[9] in order to vest employer-employee
relationship on the employer and the person so engaged. stipulating a longer period.
The Court can thus only determine whether the
actions taken by petitioners when Bladimir became ill The phrase services of a full-time registered nurse should thus
The services of an employee who has been engaged on a
amounted to the necessary assistance to ensure adequate be taken to refer to the kind of services that the nurse will
render in the companys premises and to its employees, not probationary basis may be terminated
and immediate medical . . . attendance to Bladimir as required
under Art. 161 of the Labor Code. the manner of his engagement.
a for a just cause or
As found by the trial court and borne by the records, H. Types of employees b when he fails to qualify as a regular employee
petitioner Haos advice for Bladimir to, as he did, take a 3-day i. in accordance with reasonable standards
1. Regular
rest and to later have him brought to the nearest hospital ii. made known by the employer to the
2. Project/seasonal employee
constituted adequate and immediate medical attendance that
he is mandated, under Art. 161, to provide to a sick employee 3. Probationary iii. at the time of his engagement.
in an emergency. 4. Casual
An employee who is allowed to work after a probationary
Chicken pox is self-limiting. Hao does not appear to period shall be considered a regular employee.
have a medical background. He may not be thus expected to
have known that Bladimir needed to be brought to a hospital Labor Code
with better facilities than the Caybiga Hospital, contrary to
appellate courts ruling. Fuji Television v Espiritu, 204944-55
(2014)
AT ALL EVENTS, the alleged negligence of Hao
ARTICLE 295. [280] Regular and Casual Employment. —
cannot be considered as the proximate cause of the death of
The provisions of written agreement to the contrary
Bladimir. Proximate cause is that which, in natural and
continuous sequence, unbroken by an efficient intervening notwithstanding and regardless of the oral agreement of
the parties, an employment shall be deemed to be regular Fuji’s argument that Arlene was an independent contractor
cause, produces injury, and without which, the result would
not have occurred.[5] An injury or damage is proximately under a fixed-term contract is contradictory. Employees
caused by an act or failure to act, whenever it appears from a where the employee has been engaged to under fixed-term contracts cannot be independent
the evidence in the case that the act or omission played perform activities which are usually necessary or contractors because in fixed-term contracts, an employer-
a substantial part in bringing about or actually causing the desirable in the usual business or trade of the employee relationship exists. The test in this kind of contract
injury or damage, and that the injury or damage was either employer, is not the necessity and desirability of the employee’s
a direct result or a reasonably probable consequence of the activities, “but the day certain agreed upon by the parties for
act or omissio except the commencement and termination of the employment
relationship.”
b where the employment has been fixed for a
specific project For regular employees, the necessity and desirability of their
c or undertaking the completion or termination of work in the usual course of the employer’s business are the
Escanias v Shangri-La 178827 (2009) which has been determined at the time of the determining factors. On the other hand, independent
engagement of the employee contractors do not have employer-employee relationships
d or where the work or service to be performed is with their principals.
seasonal in nature and the employment is for the
The Court holds that, contrary to petitioners
postulation, Art. 157 does not require the engagement of duration of the season.
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The test for determining regular employment is whether continuous or broken, with respect to the For an employee to be validly categorized as a project
there is a reasonable connection between the employee’s activity in which he is employed. employee, it is necessary that
activities and the usual business of the employer. Article 280
provides that the nature of work must be “necessary or In Integrated Contractor and Plumbing Works, Inc. v. 1. the specific project or undertaking had been identified
desirable in the usual business or trade of the employer” as National Labor Relations Commission, 466 SCRA 265 2. and its period and completion date determined and
the test for determining regular employment. (2005), we held that the test to determine whether made known to the employee at the time of his
employment is regular or not is the reasonable connection engagement.
As stated in ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation v. between the particular activity performed by the employee in
Nazareno, 503 SCRA 204 (2006): In determining whether an relation to the usual business or trade of the employer.
employment should be considered regular or non-regular, This provision ensures that the employee is completely
the applicable test is the reasonable connection between the If the employee has been performing the job for at least one apprised of the terms of his hiring and the corresponding
particular activity performed by the employee in relation to year, even if the performance is not continuous or merely rights and obligations arising from his undertaking.
the usual business or trade of the employer. The standard, intermittent, the law deems the repeated and continuing
supplied by the law itself, is whether the work undertaken is need for its performance as sufficient evidence of the Notably, the petitioner’s service contract with Robinsons was
necessary or desirable in the usual business or trade of the necessity, if not indispensability of that activity to the from January 1 to December 31, 2008.
employer, a fact that can be assessed by looking into the business.
The respondents were only asked to sign their employment
nature of the services rendered and its relation to the general
Clearly, with more than 20 years of service, Villegas, without contracts for their deployment with Robinsons halfway
scheme under which the business or trade is pursued in the
doubt, passed this test to attain employment regularity. through 2008, when the petitioner’s service contract was
usual course. It is distinguished from a specific undertaking
about to expire.
that is divorced from the normal activities required in carrying
on the particular business or trade. We find the timing of the execution of the respondents’
FVR Skills and Services v Seva, 200857 respective employment contracts to be indicative of the
An employee can be a regular employee with a fixed-term
(2014) petitioner’s calculated plan to evade the respondents’ right to
contract. The law does not preclude the possibility that a
security of tenure, to ensure their easy dismissal as soon as
regular employee may opt to have a fixed-term contract for
the Robinsons’ contract expired.
valid reasons. This was recognized in Brent School, Inc. v.
Zamora, 181 SCRA 702 (1990): For as long as it was the The attendant circumstances cannot but raise doubts as to
Article 280 (now Article 294) of the Labor Code governs the
employee who requested, or bargained, that the contract the petitioner’s good faith.
determination of whether an employee is a regular or a
have a “definite date of termination,” or that the fixed-term
project employee. Under this provision, there are two kinds
contract be freely entered into by the employer and the
of regular employees, namely: (1) those who were engaged
employee, then the validity of the fixed-term contract will be
to perform activities which are usually necessary or desirable
upheld. Manalo v. TSN Philippines, 208567
in the usual business or trade of the employer; and (2) those
(2014)
Even probationary employees are entitled to the right to casual employees who became regular after one year of
security of tenure. This was explained in Philippine Daily service, whether continuous or broken, but only with respect
Inquirer, Inc. v. Magtibay, Jr., 528 SCRA 355 (2007): Within to the activity for which they have been hired. We distinguish
the limited legal six-month probationary period, probationary these two types of regular employees from a project
Additionally, a project employee is one whose termination of
employees are still entitled to security of tenure. employee, or one whose employment was fixed for a specific
his employment contract is reported to the DOLE everytime
project or undertaking, whose completion or termination had
the project for which he was engaged has been completed.
been determined at the time of engagement.
The National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) was
Hacienda Leddy v Villegas, 179654 The primary standard in determining regular employment is
correct in saying that in the absence of proof that the
(2014) the reasonable connection between the particular activity
subsequent employment of petitioners continued to be on a
performed by the employee and the employer’s business or
project-to-project basis under a contract of employment,
trade.
petitioners were considered to have become regular
This connection can be ascertained by considering the employees
Art. 280 of the Labor Code, describes a regular employee as
nature of the work performed and its relation to the scheme
one who is either: Petitioners’ successive reengagement in order to perform the
of the particular business, or the trade in its entirety. Guided
same kind of work firmly manifested the necessity and
(1) engaged to perform activities which are by this test, we conclude that the respondents’ work as
desirability of their work in the usual business of TNS as a
necessary or desirable in the usual business janitors, service crews and sanitation aides, are necessary or
market research facility
or trade of the employer; and desirable to the petitioner’s business of providing janitorial
(2) those casual employees who have rendered and manpower services to its clients as an independent In sum, petitioners are deemed to have become regular
at least one year of service, whether contractor. employees. As such, the burden of proving the legality of
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their dismissal rests upon TNS. Having failed to discharge termination of which occurs upon the expiration of said However, seasonal workers who have worked for one
such burden of proving a just or authorized cause, TNS is period irrespective of the existence of just cause and season only may not be considered regular employees.
liable for illegal dismissal. regardless of the activity the employee is called upon to
perform.— Petitioners also assert that the sugarcane cultivation covers
only a period of six months, thus, disproving the allegation of
Thus, under the above Brent School, Inc. v. Zamora, 181 the respondent that she worked for 11 months a year for 25
Basan v. Coca-cola bottlers, 174365-66 SCRA 702 (1990), doctrine, while it was not expressly years. This Court has classified farm workers as regular
(2015) mentioned in the Labor Code, this Court has recognized a seasonal employees who are called to work from time to
fixed-term type of employment embodied in a contract time and the nature of their relationship with the employer is
specifying that the services of the employee shall be such that during the off season, they are temporarily laid off;
engaged only for a definite period, the termination of which but reemployed during the summer season or when their
As for the primordial issue in this case, it must be noted that occurs upon the expiration of said period irrespective of the services may be needed.
the same has already been resolved in Magsalin v. National existence of just cause and regardless of the activity the
Organization of Working Men, 403 SCRA 199 (2003), employee is called upon to perform. Respondent, therefore, as a farm worker is only a seasonal
where-in this Court has categorically declared that the nature employee. Since petitioners provided that the cultivation of
of work of route helpers hired by Coca-Cola Bottlers Considering, however, the possibility of abuse by employers sugarcane is only for six months, respondent cannot be
Philippines, Inc. is necessary and desirable in its usual in the utilization of fixed-term employment contracts, this considered as regular employee during the months when
business or trade thereby qualifying them as regular Court, in Brent, laid down the following criteria to prevent the there is no cultivation.
employees. circumvention of the employee’s security of tenure:
The “pernicious practice” of engaging employees for a fixed 1. The fixed period of employment was knowingly and
period short of the six (6)-month probationary period of voluntarily agreed upon by the parties without any force, Paz v Norther Tobacco Redrying, 199554
employment, and again, on a day-to-day basis thereafter, duress, or improper pressure being brought to bear (2015)
mocks the law upon the employee and absent any other
circumstances vitiating his consent; or
Simply stated, regular employees are classified into: 2. It satisfactorily appears that the employer and the
employee dealt with each other on more or less equal A seasonal sorter from 1974-2003 who is rehired every
1. regular employees by nature of work; and terms with no moral dominance exercised by the former season is a regular employee.
2. regular employees by years of service. or the latter.
Same; Regular Seasonal Employees; The workers of La
The former refers to those employees who perform a Same; Same; Route Helpers; Respondent’s act of hiring and Union Tobacco Redrying Corporation in Abasolo v. National
particular activity which is necessary or desirable in the usual rehiring petitioners for periods short of the legal probationary Labor Relations Commission, 346 SCRA 293 (2000), were
business or trade of the employer, regardless of their length period evidences its intent to thwart petitioner’s security of considered regular seasonal employees since they
of service; while the latter refers to those employees who tenure, especially in view of an awareness that ordinary performed services necessary and indispensable to the
have been performing the job, regardless of the nature workers, such as petitioners herein, are never on equal business for over twenty (20) years, even if their work was
thereof, for at least a year. terms with their employers.— only during tobacco season.—
Petitioners, in this case, fall under the first kind of regular
employee above. As route helpers who are engaged in the
service of loading and unloading softdrink products of Hacienda Cataywa v Lorenzo, 179640 Dela Cruz v Maersk Filipinas Crewing,
respondent company to its various delivery points, which is (2015) 551 SCRA 284
necessary or desirable in its usual business or trade,
petitioners are considered as regular employees.
That they merely rendered services for periods of less than a Seasonal farmworker who worked for only 6 months cannot Seafarers are not covered by the term regular employment,
year is of no moment since for as long as they were be considered as a regular employee. as defined under Article 280 of the Labor Code—they are
performing activities necessary to the business of considered contractual employees whose rights and
respondent, they are deemed as regular employees under Farm workers generally fall under the definition of seasonal obligations are governed primarily by the Philippine
the Labor Code, irrespective of the length of their service. employees. It was also consistently held that seasonal Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Standard
employees may be considered as regular employees when Employment Contract for Filipino Seamen (POEA Standard
Same; Same; Fixed-Term Employees; While it was not they are called to work from time to time. They are in regular Employment Contract), the Rules and Regulations
expressly mentioned in the Labor Code, the Supreme Court employment because of the nature of the job, and not Governing Overseas Employment, and, more importantly, by
(SC) has recognized a fixed-term type of employment because of the length of time they have worked. R.A. No. 8042; It is an accepted maritime industry practice
embodied in a contract specifying that the services of the
that the employment of seafarers is for a fixed period only.—
employee shall be engaged only for a definite period, the
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Even the POEA Standard Employment Contract itself “7.4 The EMPLOYEE acknowledges that the A school personnel
mandates that in no case shall a contract of employment EMPLOYER entered into this Contract upon his
concerning seamen exceed 12 months. It is an accepted express representation that he/she is qualified and 1. who has successfully undergone the probationary
maritime industry practice that the employment of seafarers possesses the skills necessary and desirable for the period herein specified
is for a fixed period only. The Court acknowledges this to be position indicated herein. Thus, the EMPLOYER is 2. and who is fully qualified under existing rules and
for the mutual interest of both the seafarer and the employer. hereby granted the right to pre-terminate this standards of the school
Contract within the first three (3) months of its
Seafarers cannot stay for a long and indefinite period of time
duration upon failure of the EMPLOYEE to meet and shall be considered permanent.
at sea as limited access to shore activity during their
pass the qualifications and standards set by the
employment has been shown to adversely affect them. EMPLOYER and made known to the EMPLOYEE
Furthermore, the diversity in nationality, culture and prior to execution hereof. Failure of the EMPLOYER
language among the crew necessitates the limitation of the to exercise its right hereunder shall be without prejudice 2008 Manual of Regulations for Private
period of employment. to the automatic termination of the EMPLOYEE’s higher education
employment upon the expiration of this Contract or
While we recognize that petitioner was a registered member cancellation thereof for other causes provided herein
of the Associated Marine Officers and Seamen’s Union of and by law."15 (Emphasis supplied)”
the Philippines which had a CBA with respondent Elite
Section 35. Minimum Faculty Qualifications. The
Shipping A.S. providing for a probationary period of
Like those in Villanueva and Servidad, the present contracts minimum qualifications of a faculty in a higher education
employment, the CBA cannot override the provisions of the also provide for two periods. Aside from the fixed one-year institution shall be as follows:
POEA Standard Employment Contract. The law is read into, term set in paragraph 1, paragraph 7.4 provides for a three-
and forms part of, contracts. And provisions in a contract are month period during which petitioner has the right to pre- 1) For undergraduate programs:
valid only if they are not contrary to law, morals, good terminate the employment for the "failure of the employees to a. Holder of a master’s degree, to teach mainly
customs, public order or public policy. meet and pass the qualifications and standards set by the in his major filed
employer and made known to the employee prior to" their b. and where applicable, a holder of
employment. Thus, although couched in ambiguous
appropriate professional license requiring at
language, paragraph 7.4 refers in reality to a probationary
least a bachelor’s degree for the professional
Lynvil fishing enterprises v Ariola, 181974 period.
courses.
(2012)
c. However, in specific fields, where there is
dearth of holders of Master’s degree, a holder
of professional license requiring at least a
Labor Law; Security of Tenure; Court has recognized the
Textually, the provision that: “NA ako ay sumasang-ayon na bacherlor’s degree may be qualified to teach.
validity of fixed-term employment contracts in a number of
maglingkod at gumawa ng mga gawain sang-ayon sa Any deviation from this requirement will be
cases, but it has consistently emphasized that when the
patakarang “por viaje” na magmumula sa pagalis sa Navotas subject to regulation by the commission.
circumstances of a case show that the periods were imposed
papunta sa pangisdaan at pagbabalik sa pondohan ng lantsa d. For Physical Education: A holder of a degree
to block the acquisition of security of tenure, they should be
sa Navotas, Metro Manila” is for a fixed period of in Bachelor of Science in Physical Education,
struck down for being contrary to law, morals, good customs,
employment. with major or minor in physical education, or
public order or public policy
any other bachelor’s degree with certificate in
In the context, however, of the facts that: physical education
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ARTICLE 106. Contractor or Subcontractor. — Whenever with his contractor or subcontractor for any violation of any job, work or service within a definite or predetermined period,
an employer enters into a contract with another person for provision of this Code. For purposes of determining the regardless of whether such job, work or service is to be
the performance of the former's work, the employees of extent of their civil liability under this Chapter, they shall performed or completed within or outside the premises of the
the contractor and of the latter's subcontractor, if any, shall be considered as direct employers. principal.
be paid in accordance with the provisions of this Code.
(d) “Contractor” refers to any person or entity, including a
In the event that the contractor or subcontractor fails to cooperative, engaged in a legitimate contracting or
pay the wages of his employees in accordance with this Department Order 18-A, Series of 2011 subcontracting arrangement providing either services, skilled
Code, the employer shall be jointly and severally liable RULES IMPLEMENTING ARTICLES 106 workers, temporary workers, or a combination of services to a
with his contractor or subcontractor to such employees to TO 109 OF THE LABOR CODE, AS principal under a Service Agreement.
the extent of the work performed under the contract, in the AMENDED
same manner and extent that he is liable to employees (e) “Contractor’s employee” includes one employed by a
directly employed by him. contractor to perform
or complete a job, work, or service pursuant to a Service
The Secretary of Labor and Employment may, by Section 1. Guiding principles. Contracting and Agreement with a principal.
appropriate regulations, restrict or prohibit the contracting- subcontracting arrangements are expressly allowed by law
out of labor to protect the rights of workers established and are subject to regulations for the promotion of
under this Code. In so prohibiting or restricting, he may employment and the observance of the rights of workers to It shall also refer to regular employees of the contractor whose
just and humane conditions of work, security of tenure, self- functions are not dependent on the performance or
make appropriate distinctions between labor-only
organization and collective bargaining. Labor-only contracting completion of a specific job, work or service within a definite
contracting and job contracting as well as differentiations
as defined herein shall be prohibited. period of time, i.e., administrative staff.
within these types of contracting and determine who
among the parties involved shall be considered the
employer for purposes of this Code, to prevent any Section 2. Coverage. These Rules shall apply to all parties (f) “In-house agency” refers to a contractor which is owned,
violation or circumvention of any provision of this Code. of contracting and subcontracting arrangements where managed, or controlled directly or indirectly by the principal or
employer-employee relationships exist. It shall also apply to one where the principal owns/represents any share of stock,
There is "labor-only" contracting where the person cooperatives engaging in contracting or subcontracting and which operates solely or mainly for the principal.
supplying workers to an employer does not have arrangements.
substantial capital or investment in the form of tools, xxx
equipment, machineries, work premises, among others, Contractors and subcontractors referred to in these Rules are
and the workers recruited and placed by such person are prohibited from engaging in recruitment and placement (h) “Principal” refers to any employer, whether a person or
performing activities which are directly related to the activities as defined in Article 13(b) of the Labor Code, entity, including government agencies and government-
principal business of such employer. In such cases, the whether for local or overseas employment. owned and controlled-corporations, who/which puts out or
person or intermediary shall be considered merely as an farms out a job, service or work to a contractor.
agent of the employer who shall be responsible to the Section 3. Definition of terms. The following terms as used
workers in the same manner and extent as if the latter in these Rules, shall mean: (i) “Right to control” refers to the right reserved to the
were directly employed by him.
person for whom the services of the contractual workers are
(a) “Bond/s” refers to the bond under Article 108 of the Labor performed, to determine not only the end to be achieved, but
ARTICLE 107. Indirect Employer. — The provisions of the
Code that the principal may require from the contractor to be also the manner and means to be used in reaching that end.
immediately preceding article shall likewise apply to any
person, partnership, association or corporation which, not posted equal to the cost of labor under contract. The same
being an employer, contracts with an independent may also refer to the security or guarantee posted by the (j) “Service Agreement” refers to the contract between the
principal for the payment of the services of the contractors principal and contractor containing the terms and conditions
contractor for the performance of any work, task, job or
under the Service Agreement. governing the performance or completion of a specific job,
project.
work or service being farmed out for a definite or
ARTICLE 108. Posting of Bond. — An employer or (b) “Cabo” refers to a person or group of persons or to a labor predetermined period.
indirect employer may require the contractor or group which, in the guise of a labor organization, cooperative
subcontractor to furnish a bond equal to the cost of labor or any entity, supplies workers to an employer, with or without (k) “Solidary liability” refers to the liability of the principal,
under contract, on condition that the bond will answer for any monetary or other consideration, whether in the capacity pursuant to the provision of Article 109 of the Labor Code, as
the wages due the employees should the contractor or of an agent of the employer or as an ostensible independent direct employer together with the contractor for any violation
subcontractor, as the case may be, fail to pay the same. contractor. of any provision of the Labor Code.
ARTICLE 109. Solidary Liability. — The provisions of (c) “Contracting” or “Subcontracting” refers to an It also refers to the liability of the principal, in the same manner
existing laws to the contrary notwithstanding, every arrangement whereby a principal agrees to put out or farm out and extent that he/she is liable to his/her direct employees, to
employer or indirect employer shall be held responsible with a contractor the performance or completion of a specific the extent of the work performed under the contract when the
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contractor fails to pay the wages of his/her employees, as other social legislation, to the extent of the work performed (ii) Requiring them to sign, as a precondition to
provided in Article 106 of the Labor Code, as amended. under the employment contract. employment or continued employment, an
antedated resignation letter; a blank payroll; a
waiver of labor standards including minimum
(l) “Substantial capital” refers to paid-up capital However, the principal shall be deemed the direct employer of
wages and social or welfare benefits; or a
stocks/shares of at least Three Million Pesos (P3,000,000.00) the contractor’s employee in cases where there is a finding by
quitclaim releasing the principal, contractor or
in the case of corporations, partnerships and cooperatives; in a competent authority of labor-only contracting, or
from any liability as to payment of future
the case of single proprietorship, a net worth of at least Three commission of prohibited activities as provided in Section 7,
claims.
Million Pesos (P3,000,000.00). or a violation of either Sections 8 or 9 hereof.
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1 . There must be introduction of (c) Retrenchment or Downsizing. - To be a 3. There is no other
machinery, equipment or valid ground for termination, the following must be option available to
other devices; present. the employer
2. The introduction must be done except to close or
in good faith; cease operations.
1. The retrenchment
3. The purpose for such must be reasonably
introduction must be valid such necessary and likely
as to save on cost, enhance (e) Disease. - To be a valid ground for
to prevent business termination, the following must be present:
efficiency and other justifiable losses;
economic reasons;
4. There is no other option 2. The losses, if
already incurred, 1. The employee must
available to the employer than be suffering from
the introduction of machinery, are not merely de
minimis, but any disease;
equipment or device and the
consequent termination of substantial, serious, 2. The continued
employment of those affected actual and real, or if employment of the
only expected, are employee is
thereby; and
reasonably prohibited by law or
5. There must be fair and
imminent; prejudicial to his/her
reasonable criteria in selecting
employees to be terminated. 3. The expected or health as well as to
actual losses must the health of his/her
be proved by coemployees; and
(b) Redundancy. - To be a valid ground for sufficient and 3. There must be
termination, the following must be present. convincing certification by a
evidence, competent public
4. The retrenchment health authority that
1 . There must be must be in good the disease is
superfluous positions or faith for the incurable within a
services of employees; advancement of its period of six (6)
2. The positions or interest and not to months even with
services are in defeat or circumvent proper medical
excess of what is the employees' right treatment.
reasonably to security of tenure;
demanded by the and In cases of installation of labor-saving devices,
actual requirements 5. There must be fair redundancy and retrenchment, the "Last-In, First-Out
of the enterprise to and reasonable Rule shall apply except when an employee volunteers
operate in an criteria in to be separated from employment.
economical and ascertaining who
efficient manner; would be dismissed
3. There must be good and who would be 5.5 Payment of Separation Pay. Separation pay shall
faith in abolishing retained among the
be paid by the employer to an employee terminated
redundant positions; employees, such as
status, efficiency, due to installation of labor-saving devices,
4. There must be fair seniority, physical redundancy, retrenchment, closure or cessation of
and reasonable fitness, age, and operations not due to serious business losses or
criteria in selecting financial hardship
the employees to be financial reverses, and disease.
for certain workers.
terminated, and
5. There must be an
adequate proof of (d) Closure or Cessation of Operation. - To
redundancy such as be a valid ground for termination, the
but not limited to the An employee terminated due to installation of labor-
following must be present.
new staffing pattern, saving devices or redundancy shall be paid by the
feasibility employer a separation pay equivalent to at least one (1)
studies/proposal, on 1. There must be a month pay or at least one (1) month pay for every year
the viability of the decision to close or of service, whichever is higher, a fraction of six (6)
newly created cease operation of months service is considered as one (1) whole year.
positions, job the enterprise by
description and the the management;
approval by the 2. The decision was An employee terminated due to retrenchment shall be
management of the made in good faith; paid by the employer a separation pay equivalent to
restructuring. and one (1) month pay or at least one-half (1/2) month pay
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for every year of service, whichever is higher, a fraction Section 7. Causes of Termination Under the Collective
of six (6) months service is considered as one (1) Bargaining Agreement (CBA). An employee may also be Labor Code
whole year. terminated based on the grounds provided for under the
CBA.
An employee terminated due to closure or Section 8. Mandatory Conciliation-Mediation on Termination
cessation of business operation not due to serious Disputes. All disputes arising out of termination of ARTICLE 300. [285] Termination by Employee. —
business losses shall be paid by the employer a employment shall be subject to mandatory conciliation-
separation pay equivalent to one (1) month pay or at mediation pursuant to Republic Act No. 10396 and its (a) An employee may terminate without just cause the
least one-half (1/2) month pay for every year of service, Implementing Rules and Regulations. employee-employer relationship by serving a written
whichever is higher, a fraction of six (6) months service
is considered as one (1) whole year. Where closure is notice on the employer at least one (1) month in advance.
due to serious business losses or financial reverses, no xxx The employer upon whom no such notice was served may
separation pay is required. hold the employee liable for damages.
Section 9. Settlement Agreement. Any settlement
An employee terminated due to disease shall be paid agreement reached by the parties before the Desk Officer (b) An employee may put an end to the relationship
by the employer a separation pay equivalent to at least shall be final and binding. without serving any notice on the employer for any of the
one (1) month salary or one-half (1/2) month salary for following just causes:
every year of service, whichever is higher, a fraction of In case of failure to reach an agreement during the
six (6) months service is considered as one (1) whole conciliation-mediation period, the request shall be referred to 1. Serious insult by the employer or his
year. compulsory arbitration, or if both parties so agree, to representative on the honor and person of the
voluntary arbitration. employee;
An employee whose employment is
terminated by reason of just causes is not entitled to Section 10. Condition Precedent to Compulsory Arbitration. 2. Inhuman and unbearable treatment accorded
separation pay except as expressly provided for in the the employee by the employer or his
No Labor Arbiter shall take cognizance of the complaint for
company policy or Collective Bargaining Agreement representative;
illegal dismissal unless there is a referral from the Desk
(CBA). Officer pursuant to the Implementing Rules and Regulations 3. Commission of a crime or offense by the
of Republic Act No. 10396. employer or his representative against the
Section 6. Other Causes of Termination. In addition to person of the employee or any of the immediate
Section 4, the employer may also terminate an employee Section 11. Non-compliance with Settlement Agreement; members of his family; and
based on reasonable and lawful grounds specified under its Execution. In case of non-compliance by the employer or
company policies. employee, the terms of the settlement agreement may be 4. Other causes analogous to any of the
enforced by requesting the Desk Officer to refer the same to foregoing.
An employee found positive for use of
the proper Regional Arbitration Branch (RAB) of the National
dangerous drugs shall be dealt with administratively b. Without cause, resignation
which shall be a ground for suspension or termination. Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) for enforcement of the
agreement pursuant to Rule V, Section 1 (i) of the 2005
An employee shall not be terminated from work Revised NLRC Rules, as amended. The same shall be
based on actual, perceived or suspected HIV status. docketed by the RAB as arbitration case for enforcement of Alfaro vs. Court of Appeals, 363 SCRA
the settlement agreement. The employee or employer may 799, G.R. No. 140812 August 28, 2001
An employee shall not be terminated on basis of also disregard the settlement agreement and file an
actual, perceived or suspected Hepatitis B status. appropriate case before the appropriate forum.
An employee who has or had Tuberculosis shall not be SECTION 12. Repealing Clause. Section 2(4), Section 7,
Generally, an employee who voluntarily resigns from
discriminated against. He/she shall be entitled to work for as Section 8, Section 9, Section 10 and Section 11 of Rule l,
employment is not entitled to separation pay. In the present
long as they are certified by the company's accredited health Book VI of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the
case, however, upon the request of petitioner, private
provider as medically fit and shall be restored to work as Labor Code of the Philippines, as amended, are hereby
respondent agreed to a scheme whereby the former would
soon as his/her illness is controlled. repealed. All other rules and regulations issued by the
receive separation pay despite having resigned voluntarily.
Secretary of Labor and Employment inconsistent with the
Thus, the terms and conditions they both agreed upon
provision of this Rules are hereby superseded.
constituted a contract freely entered into, which should be
performed in good faith, as it constituted the law between the
Sexual harassment is considered a serious misconduct. It is parties.
reprehensible enough but more so when inflicted by those 1. Severance of ER-ee by employee
with moral ascendancy over their victim. Voluntary resignation is defined as the act of an employee,
a. Just cause
who finds himself in a situation in which he believes that
personal reasons cannot be sacrificed in favor of the
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exigency of the service; thus, he has no other choice but to employee cannot claim illegal dismissal for the employer has 1. The bonafide suspension of the operation of a
disassociate himself from his employment. the right to determine who his employees will be. To say that business or undertaking for a period not exceeding six
an employee who has resigned is illegally dismissed, is to (6) months,
As discussed above, petitioner negotiated for a resignation encroach upon the right of employers to hire persons who 2. or the fulfillment by the employee of a military or civic
with separation pay as the manner in which his employment duty shall not terminate employment.
will be of service to them.
relations with private respondent would end. He was already In all such cases, the employer shall reinstate the employee
suffering from a lingering illness at the time he tendered his Under the terms of the employment contract, it is the ship’s to his former position without loss of seniority rights if he
resignation. His continued employment would have been Master who determines where a seaman requesting relief indicates his desire to resume his work not later than one
detrimental not only to his health, but also to his performance may be “signed off.” It is, therefore, erroneous for private (1) month from the resumption of operations of his employer
as an employee of private respondent. respondent to claim that his resignation was effective only in or from his relief from the military or civic duty
Greece and that because he was not immediately allowed to
Clearly then, the claim of petitioner that he was illegally disembark in Greece (as the employer wanted compliance
dismissed cannot be sustained, considering that his with the contractual conditions for termination on the part of
voluntary resignation has been indubitably established as a the employee), the resignation was to be deemed
fact by the three tribunals below. Indeed, illegal dismissal automatically withdrawn. 3. Termination by Employer
and voluntary resignation are adversely opposed modes of a. Substantive due process
terminating employment relations, in that the presence of i. Just causes
one precludes that of the other.
a.) Serious misconduct/willful disobedience
Blue Angel Manpower and Security
Services, Inc. vs. Court of Appeals, 560
SCRA 157, G.R. No. 161196 July 28,
Intertrod Maritime, Inc. vs. NLRC, 198 2008 Northwest Airlines v. Del Rosario,
SCRA 318, G.R. No. 81087 June 19,
157633 (2014)
1991
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With regard to respondent’s alleged failure to report for work 2. second, an assessment of the said circumstances vis-à- While there were previous incidents of “hoarding,” it appears
on April 1, 1996 and failure to enroll during the first vis the prevailing norms of conduct, i.e., what the that such acts were — in similar fashion — furtively made
semester, the Court of Appeals and the Voluntary Arbitrator society generally considers moral and respectable.— and the items secretly kept, as any excess items found in the
found that she did in fact report for work on April 1, 1996 and concerned nurse’s possession would have to be confiscated.
that she was in fact enrolled during the first semester. Well- That the petitioner was employed by a Catholic educational
settled is the rule that the factual findings of the Court of institution per se does not absolutely determine whether her Hence, the fact that no one was caught and/or sanctioned for
Appeals are conclusive on the parties and are not reviewable pregnancy out of wedlock is disgraceful or immoral. There is transgressing the prohibition therefor does not mean that the
still a necessity to determine whether the petitioner’s so-called “hoarding” practice was tolerated by SLMC.
Although the Court gives credence to respondent school’s pregnancy out of wedlock is considered disgraceful or
argument that a private high school teacher still has work at immoral in accordance with the prevailing norms of conduct. Besides, whatever maybe the justification behind the
the end of the schoolyear—to assist in the graduation violation of the company rules regarding excess medical
preparations—and in the beginning of the school year—to The proscription against “disgraceful or immoral conduct” supplies is immaterial since it has been established that an
assist in the enrollment—such tasks cannot be considered a under Section 94(e) of the 1992 Manual of Regulations for infraction was deliberately committed.
teacher’s main duties, the failure to perform which would be Private Schools (MRPS), which is made as a cause for
tantamount to dereliction of duty or abandonment.— dismissal, must necessarily refer to public and secular Doubtless, the deliberate disregard or disobedience of rules
morality by the employee cannot be countenanced as it may
We find the provision of the Faculty Manual ambiguous as encourage him or her to do even worse and will render a
the term “employment” connotes a number of meanings. Admittedly, the petitioner is employed in an educational mockery of the rules of discipline that employees are
Employment in its general sense connotes any work or institution where the teachings and doctrines of the Catholic required to observe.
service rendered in exchange for money. The loose Church, including that on premarital sexual relations, is
connotation of employment may therefore cover jobs without strictly upheld and taught to the students. That her The Court finds it inconsequential that SLMC has not
an employer-employee relationship. indiscretion, which resulted in her pregnancy out of wedlock, suffered any actual damage. While damage aggravates the
is anathema to the doctrines of the Catholic Church. charge, its absence does not mitigate nor negate the
The act of respondent in selling insurance and cookware However, viewed against the prevailing norms of conduct, employee’s liability.
was not the “employment” prohibited by the Faculty Manual. the petitioner’s conduct cannot be considered as disgraceful
The prohibition against outside employment was enacted to or immoral; such conduct is not denounced by public and Neither is SLMC’s non-filing of the appropriate criminal
prevent the teacher from using the study leave period for secular morality. It may be an unusual arrangement, but it charges relevant to this analysis. An employee’s guilt or
unsanctioned purposes since the School pays the teacher certainly is not disgraceful or immoral within the innocence in a criminal case is not determinative of the
while pursuing further studies. That rationale was not contemplation of the law. To stress, premarital sexual existence of a just or authorized cause for his or her
violated by respondent for the reason that her part-time relations between two consenting adults who have no dismissal.
activity of selling insurance and cookware could not have impediment to marry each other, and, consequently,
It is well-settled that conviction in a criminal case is not
prevented her in any way from studying and, more conceiving a child out of wedlock, gauged from a purely
necessary to find just cause for termination of employment,
importantly, she was not being paid by the School while on public and secular view of morality, does not amount to a
as in this case. Criminal and labor cases involving an
leave. disgraceful or immoral conduct under Section 94(e) of the
employee arising from the same infraction are separate and
1992 MRPS
How did the school expect her and her family to survive distinct proceedings which should not arrest any judgment
without any income for one whole year? from one to the other. As it stands, the Court thus holds that
the dismissal of Sanchez was for a just cause, supported by
substantial evidence, and is therefore in order. By declaring
St. Luke's Medical Center, Inc. vs.
otherwise, bereft of any substantial bases, the NLRC issued
Sanchez, 753 SCRA 218, G.R. No.
Leus vs. St. Scholastica's College a patently and grossly erroneous ruling tantamount to grave
212054 March 11, 2015
Westgrove, 748 SCRA 378, G.R. No. abuse of discretion, which, in turn, means that the CA erred
187226 January 28, 2015 when it affirmed the same. In consequence, the grant of the
present petition is warranted
Among the employer’s management prerogatives is the right
to prescribe reasonable rules and regulations necessary or
The fact of the petitioner’s pregnancy out of wedlock, proper for the conduct of its business or concern, to provide
without more, is not enough to characterize the petitioner’s Universal Canning, Inc. vs. Court of
certain disciplinary measures to implement said rules and to
conduct as disgraceful or immoral. Appeals, 810 SCRA 369, G.R. No.
assure that the same would be complied with
215047 November 23, 2016
The determination of whether a conduct is disgraceful or The Court observes that there lies no competent basis to
immoral involves a two (2)-step process: support the common observation of the NLRC and the CA
that the retention of excess medical supplies was a tolerated
1. first, a consideration of the totality of the circumstances practice among the nurses at the Pediatric Unit. Fired employees caught gambling inside company premises
surrounding the conduct; and against company rules are not illegally dismissed
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Infraction of the company rules and regulation which is akin able to overcome this burden as the evidence presented
to serious misconduct is a just cause for termination of Aliling vs. Feliciano, 671 SCRA 186, G.R. clearly support the validity of petitioner’s dismissal.
employment recognized under Article 282(a) of the Labor No. 185829 April 25, 2012
Code. First, records show that petitioner indeed unreasonably failed
to effectively communicate with her immediate superior.
There was an apparent neglect in her obligation to maintain
In Lim v. National Labor Relations Commission, 259 SCRA constant communication with Sauceda in order to ensure
Holcim Philippines, Inc. vs. Obra, 799 485 (1996), the Court considered inefficiency as an that her work is up to par. This is evident from the various
SCRA 607, G.R. No. 220998 August 8, analogous just cause for termination of employment under emails showing that she failed to update Sauceda on the
2016 Article 282 of the Labor Code: We cannot but agree with progress of her important assignments on several occasions.
PEPSI that “gross inefficiency” falls within the purview of
“other causes analogous to the foregoing,” this constitutes, While petitioner explained in her written reply to the
therefore, just cause to terminate an employee under Article Prerequisite Notice that such failure to communicate was
Packhouse operator who took a 26m electrical wire, 282 of the Labor Code. due to the company’s computer system breakdown,
believing it was for disposal is illegally dismissed. respondents however were able to negate this as they have
One is analogous to another if it is susceptible of comparison shown that the computer virus which affected the company’s
Time and again, the Court has held that infractions with the latter either in general or in some specific detail; or system only damaged some email addresses of certain
committed by an employee should merit only the has a close relationship with the latter. “Gross inefficiency” is employees which did not include that of Sauceda’s.
corresponding penalty demanded by the circumstance. The closely related to “gross neglect,” for both involve specific
penalty must be commensurate with the act, conduct or acts of omission on the part of the employee resulting in On the other hand, petitioner failed to present any concrete
omission imputed to the employee. damage to the employer or to his business. In Buiser vs. proof that the said computer virus also damaged Sauceda’s
Leogardo, this Court ruled that failure to observed prescribed email account as to effectively disrupt their regular
standards to inefficiency may constitute just cause for communication. Moreover, we agree with respondents’
dismissal. stance that petitioner could still reach Sauceda through other
Cebu People's Multi-Purpose means of communication and should not completely rely on
Cooperative vs. Carbonilla, Jr., 782 In fine, an employee’s failure to meet sales or work quotas the web.
SCRA 418, G.R. No. 212070 January 27, falls under the concept of gross inefficiency, which in turn is
2016 analogous to gross neglect of duty that is a just cause for Second, the affidavits of petitioner’s co-workers revealed her
dismissal under Article 282 of the Code. negative attitude and unprofessional behavior towards them
and the company.
However, in order for the quota imposed to be considered a
Law graduate na Feeling lawyer may dalang law dictionary valid productivity standard and thereby validate a dismissal, In her affidavit,41 Agnes Suzette Pasustento, L&T’s
para cool management’s prerogative of fixing the quota must be Manager for the Corporate Communications Department,
exercised in good faith for the advancement of its interest. attested to petitioner’s “badmouthing” of Sauceda in one of
b.) Gross and habitual neglect of duty their meetings abroad and of discussing with her about filing
The duty to prove good faith, however, rests with WWWEC a labor case against the company. Also, in the affidavits of
as part of its burden to show that the dismissal was for a just Rizza S. Esplana42 (Sauceda’s Executive Assistant),
cause. WWWEC must show that such quota was imposed in Cynthia Yñiguez43 (Corporate Human Resources Manager
Mansion Printing Center vs. Bitara, Jr., good faith. of an affiliate of L&T), and Ana Wilma Arreza44 (Human
664 SCRA 44, G.R. No. 168120 January Resources and Administration Division Manager of an
25, 2012 . affiliate of L&T), they narrated several instances which
demonstrated petitioner’s notoriously bad temper.
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petitioner should exhibit utmost concern for her employer’s c.) Loss of trust and confidence managerial employees, as the latter perform functions that
interest. require the employers’ full trust and confidence.
The third and most important is petitioner’s display of The loss of confidence had sufficient basis. As an account
inefficiency and ineptitude in her job as a CHR Director. and marketing officer, respondent was tasked with the
approval of loans, which is an element of a core banking Managerial employees who were caught unloading one
In the affidavit46 of Ornida B. Calma, Chief Accountant of function. company product in the house of one of the accused by the
L&T’s affiliate company, petitioner, on two occasions, gave PNP and who was thereafter been filed a criminal
wrong information regarding issues on leave and holiday pay Without a doubt, he was entrusted with delicate matters, information against are validly dismissed.
which generated confusion among employees in the including the custody, handling, care and protection of the
computation of salaries and wages. bank’s assets. Given the sensitive functions of his position,
he was expected to strictly observe and comply with the
Due to the nature of her functions, petitioner is expected to bank’s standard operating procedures. Interadent Zahntechnik Philippines, Inc.
have strong working knowledge of labor laws and regulations vs. Simbillo, 810 SCRA 331, G.R. No.
to help shed light on issues and questions regarding the Aside from breaking the trust of his employer, respondent 207315 November 23, 2016
same instead of complicating them. also demonstrated gross and habitual negligence when he
delegated a function that had been specifically reposed in
Petitioner obviously failed in this respect. No wonder she him. His thoughtless disregard of the consequences of
received a less than par performance in her performance allowing an unauthorized person to have unbridled access to If at all, Simbillo can only be said to have acted “carelessly,
evaluation conducted in June 2001, contrary to her assertion the bank’s system and his repeated failure to perform his thoughtlessly, heedlessly or inadvertently’’ in making such a
that an 80.2% rating illustrates good and dependable work duties for a period of time justified his dismissal. comment on Facebook; however, such would not amount to
perfor-mance.
loss of trust and confidence as to justify the termination of
As can be gleaned in the performance appraisal form, her employment. When the breach of trust or loss of
petitioner received deficient marks and low ratings on areas confidence conjectured upon is not borne by clearly
Respondent was guilty of gross and habitual negligence
of problem solving and decision making, interpersonal established facts, as in this case, such dismissal on the
when he failed to exercise the requisite amount of care or
relationships, planning and organization, project ground of loss of trust and confidence cannot be upheld.
diligence in signing the bank certifications.
management and integrity notwithstanding an overall
passing grade. Bank policy clearly required that certifications be issued only
to clients who had opened their accounts legitimately with
As aptly remarked by the CA, these low marks revealed the Inocente vs. St. Vincent Foundation for
the usual identity requirements.
“degree of [petitioner’s] work handicap” and should have Children and Aging, Inc., 794 SCRA 299,
served as a notice for her to improve on her job. However, Even if it were true that he had no access to the information, G.R. No. 202621 June 22, 2016
she appeared complacent and remained lax in her duties respondent should have been alerted of the irregularity by
and this naturally resulted to respondents’ loss of confidence the fact that at least three requests for change of account
in her managerial abilities. name had been submitted in the course of a week.
Since Zaida and Marlon’s relationship was not per se
Taking all these circumstances collectively, the Court is However, respondent proceeded to sign the certifications immoral based on secular morality standards, St. Vincent
convinced that respondents have sufficient and valid reasons without question, evincing a thoughtless disregard of the carries the burden of showing that they were engaged in an
in terminating the services of petitioner as her continued consequences of his actions. act prejudicial to its interest and one that it has the right to
employment would be patently inimical to respondents’ protect against. We reiterate, in this respect, that Zaida and
interest. Because of its status as a business affected with public Marlon were very discreet in their relationship and kept this
interest, a bank is expected to exercise the highest degree of relationship strictly private. They did not flaunt their
diligence in the selection and supervision of its employees. affections for each other at the workplace. No evidence to
We cannot coerce petitioner to retain an employee whom it the contrary was ever presented. Zaida and Marlon’s
cannot trust to perform duties of the highest fiduciary relationship, in short, was almost completely unknown to
nature. As a general rule, employers are allowed wider everyone in St. Vincent; the respondents in fact even
latitude of discretion in terminating the employment of admitted that they discovered the relationship only in 2009.
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Significantly, St. Vincent has fully failed to expound on the The obesity of a cabin crew, when placed in the context of
interest that is within its own right to protect and uphold. The Matis vs. Manila Electric Company, 803 his work as flight attendant, becomes an analogous cause
respondents did not specify in what manner and to what SCRA 187, G.R. No. 206629 September under Article 282(e) of the Labor Code that justifies his
extent Zaida and Marlon’s relationship prejudiced or would 14, 2016 dismissal from the service—his obesity may not be
have prejudiced St. Vincent’s interest. To be sure, the other unintended, but is nonetheless voluntary.—In fine, We hold
employees and volunteers of St. Vincent know, by now, what that the obesity of petitioner, when placed in the context of
had happened to Zaida and the circumstances surrounding his work as flight attendant, becomes an analogous cause
her dismissal. But, the attention which the relationship had It is established that Matis was a foreman with a monthly under Article 282(e) of the Labor Code that justifies his
drawn could hardly be imputed to her; if at all, it was the salary of P57,000.00 at the time of his dismissal. The dismissal from the service. His obesity may not be
respondents’ actions and reactions which should be blamed vehicles being utilized in the repair and maintenance of unintended, but is nonetheless voluntary. As the CA correctly
for the undesired publicity. Meralco’s distribution lines ordinarily carried necessary puts it, “[v]oluntariness basically means that the just cause is
equipment, tools, supplies and materials. Thus, Matis, as the solely attributable to the employee without any external force
Based on these considerations, we find that Zaida clearly did foreman, is routinely entrusted with the care and custody of influencing or controlling his actions. This element runs
not violate the Non-Fraternization Policy when she continued Meralco’s properties in the exercise of his function through all just causes under Article 282, whether they be in
her relationship with Marlon despite the Policy’s adoption in the nature of a wrongful action or omission. Gross and
2006. As explicitly worded, the Policy “does not wish to habitual neglect, a recognized just cause, is considered
interfere with the off-duty and personal conduct of its voluntary although it lacks the element of intent found in
employees,” and only strongly discourages (thus still d.) Commission of a crime
Article 282(a), (c), and (d).”
technically allows) consensual romantic or sexual e.) Analogous cases
relationships; it does not prohibit such relationships. No Employment in particular jobs may not be limited to persons
evidence furthermore has been shown indicating Zaida’s of a particular sex, religion, or national origin unless the
abuse of her supervisory position, before or after the Policy employer can show that sex, religion, or national origin is an
was put in place. Her failure, therefore, to observe the Policy Hocheng Philippines Corporation vs. actual qualification for performing the job. The qualification is
or to otherwise disclose the relationship, which continued Farrales, 754 SCRA 31, G.R. No. 211497 called a bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ). In the
even after the adoption of the Policy, did not constitute a March 18, 2015 United States, there are a few federal and many state job
violation of company policy to justify her dismissal. discrimination laws that contain an exception allowing an
employer to engage in an otherwise unlawful form of
Willful breach of trust, as just cause for the termination of prohibited discrimination when the action is based on a
employment, is founded on the fact that the employee Illegally dismissed: Employee who was alleged to have BFOQ necessary to the normal operation of a business or
concerned: (1) holds a position of trust and confidence, i.e., committed theft but proven otherwise. enterprise.
managerial personnel or those vested with powers and
prerogatives to lay down management policies and/or to hire, Theft committed by an employee against a person other than Bona Fide Occupational Qualification (BFOQ) is valid
transfer, suspend, layoff, recall, discharge, assign or his employer, if proven by substantial evidence, is a cause “provided it reflects an inherent quality reasonably necessary
discipline employees; or (2) is routinely charged with the analogous to serious misconduct. for satisfactory job performance; Under the “Meiorin Test,”
care and custody of the employer’s money or property, i.e.,
Misconduct is improper or wrong conduct, it is the 1. the employer must show that it adopted the standard for
cashiers, auditors, property custodians, or those who, in
transgression of some established and definite rule of action, a purpose rationally connected to the performance of
normal and routine exercise of their functions, regularly
a forbidden act, a dereliction of duty, willful in character, and the job,
handle significant amounts of money or property. In any of
implies wrongful intent and not mere error in judgment. The 2. the employer must establish that the standard is
these situations, it is the employee’s breach of the trust that
misconduct to be serious must be of such grave and reasonably necessary to the accomplishment of that
his or her position holds which results in the employer’s loss
aggravated character and not merely trivial or unimportant. work-related purpose, and,
of confidence. Significantly, loss of confidence is, by its
Such misconduct, however serious, must, nevertheless, be 3. the employer must establish that the standard is
nature, subjective and prone to abuse by the employer.
in connection with the employee’s work to constitute just reasonably necessary in order to accomplish the
Thus, the law requires that the breach of trust — which
cause for his separation. legitimate work-related purpose.
results in the loss of confidence — must be willful. The
breach is willful if it is done intentionally, knowingly and
purposely, without justifiable excuse, as distinguished from Similarly, in Star Paper Corporation v. Simbol, 487 SCRA
an act done carelessly, thoughtlessly, heedlessly, or 228 (2006), this Court held that in order to justify a BFOQ,
Yrasuegui vs. Philippine Airlines, Inc., the employer must prove that
inadvertently 569 SCRA 467 , G.R. No. 168081
October 17, 2008 1. the employment qualification is reasonably related to
the essential operation of the job involved; and
2. that there is factual basis for believing that all or
substantially all persons meeting the qualification would
be unable to properly perform the duties of the job.
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In short, the test of reasonableness of the company policy is Abandonment constitutes a just cause for dismissal because
used because it is parallel to BFOQ. BFOQ is valid “provided “[t]he law in protecting the rights of the laborer, authorizes Calipay vs. National Labor Relations
it reflects an inherent quality reasonably necessary for neither oppression nor self-destruction of the employer.” The Commission, 626 SCRA 409, G.R. No.
satisfactory job performance.” employer cannot be compelled to maintain an employee who 166411 August 3, 2010
is remiss in fulfilling his duties to the employer, particularly
the fundamental task of reporting to work. x x x The burden
to prove whether the employee abandoned his or her work
Puncia vs. Toyota Shaw/Pasig, Inc., 795 rests on the employer. Juris-prudence has held time and again that abandonment is
SCRA 32, G.R. No. 214399 June 28, totally inconsistent with the immediate filing of a complaint
2016 Thus, it is incumbent upon petitioner to prove the two (2) for illegal dismissal, more so if the same is accompanied by
elements of abandonment. a prayer for reinstatement. In the present case, however,
petitioner filed his complaint more than one year after his
1. First, petitioner must provide evidence that respondent alleged termination from employment. Moreover, petitioner
failed to report to work for an unjustifiable reason. and the other complainants’ inconsistency in their stand is
2. Second, petitioner must prove respondent’s overt acts also shown by the fact that in the complaint form which they
In the instant case, records reveal that as a Marketing showing a clear intention to sever his ties with petitioner personally filled up and filed with the NLRC, they only asked
Professional for Toyota, Puncia had a monthly sales quota of as his employer. for payment of separation pay and other monetary claims.
seven (7) vehicles from March 2011 to June 2011. As he They did not ask for reinstatement
was having trouble complying with said quota, Toyota even Same; Same; Same; The National Labor Relations
extended him a modicum of leniency by lowering his monthly Commission (NLRC) and the Court of Appeals (CA) found
sales quota to just three (3) vehicles for the months of July that respondent’s failure to return to work was justified
and August 2011; but even then, he still failed to comply. because of his detention and its adverse effects.— g.) Preventive suspension
In that six (6)-month span, Puncia miserably failed in The National Labor Relations Commission and the Court of
satisfying his monthly sales quota, only selling a measly five Appeals found that respondent’s failure to return to work was
(5) vehicles out of the 34 he was required to sell over the justified because of his detention and its adverse effects. Blue Sky Trading Company, Inc. vs. Blas,
course of said period. The Court of Appeals found that petitioner did not refute the 667 SCRA 727, G.R. No. 190559 March
allegation that respondent, while in the custody of the police, 7, 2012
Verily, Puncia’s repeated failure to perform his duties — i.e., suffered physical violence in the hands of its employees.
reaching his monthly sales quota — for such a period of time Thus, the Court of Appeals gave credence to the report
falls under the concept of gross inefficiency. In this regard, submitted by Inspector Escartin, which stated that
case law instructs that “gross inefficiency” is analogous to respondent was “so traumatized that he actually asked to We, however, find no merit in the challenge made by Arlene
“gross neglect of duty,” a just cause of dismissal under remain in the custody of the police because he feared for his and Joseph against the legality of the preventive suspension
Article 297 of the Labor Code, for both involve specific acts life.” The Court of Appeals further found that respondent imposed by Blue Sky upon them pending the investigation of
of omission on the part of the employee resulting in damage experienced intense fear, “manifest[ed] by the fact that he the alleged theft. In Mandapat v. Add Force Personnel
to the employer or to his business. left the custody of the police only when his mother Services, Inc., 624 SCRA 155 (2010), we explained that
accompanied him.” Thus, the intervening period when preventive suspension may be legally imposed on an
Same; Same; While Toyota afforded Puncia the opportunity respondent failed to report for work, from respondent’s employee whose alleged violation is the subject of an
to refute the charge of gross inefficiency against him, the prison release to the time he actually reported for work, was investigation. The purpose of the suspension is to prevent an
latter was completely deprived of the same when he was justified. Since there was a justifiable reason for employee from causing harm or injury to his colleagues and
dismissed for gross insubordination — a completely different respondent’s absence, the first element of abandonment was to the employer. The maximum period of suspension is 30
ground from what was stated in the Notice to Explain. not established. days, beyond which the employee should either be
reinstated or be paid wages and benefits due to him.
The act of reporting to work after the Complaint had been
dropped showed that respondent had no intention to sever h.) Termination of a probationary employee
f.) Abandonment
his employer-employee relationship with petitioner.
Respondent did not commit any overt act which would show
his intention to sever this relationship. He clearly intended to
resume employment. Canadian Opportunities Unlimited, Inc.
Protective Maximum Security Agency,
vs. Dalangin, Jr., 665 SCRA 21, G.R. No.
Inc. vs. Fuentes, 750 SCRA 302, G.R.
172223 February 6, 2012
No. 169303 February 11, 2015
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Valid dismissal: Probationary EE who, within the 4 months of The foregoing contention lacks factual and legal basis, Invalid retrenchment; no clear and convincing evidence; the
employment, manifested his lack of qualification: Refused to hence, bereft of merit. Financial statements are merely annexed to the pleading
attend value formation seminar, prolonged lunch breaks, and not presented as evidence.
failure to act on client’s cause. Hence, there is just cause in Broadly speaking, there appears no complete dissolution of
the dismissal. petitioner’s business undertaking but the relocation of As correctly pointed out by Am-Phil, retrenchment entails an
petitioner’s plant to Batangas, in our view, amounts to exercise of management prerogative. In Andrada v. National
Labor Law; Probationary Employees; A probationary cessation of petitioner’s business operations in Makati. Labor Relations Commission, 541 SCRA 538 (2007), this
appointment gives the employer an opportunity to observe court stated: Retrenchment is an exercise of management’s
the fitness of a probationer while at work, and to ascertain It must be stressed that the phrase “closure or cessation of prerogative to terminate the employment of its employees en
whether he would be a proper and efficient employee.— operation of an establishment or undertaking not due to masse, to either minimize or prevent losses, or when the
Dalangin was barely a month on the job when the company serious business losses or reverses” under Article 283 of the company is about to close or cease operations for causes
terminated his employment. He was found wanting in Labor Code includes both the complete cessation of all not due to business losses.
qualities that would make him a “proper and efficient” business operations and the cessation of only part of a
employee or, as the company put it, he was unfit and company’s business. In Philippine Tobacco Flue-Curing & Retrenchment has been described as “a measure of last
unqualified to continue as its Immigration and Legal Redrying Corp. vs. NLRC, a company transferred its tobacco resort when other less drastic means have been tried and
Manager. processing plant in Balintawak, Quezon City to Candon, found to be inadequate.” Retrenchment is, therefore, not a
Ilocos Sur. tool to be wielded and used nonchalantly. To justify
Same; Same; The length of time the probationary employee retrenchment, it “must be due to business losses or reverses
remains on probation depends on the parties’ agreement, The company therein did not actually close its entire which are serious, actual and real.” There are substantive
but it shall not exceed six (6) months under Article 281 of the business but merely relocated its tobacco processing and requirements relating to the losses or reverses that must
The essence of a probationary period of employment redrying operations to another place. Yet, this Court underlie a retrenchment.
fundamentally lies in the purpose or objective of both the considered the transfer as closure not due to serious
employer and the employee during the period. business losses for which the workers are entitled to That these losses are serious relates to their gravity and that
separation pay. they are actual and real relates to their veracity and
While the employer observes the fitness, propriety and verifiability. Likewise, that a retrenchment is anchored on
efficiency of a probationer to ascertain whether he is There is no doubt that petitioner has legitimate reason to serious, actual, and real losses or reverses is to say that the
qualified for permanent employment, the latter seeks to relocate its plant because of the expiration of the lease retrenchment is done in good faith and not merely as a
prove to the former that he has the qualifications to meet the contract on the premises it occupied. That is its prerogative. veneer to disguise the illicit termination of employees.
reasonable standards for permanent employment. The “trial Equally significant is an employer’s basis for determining
period” or the length of time the probationary employee But even though the transfer was due to a reason beyond its who among its employees shall be retrenched. Apart from
remains on probation depends on the parties’ agreement, control, petitioner has to accord its employees some relief in these substantive requirements are the procedural
but it shall not exceed six (6) months under Article 281 of the the form of severance pay. pay in view of the cessation of its requirements imposed by Article 283 of the Labor Code.
Labor Code, unless it is covered by an apprenticeship arrastre operations.
agreement stipulating a longer period. Article 281 provides:
Petitioner’s contention that private respondents resigned
Probationary employment
from their jobs, does not appear convincing. As public This court has outlined the requirements for a valid
ii. Authorized causes respondent observed, the subsequent transfer of petitioner retrenchment, each of which must be shown by clear and
to another place hardly accessible to its workers resulted in convincing evidence, as follows:
a.) Retrenchment the latter’s untimely separation from the service not to their
own liking, hence, not construable as resignation. 1. that the retrenchment is reasonably necessary and
likely to prevent business losses which, if already
Resignation must be voluntary and made with the intention incurred, are not merely de minimis, but substantial,
Cheniver Deco Print Technics of relinquishing the office, accompanied with an act of serious, actual and real, or if only expected, are
Corporation vs. NLRC, 325 SCRA 758, relinquishment. Indeed, it would have been illogical for reasonably imminent as perceived objectively and in
G.R. No. 122876 February 17, 2000 private respondents herein to resign and then file a good faith by the employer;
complaint for illegal dismissal. Resignation is inconsistent 2. that the employer served written notice both to the
with the filing of the said complaint. employees and to the Department of Labor and
Petitioner contends that the transfer of its business is neither Employment at least one month prior to the intended
a closure nor retrenchment, hence, separation pay should date of retrenchment;
not be awarded to the private respondents. It also avers that 3. that the employer pays the retrenched employees
Am-Phil Food Concepts, Inc. vs. Padilla, separation pay equivalent to one month pay or at least
private respondents were not terminated from the service but 737 SCRA 339, G.R. No. 188753
they resigned from their job because they find the new work 1/2 month pay for every year of service, whichever is
October 1, 2014 higher;
site too far from their residences.
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4. that the employer exercises its prerogative to retrench operational meaning to the constitutional policy of providing Ubi lex non distinguit nec nos distinguere debemus (when
employees in good faith for the advancement of its full protection to labor, the employer’s prerogative to bring the law does not distinguish, we must not distinguish).
interest and not to defeat or circumvent the employees’ down labor costs by retrenching must be exercised
right to security of tenure; and essentially as a measure of last resort, after less drastic The employer’s failure to However, the employer’s failure to
5. that the employer used fair and reasonable criteria in means have been tried and found wanting. comply with the one month notice requirement prior to
ascertaining who would be dismissed and who would retrenchment does not render the termination illegal; it
be retained among the employees, such as status (i.e., merely renders the same defective, entitling the dismissed
whether they are temporary, casual, regular or employee to payment of indemnity in the form of nominal
managerial employees), efficiency, seniority, physical i. Proof required damages. Based on prevailing jurisprudence, the amount of
fitness, age, and financial hardship for certain workers. indemnity is pegged at P30,000.00.
The Court has previously ruled that financial statements Proof of financial losses becomes the determining factor in
Invalid retrenchment; Elementary and High school teachers audited by independent external auditors constitute the proving the legitimacy of retrenchment. In establishing a
are illegally dismissed; There was no proof of financial normal method of proof of the profit and loss performance of unilateral claim of actual or potential losses, financial
losses because the Financial statements from 1997-1999 a company. statements audited by independent external auditors
are not enough. The company also failed to present constitute the normal method of proof of profit and loss
While an employer may have a valid ground for performance of a company. The condition of business losses
feasibility studies.
implementing a retrenchment program, it is not excused from justifying retrenchment is normally shown by audited
The burden of proving that the termination of services is for a complying with the required written notice served both to the financial documents like yearly balance sheets and profit and
valid or authorized cause rests upon the employer. In employee concerned and the DOLE at least one month prior loss statements as well as annual income tax returns.
termination by retrenchment, not every loss incurred or to the intended date of retrenchment.
expected to be incurred by an employer can justify That petitioners were not able to present financial statements
The purpose of this requirement is not only to give for years prior to 2005 should not be automatically taken
retrenchment. The employer must prove, among others, that
employees some time to prepare for the eventual loss of against them.
the losses are substantial and that the retrenchment is
their jobs and their corresponding income, look for other
reasonably necessary to avert such losses. In this case,
employment and ease the impact of the loss of their jobs but Petitioner BEMI was organized and registered as a
while the respondent may have presented its Financial
also to give the DOLE the opportunity to ascertain the verity corporation in 2004 and started business operations in 2005
Statements, the respondent, nevertheless, failed to establish
of the alleged cause of termination. only.
with reasonable certainty that the proportion of its revenues
are largely expended for its elementary and high school In the case at bar, the memorandum of Del Rosario, the While financial statements for previous years may be
personnel salaries, wages and other benefits. vice-president of the COG, to respondents Bayao and material in establishing the financial trend for an employer,
Castillo informing the latter that they were included in the these are not indispensable in all cases of retrenchment. The
TSRP to be implemented effective September 1, 1998 was evidence required for each case of retrenchment will still
dated August 21, 1998. The said memorandum was received depend on its particular circumstances.
Philippine Airlines, Inc. vs. Ligan, 792 by Castillo on August 24, 1998 and Bayao on August 26,
SCRA 553, G.R. No. 203932 June 8, 1998. The respondents had barely two weeks’ notice of the In fact, in Revidad v. National Labor Relations Commission,
2016 intended retrenchment program. 245 SCRA 356 (1995), the Court declared that “proof of
Clearly then, the one-month notice rule was not complied actual financial losses incurred by the company is not a
with. At the same time, the petitioners never showed that any condition sine qua non for retrenchment,” and retrenchment
notice of the retrenchment was sent to the DOLE. may be undertaken by the employer to prevent even future
Invalid retrenchment; illegal dismissal; Janitors who were
losses: In its ordinary connotation, the phrase “to prevent
allegedly terminated on the ground of retrenchment where It must be stressed, however, that compliance with the one- losses” means that retrenchment or termination of the
PAL failed to overcome the burden of proof month notice rule is mandatory regardless of whether the services of some employees is authorized to be undertaken
retrenchment is temporary or permanent. This is so because by the employer sometime before the anticipated losses are
The employer’s obligation to exhaust all other means to
Article 283 itself does not speak of temporary or permanent actually sustained or realized.
avoid further losses without retrenching its employees is a
retrenchment; hence, there is no need to qualify the term.
component of the first element enumerated above. To impart
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It is not, in other words, the intention of the lawmaker to We have laid down the principle that in selecting the
compel the employer to stay his hand and keep all his employees to be dismissed, a fair and reasonable criteria We find the two-year period covered by the financial
employees until after losses shall have in fact materialized. If must be used, such as but not limited to: statement insufficient for G.J.T. Rebuilders to have
such an intent were expressly written into the law, that law objectively perceived that the business would not recover
may well be vulnerable to constitutional attack as unduly (a) less preferred status (e.g., temporary employee), from the loss. Unlike in North Davao Mining Corporation,
taking property from one man to be given to another. Manatad, and LVN Pictures Employees and Workers
(b) efficiency, and Association (NLU), no continuing pattern of loss within a
sufficient period of time is present in this case. In fact, in one
(c) seniority.
of the two fiscal years covered by the financial statement
FASAP v PAL, 1780803 (2018) The records disclose that no criterion whatsoever was presented in evidence, G.J.T. Rebuilders earned a net
adopted by petitioners in dismissing Rivera and Macaspac. income. We, therefore, agree with the Labor Arbiter and the
Another procedural lapse committed by petitioners is the lack Court of Appeals that G.J.T. Rebuilders closed its machine
of written notice to the DOLE required under Art. 283 of the shop to prevent losses, not because of serious business
In determining the validity of retrenchment, judicial notice losses.58cralawred
Labor Code. The purpose of such notice is to ascertain the
may be taken of the financial losses incurred by an employer
verity of the cause of termination of employment.
undergoing corporate rehabilitation. Considering that G.J.T. Rebuilders failed to prove its alleged
iii. Substantial loss serious business losses, it must pay respondents their
In such case, the presentation of audited financial
separation pay equivalent to one-month pay or at least one-
statements may not be necessary to establish that the
half-month pay for every year of service, whichever is
employer is suffering from severe financial losses.
higher. In computing the period of service, a fraction of at
The presentation of audited financial statements should not G.J.T. Rebuilders Machine Shop vs. least six months is considered a year.5
be the sole means by which to establish the employer’s Ambos, 748 SCRA 358, G.R. No. 174184
financial losses. The presentation of audited financial January 28, 2015
statements, although convenient in proving the unilateral
Shimizu Phils. Contractors, Inc. vs.
claim of financial losses, is not required for all cases of
Callanta, 631 SCRA 529, G.R. No.
retrenchment. The evidence required for each case of
The only time employers are not compelled to pay 165923 September 29, 2010
retrenchment really depends on the circumstances obtaining.
separation pay is when they closed their establishments or
undertaking due to serious business losses or financial
reverses.42cralawred
ii. Standards; reasonable criteria Petitioner presented proof that it incurred substantial losses
as shown by its financial statements and that it substantially
Serious business losses are substantial losses, not de
complied with the requirements of serving written notices of
minimis.43 “Losses” means that the business must have
retrenchment. It was also shown that it offered to pay
operated at a loss for a period of time for the employer “to
Maya Farms Employees Organization vs. respondent’s separation pay.
[have] perceived objectively and in good faith”44 that the
NLRC, 239 SCRA 508, G.R. No. 106256 business’ financial standing is unlikely to improve in the
December 28, 1994 The CA, however, ruled that petitioner failed to show that it
future. implemented its retrenchment program in a just and proper
manner in the absence of reasonable criteria in effecting
The burden of proving serious business losses is with the
such.
employer.45 The employer must show losses on the basis
It is not disputed that the LIFO rule applies to termination of of financial statements covering a sufficient period of
employment in the line of work. Verily, what is contemplated We disagree. In implementing its retrenchment scheme,
time. The period covered must be sufficient for the National petitioner was constrained to streamline its operations and to
in the LIFO rule is that when there are two or more Labor Relations Commission and this court to appreciate the
employees occupying the same position in the company downsize its complements in a progressive manner in order
nature and vagaries of the business. not to jeopardize the completion of its projects.
affected by the retrenchment program, the last one
employed will necessarily be the first to go. Nevertheless, we find that G.J.T. Rebuilders failed to Thus, several departments like the Civil Works Division,
sufficiently prove its alleged serious business losses. Electro-mechanical Works Division and the Territorial Project
Management Offices, among others, were abolished in the
The financial statement G.J.T. Rebuilders submitted in early part of 1996 and thereafter the Structural Steel
Golden Thread Knitting Industries, Inc. evidence covers the fiscal years 1996 and 1997. Based on Division, of which respondent was an Administrator.
vs. NLRC, 304 SCRA 568, G.R. No. the financial statement, G.J.T. Rebuilders earned a net Respondent was among the last batch of employees who
119157 March 11, 1999 income of P61,157.00 in 1996 and incurred a net loss of were retrenched and by the end of year 1997, all of the
P316,210.00 in 1997.57cralawred
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employees of the Structural Steel Division were severed unequal treatment of employees, which is proscribed as an undertaking not due to serious business losses or financial
from employment. unfair labor practice by Art. 248 (e) of said Code. reverses.”
Respondent, in any of the pleadings filed by him, never Under the facts and circumstances of the present case, the The policy distinction underlying Article 297 — that is, the
refuted the foregoing facts. Respondent’s argument that he grant of a lesser amount of separation pay to private distinction between closures due to serious business losses
was singled out for termination as allegedly shown in respondent was done, not by reason of discrimination, but and those which are not — was deftly discussed by the
petitioner’s monthly termination report for the month of July rather, out of sheer financial bankruptcy—a fact that is not Court in the case of Cama v. Joni’s Food Services, Inc., 425
1997 filed with the DOLE does not persuade this Court. controlled by management prerogatives. SCRA 259 (2004), as follows:
Standing alone, this document is not proof of the total
number of retrenched employees or that respondent was the Stated differently, the total cessation of operation due to The Constitution, while affording full protection to labor,
only one retrenched. It merely serves as notice to DOLE of mind-boggling losses was a supervening fact that prevented nonetheless, recognizes “the right of enterprises to
the names of employees terminated/ retrenched only for the the company from continuing to grant the more generous reasonable returns on investments, and to expansion and
month of July. In other words, it cannot be deemed as an amount of separation pay. growth.” In line with this protection afforded to business by
evidence of the number of employees affected by the the fundamental law, Article 283 [(now, Article 297)] of the
retrenchment program. Thus we cannot conclude that no The fact that North Davao at the point of its forced closure Labor Code clearly makes a policy distinction. It is only in
other employees were previously retrenched. voluntarily paid any separation benefits at all—although not instances of “retrenchment to prevent losses and in cases of
required by law—and 12.5 days’ worth at that, should have closures or cessation of operations of establishment or
. elicited admiration instead of condemnation. But to require it undertaking not due to serious business losses or financial
to continue being generous when it is no longer in a position reverses” that employees whose employment has been
On the contrary, we find that petitioner implemented its to do so would certainly be unduly oppressive, unfair and terminated as a result are entitled to separation pay. In other
retrenchment program in good faith because it undertook most revolting to the conscience. words, Article 283 [(now, Article 297)] of the Labor Code
several measures in cutting down its costs, to wit, does not obligate an employer to pay separation benefits
withdrawing certain privileges of petitioner’s executives and The law in protecting the rights of the laborer, authorizes when the closure is due to serious losses. To require an
expatriates; limiting the grant of additional monetary benefits neither oppression nor self-destruction of the employer employer to be generous when it is no longer in a position to
to managerial employees and cutting down expenses; selling do so, in our view, would be unduly oppressive, unjust, and
of company vehicles; and infusing fresh capital into the unfair to the employer. Ours is a system of laws, and the law
company. Respondent did not attempt to refute that in protecting the rights of the working man, authorizes
petitioner adopted these measures before implementing its Benson Industries Employees Union-
neither the oppression nor the self-destruction of the
retrenchment program. ALU-TUCP vs. Benson Industries, Inc.,
employer.
732 SCRA 318, G.R. No. 200746 August
In fine, we hold that petitioner was able to prove that it 6, 2014 When the obligation to pay separation benefits, however, is
incurred substantial business losses, that it offered to pay not sourced from law (particularly, Article 297 of the Labor
respondent his separation pay, that the retrenchment Code), but from contract, such as an existing collective
scheme was arrived at in good faith, and lastly, that the bargaining agreement between the employer and its
criteria or standard used in selecting the employees to be Closure of business may be considered as a reversal of an
employees, an examination of the latter’s provisions
retrenched was work efficiency which passed the test of employer’s fortune whereby there is a complete cessation of
becomes necessary in order to determine the governing
fairness and reasonableness business operations and/or an actual locking-up of the doors
parameters for the said obligation.
of the establishment, usually due to financial losses.
c.) Closure of business To reiterate, an employer which closes shop due to serious
Under the Labor Code, it is treated as an authorized cause
business losses is exempt from paying separation benefits
for termination, aimed at preventing further financial drain
under Article 297 of the Labor Code for the reason that the
upon an employer who cannot anymore pay its employees
said provision explicitly requires the same only when the
North Davao Mining Corporation vs. since business has already stopped. As a form of
closure is not due to serious business losses; conversely,
NLRC, 254 SCRA 721, G.R. No. 112546 recompense, the employer is required to pay its employees
the obligation is maintained when the employer’s closure is
March 13, 1996 separation benefits, except when the closure is due to
not due to serious business losses. For a similar exemption
serious business losses.
to obtain against a contract, such as a CBA, the tenor of the
While serious business losses generally exempt the parties’ agreement ought to be similar to the law’s tenor
As already stated, Art. 283 of the Labor Code does not employer from paying separation benefits, it must be pointed
When the parties, however, agree to deviate therefrom, and
obligate an employer to pay separation benefits when the that the exemption only pertains to the obligation of the
unqualifiedly covenant the payment of separation benefits
closure is due to losses. employer under Article 297 of the Labor Code.
irrespective of the employer’s financial position, then the
This is because of the law’s express parameter that obligatory force of that contract prevails and its terms should
In the case before us, the basis for the claim of the additional
mandates payment of separation benefits “in case of be carried out to its full effect.
separation benefit of 17.5 days is alleged discrimination, i.e.,
closures or cessation of operations of establishment or
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Verily, it is fundamental that obligations arising from hardly justified considering the absence of any causal In the termination of employment under Article 283, the
contracts have the force of law between the contracting relation between the cessation of Irvine’s project in Cavite employer is required to serve a written notice to the
parties and thus should be complied with in good faith; and with the suspension of Lopez’s work. To repeat, Lopez is a respondents and to the Department of Labor and
parties are bound by the stipulations, clauses, terms and regular and not a project employee. Employment (DOLE) of the intended termination of
conditions they have agreed to, the only limitation being that employment at least one month prior to the cessation of its
these stipulations, clauses, terms and conditions are not Hence, the continuation of his engagement with Irvine, either fishing operations.
contrary to law, morals, public order or public policy. Hence, in Cavite, or possibly, in any of its business locations, should
if the terms of a CBA are clear and there is no doubt as to not have been affected by the culmination of the Cavite
the intention of the contracting parties, the literal meaning of project alone.
its stipulations shall prevail. Manila Mining Corporation vs. Amor, 756
In light of the well-entrenched rule that the burden to prove SCRA 15, G.R. No. 182800 April 20,
d.) Retrenchment of OFW the validity and legality of the termination of employment falls 2015
on the employer, Irvine should have established the bona
fide suspension of its business operations or undertaking
that would have resulted in the temporary layoff of its
International Management Services vs. employees for a period not exceeding six (6) months in Without necessarily resulting to a termination of employment,
Logarta, 670 SCRA 22, G.R. No. 163657 accordance with Article 286 of the Labor Code. an employer may at any rate, bona fide suspend the
April 18, 2012 operation of its business for a period of not exceeding six
The employer should be able to prove that it is faced with a months under Article 286 of the Labor Code. While the
clear and compelling economic reason which reasonably employer is, on the one hand, duty-bound to reinstate his
forces it to temporarily shut down its business operations or employees to their former positions without loss of seniority
Same; Same; Same; Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipino a particular undertaking, incidentally resulting to the rights if the operation of the business is resumed within six
Workers Act of 1995; Philippine Law recognizes temporary layoff of its employees months, employment is deemed terminated where the
retrenchment as a valid cause for the dismissal of a migrant suspension exceeds said period. Not having resumed its
or overseas Filipino worker under Article 283 of the Labor operations within six months from the time it suspended its
Code operations on 27 July 2001, it necessarily follows that
Poseidon International Maritime Services,
petitioner is liable to pay respondents’ separation pay
e.) Cessation of business operations Inc. vs. Tamala, 700 SCRA 1, G.R. No.
computed at one (1) month pay or at least one-half (1/2)
186475 June 26, 2013
month pay for every year of service, whichever is higher, as
well as the damages and attorney’s fees adjudicated by the
Labor Arbiter.
Lopez vs. Irvine Construction Corp., 733
SCRA 589, G.R. No. 207253 August 20, Management has the right to regulate the business and Without proof of the serious business losses it allegedly
2014 control its every aspect. Included in this management right is sustained and/or compliance with the reportorial
the freedom to close or cease its operations for any reason, requirements under Article 283 of the Labor Code, petitioner
as long as it is done in good faith and the employer faithfully cannot expediently plead exemption from said liabilities due
complies with the substantive and procedural requirements to the supposed financial reverses which led to the eventual
Pursuant to Article 286 of the Labor Code, the suspension of laid down by law and jurisprudence.—We confirm in this closure of its business. It is essentially required that the
the operation of business or undertaking in a temporary regard that, by law and subject to the State’s corollary right alleged losses in business operations must be proven for,
layoff situation must not exceed six (6) months. to review its determination, management has the right to otherwise, said ground for termination would be susceptible
regulate the business and control its every aspect. Included to abuse by scheming employers who might be merely
Notably, in both a permanent and temporary layoff, in this management right is the freedom to close or cease its
jurisprudence dictates that the one-month notice rule to both feigning business losses or reverses in their business
operations for any reason, as long as it is done in good faith ventures in order to ease out employees. The condition of
the DOLE and the employee under Article 283 of the Labor and the employer faithfully complies with the substantive and
Code, as above cited, is mandatory. Also, in both cases, the business losses justifying retrenchment is normally shown by
procedural requirements laid down by law and jurisprudence. audited financial documents like yearly balance sheets and
layoff, being an exercise of the employer’s management Article 283 of our Labor Code provides: Art. 283. Closure of
prerogative, must be exercised in good faith — that is, one profit and loss statements as well as annual income tax
establishment and reduction of personnel. returns which were not presented in this case.
which is intended for the advancement of employers’ interest
and not for the purpose of defeating or circumventing the Section 23 of the Philippine Overseas Employment
rights of the employees under special laws or under valid Administration-Standard Employment Contract (POEA-SEC)
agreements. (which is deemed written into every overseas employment
Manarpiis vs. Texas Philippines, Inc., 748
contract) recognizes the validity of the cessation of the
Although the NLRC did not expound on the matter, it is SCRA 511, G.R. No. 197011 January 28,
business operations as a valid ground for the termination of
readily apparent that the supposed layoff of Lopez was 2015
an overseas employment
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If the business closure is due to serious losses or financial Also connected with the evidence negating redundancy was g.) Disease
reverses, the employer must present sufficient proof of its SPI’s publication of job vacancies after Mapua was
actual or imminent losses; it must show proof that the terminated from employment.
cessation of or withdrawal from business operations was
bona fide in character Instead of explaining how the functions of a Marketing Marina’s Creation Enterprises vs.
Communications Manager differ from a Corporate Ancheta, 813 SCRA 531, G.R. No.
After evaluating the evidence on record, we uphold the Development Manager, SPI hardly disputed Mapua when it 218333 December 7, 2016
factual findings and conclusions of the labor tribunals that stated that, “[j]udging from the titles or designation of the
petitioner was dismissed without just or authorized cause, positions, it is obvious that the functions of one are entirely
and that the announced cessation of business operations different from that of the other.”48
was a subterfuge for getting rid of petitioner. While the The Implementing Rules of the Labor Code impose upon the
introduction of additional evidence before the NLRC is not SPI, being the employer, has possession of valuable employer the duty not to terminate an employee until there is
proscribed, the said tribunal was still not persuaded by the information concerning the functions of the offices within its a certification by a competent public health authority that the
company closure purportedly averted only by the alleged organization. Nevertheless, it did not even bother to employee’s disease is of such nature or at such a stage that
fresh funding procured by respondent Tan, for the latter differentiate the two positions. it cannot be cured within a period of six months even with
claim remained unsubstantiated. proper medical treatment.
Furthermore, on the assumption that the functions of a
The CA’s finding of serious business losses is not borne by Marketing Communications Manager are different from that In this case, Marina terminated Ancheta from employment
the evidence on record. The financial statements supposedly of a Corporate Development Manager, it was not even without seeking a prior certification from a competent public
bearing the stamp mark of BIR were not signed by an discussed why Mapua was not considered for the position. health authority that Ancheta’s disease is of such nature or
independent auditor. While SPI had no legal duty to hire Mapua as a Marketing at such a stage that it cannot be cured within a period of six
Communications Manager, it could have clarified why she is months even with proper medical treatment. Hence, Ancheta
Besides, the noncompliance with the requirements under not qualified for that position. In fact, Mapua brought up the was illegally dismissed by Marina.
Article 283 of the Labor Code, as amended, gains relevance subject of transfer to Villanueva and Raina several times
in this case not for the purpose of proving the illegality of the prior to her termination but to no avail. There was even no
company closure or cessation of business, which did not showing that Mapua could not perform the duties of a
materialize, but as an indication of bad faith on the part of Marketing Communications Manager. Villaruel vs. Yeo Han Guan, 650 SCRA
respondents in hastily terminating petitioner’s employment. 64, G.R. No. 169191 June 1, 2011
Therefore, even though the CA based its ruling only on the
Prime Manpower advertisement coupled with the purported
disclosure to Mapua, the Court holds that the confluence of
f.) Redundancy other factors supports the said ruling. In consonance with the above findings, the Court finds that
petitioner was the one who initiated the severance of his
What the above reasoning of the NLRC failed to perceive is employment relations with respondent. It is evident from the
that “[o]f primordial consideration is not the nomenclature or various pleadings filed by petitioner that he never intended to
SPI Technologies, Inc. vs. Mapua, 720 title given to the employee, but the nature of his functions.”50 return to his employment with respondent on the ground that
SCRA 743, G.R. No. 191154 April 7, “It is not the job title but the actual work that the employee his health is failing.
2014 performs.”51 Also, change in the job title is not synonymous
to a change in the functions. Indeed, petitioner did not ask for reinstatement. In fact, he
rejected respondent’s offer for him to return to work. This is
A position cannot be abolished by a mere change of job title. tantamount to resignation. Resignation is defined as the
In cases of redundancy, the management should adduce In cases of redundancy, the management should adduce voluntary act of an employee who finds himself in a situation
evidence and prove that a position which was created in evidence and prove that a position which was created in where he believes that personal reasons cannot be
place of a previous one should pertain to functions which are place of a previous one should pertain to functions which are sacrificed in favor of the exigency of the service and he has
dissimilar and incongruous to the abolished office.— dissimilar and incongruous to the abolished office. no other choice but to disassociate himself from his
employment.
“It is not the job title but the actual work that the employee Thus, in Caltex (Phils.), Inc. (now Chevron Phils., Inc.) v.
performs.” Also, change in the job title is not synonymous to NLRC,52 the Court dismissed the employer’s claim of The rule is that an employee who voluntarily resigns from
a change in the functions. A position cannot be abolished by redundancy because it was shown that after declaring the employment is not entitled to separation pay, except when it
a mere change of job title. employee’s position of Senior Accounting Analyst as is stipulated in the employment contract or Collective
redundant, the company opened other accounting positions Bargaining Agreement (CBA), or it is sanctioned by
In cases of redundancy, the management should adduce (Terminal Accountant and Internal Auditor) for hiring. There established employer practice or policy; by way of exception,
evidence and prove that a position which was created in was no showing that the private respondent therein could not Court has allowed grants of separation pay to stand as “a
place of a previous one should pertain to functions which are perform the functions demanded of the vacant positions, to measure of social justice.
dissimilar and incongruous to the abolished office. which he could be transferred to instead of being dismissed.
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In the present case, neither the abovementioned provisions b. Procedural due process
of the Labor Code and its implementing rules and regulations Deoferio vs. Intel Technology Philippines, i. Twin-notice requirement
nor the exceptions apply because petitioner was not Inc., 726 SCRA 676, G.R. No. 202996
dismissed from his employment and there is no evidence to June 18, 2014
show that payment of separation pay is stipulated in his
employment contract or sanctioned by established practice King of Kings Transport, Inc. vs. Mamac,
or policy of herein respondent, his employer. 526 SCRA 116, G.R. No. 166208 June
Intel had an authorized cause to dismiss Deoferio from 29, 2007
employment
Wuerth Philippines, Inc. vs. Ynson, 666 In the current case, we agree with the CA that Dr. Lee's
SCRA 151, G.R. No. 175932 February psychiatric report substantially proves that Deoferio was In the instant case, KKTI admits that it had failed to provide
15, 2012 suffering from schizophrenia, that his disease was not respondent with a “charge sheet.” However, it maintains that
curable within a period of six months even with proper it had substantially complied with the rules, claiming that
medical treatment, and that his continued employment would “respondent would not have issued a written explanation had
be prejudicial to his mental health. This conclusion is further he not been informed of the charges against him.” We are
In Triple Eight Integrated Services, Inc. v. NLRC, 299 SCRA substantiated by the unusual and bizarre acts that Deoferio not convinced. First, respondent was not issued a written
608 (1998), the Court held that the requirement for a medical committed while at Intel's employ. notice charging him of committing an infraction. The law is
certificate under Article 284 of the Labor Code cannot be clear on the matter. A verbal appraisal of the charges against
dispensed with; otherwise, it would sanction the unilateral Same; Same; Disease; The Supreme Court (SC) liberally an employee does not comply with the first notice
and arbitrary determination by the employer of the gravity or construed the phrase “prejudicial to his health as well as to requirement.
extent of the employee’s illness and, thus, defeat the public the health of his co- employees” to mean “prejudicial to his
policy on the protection of labor. health or to the health of his co-employees.”— The present
case involves termination due to disease — an authorized
In the present case, there was no showing that prior to cause for dismissal under Article 284 of the Labor Code. Maersk-Filipinas Crewing, Inc. vs.
terminating respondent’s employment, petitioner secured the Avestruz, 751 SCRA 161, G.R. No.
required certification from a competent public health With respect to the first and second elements, the Court
207010 February 18, 2015
authority that the disease he suffered was of such nature or liberally construed the phrase “prejudicial to his health as
at such a stage that it cannot be cured within six months well as to the health of his co-employees” to mean
despite proper medical treatment, pursuant to Section 8, “prejudicial to his health or to the health of his co-
Rule I, Book VI of the Omnibus Rules Implementing the employees.” It is only in the exceptional case of clear and existing danger
Labor Code. to the safety of the crew or vessel that the required notices
We did not limit the scope of this phrase to contagious
are dispensed with; but just the same, a complete report
It bears stressing that respondent was not an ordinary rank- diseases for the reason that this phrase is preceded by the
should be sent to the manning agency, supported by
and-file employee. With the nature of his position, he was phrase “any disease” under Article 284 of the Labor Code, to
substantial evidence of the findings.
reposed with managerial duties to oversee petitioner’s wit: Art. 284. Disease as ground for termination.—An
business in his assigned area. As a managerial employee, employer may terminate the services of an employee who
respondent was tasked to perform important and crucial has been found to be suffering from any disease and whose
functions and, thus, bound by more exacting work ethic. continued employment is prohibited by law or is prejudicial to NDC Tagum Foundation v Sumakote,
his health as well as to the health of his co-employees:
190644 (2016)
He should have realized that such sensitive position required Provided, That he is paid separation pay equivalent to at
the full trust and confidence of his employer in every least one (1) month salary or to one-half (1/2) month salary
exercise of managerial discretion insofar as the conduct of for every year of service, whichever is greater, a fraction of
the latter’s business is concerned. at least six (6) months being considered as one (1) whole The first letter sent by petitioners did not ask respondent to
year. submit an explanation. It appears, rather, that they had
The power to dismiss an employee is a recognized already decided to find a replacement for her and that they
prerogative inherent in the employer’s right to freely manage were only waiting for the confirmation of her transfer to the
and regulate his business. The law, in protecting the rights of UM.
the laborers, authorizes neither oppression nor self-
destruction of the employer. It is settled that a full adversarial hearing or conference is not
required.
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Yet, even if we consider the letter as the first notice, there 4. the dismissal is for just or authorized cause but due This means that the termination is illegal only if it is not for
would still be a breach of the procedural due process process was not observed. any of the justified or authorized causes provided by law.
requirement.
In the first situation, the dismissal is undoubtedly valid and Payment of backwages and other benefits, including
The breach occurred when petitioners did not call a hearing or the employer will not suffer any liability. reinstatement, is justified only if the employee was unjustly
conference during which respondent could have presented dismissed.
her defense. In the second and third situations where the dismissals are
illegal, Article 279 mandates that the employee is entitled to The fact that the Serrano ruling can cause unfairness and
Instead, they placed her right away under preventive reinstatement without loss of seniority rights and other injustice which elicited strong dissent has prompted us to
suspension for five (5) days. Then they dismissed her from privileges and full backwages, inclusive of allowances, and revisit the doctrine.
employment while she was still serving her preventive other benefits or their monetary equivalent computed from
suspension.
the time the compensation was not paid up to the time of
actual reinstatement.
ii. Failure to comply Jaka Food Processing Corporation vs.
The present case squarely falls under the fourth situation. Pacot, 454 SCRA 119, G.R. No. 151378
The dismissal should be upheld because it was established March 28, 2005
that the petitioners abandoned their jobs to work for another
Agabon vs. National Labor Relations
company.
Commission, 442 SCRA 573, G.R. No.
158693 November 17, 2004 Private respondent, however, did not follow the notice AUTHROIZED CAUSE (retrenchment, serious biz losses)
requirements and instead argued that sending notices to the but employer failed to comply with twin-notice rule. Hence,
last known addresses would have been useless because 50k nominal damages.
they did not reside there anymore. Unfortunately for the
JUST CAUSE; Not illegally dismissed but employer failed to private respondent, this is not a valid excuse because the A dismissal for just cause under Article 282 implies that the
comply with the twin notice rule. Hence, 30k nominal law mandates the twin notice requirements to the employee concerned has committed, or is guilty of, some
damages. employee’s last known address. Thus, it should be held violation against the employer, i.e. the employee has
liable for non-compliance with the procedural requirements committed some serious misconduct, is guilty of some fraud
Procedurally, against the employer, or, as in Agabon, he has neglected his
of due process.
duties.
1. if the dismissal is based on a just cause under Article
The rationale for the re-examination of the Wenphil doctrine
282, the employer must give the employee two written Thus, it can be said that the employee himself initiated the
in Serrano was the significant number of cases involving
notices and a hearing or opportunity to be heard if dismissal process. On another breath, a dismissal for an
dismissals without requisite notices. We concluded that the
requested by the employee before terminating the authorized cause under Article 283 does not necessarily
imposition of penalty by way of damages for violation of the
employment: a notice specifying the grounds for which imply delinquency or culpability on the part of the employee.
notice requirement was not serving as a deterrent.
dismissal is sought a hearing or an opportunity to be Instead, the dismissal process is initiated by the employer’s
heard and after hearing or opportunity to be heard, a Hence, we now required payment of full backwages from the exercise of his management prerogative, i.e. when the
notice of the decision to dismiss; and time of dismissal until the time the Court finds the dismissal employer opts to install labor saving devices, when he
2. if the dismissal is based on authorized causes under was for a just or authorized cause. decides to cease business operations or when, as in this
Articles 283 and 284, the employer must give the case, he undertakes to implement a retrenchment program.
employee and the Department of Labor and Serrano was confronting the practice of employers to
Employment written notices 30 days prior to the “dismiss now and pay later” by imposing full backwages. We The clear-cut distinction between a dismissal for just cause
effectivity of his separation. believe, however, that the ruling in Serrano did not consider under Article 282 and a dismissal for authorized cause under
the full meaning of Article 279 of the Labor Code which Article 283 is further reinforced by the fact that in the first,
From the foregoing rules four possible situations may be states: ART. 279. Security of Tenure.—In cases of regular payment of separation pay, as a rule, is not required, while in
derived: employment, the employer shall not terminate the services of the second, the law requires payment of separation pay.
an employee except for a just cause or when authorized by
1. the dismissal is for a just cause under Article 282 of the
this Title. An employee who is unjustly dismissed from work
Labor Code, for an authorized cause under Article 283,
shall be entitled to reinstatement without loss of seniority
or for health reasons under Article 284, and due Deoferio vs. Intel Technology Philippines,
rights and other privileges and to his full backwages,
process was observed; Inc., 726 SCRA 676, G.R. No. 202996
inclusive of allowances, and to his other benefits or their
2. the dismissal is without just or authorized cause but due June 18, 2014
monetary equivalent computed from the time his
process was observed;
compensation was withheld from him up to the time of his
3. the dismissal is without just or authorized cause and
actual reinstatement.
there was no due process; and
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The Labor Code and its Implementing Rules and and submit evidence in support of his defense, “respondent would not have issued a written explanation had
Regulations (IRR) are silent on the procedural due process whether in a hearing, conference or some he not been informed of the charges against him.”
required in terminations due to disease. other fair, just and reasonable way.
(b) a formal hearing or conference becomes mandatory We are not convinced.
Despite the seeming gap in the law, Section 2, Rule 1, Book only when requested by the employee in
VI of the IRR expressly states that the employee should be writing or substantial evidentiary disputes exist First, respondent was not issued a written notice charging
afforded procedural due process in all cases of dismissals or a company rule or practice requires it, or him of committing an infraction. The law is clear on the
when similar circumstances justify it. matter. A verbal appraisal of the charges against an
Intel’s violation of Deoferio’s right to statutory procedural due (c) the ample opportunity to be heard standard in the employee does not comply with the first notice requirement.
process warrants the payment of indemnity in the form of Labor Code prevails over the hearing or
nominal damages. In Jaka Food Processing Corp. v. Pacot, conference requirement in the implementing In Pepsi Cola Bottling Co. v. NLRC, 210 SCRA 277 (1992),
rules and regulations. the Court held that consultations or conferences are not a
454 SCRA 119 (2005), we distinguished between
terminations based on Article 282 of the Labor Code and substitute for the actual observance of notice and hearing.
dismissals under Article 283 of the Labor Code.
Also, in Loadstar Shipping Co., Inc. v. Mesano, 408 SCRA
We then pegged the nominal damages at P30,000.00 if the 478 (2003), the Court, sanctioning the employer for
King of Kings Transport, Inc. vs. Mamac, disregarding the due process requirements, held that the
dismissal is based on a just cause but the employer failed to
526 SCRA 116, G.R. No. 166208 June employee’s written explanation did not excuse the fact that
comply with the twin-notice requirement.
29, 2007 there was a complete absence of the first notice.
On the other hand, we fixed the nominal damages at
P50,000.00 if the dismissal is due to an authorized cause
under Article 283 of the Labor Code but the employer failed
to comply with the notice requirement. The first written notice to be served on the employees should Wallem Maritime Services, Inc. vs.
contain the specific causes or grounds for termination NLRC, 263 SCRA 174, G.R. No. 108433
The reason is that dismissals for just cause imply that the against them, and a directive that the employees are given October 15, 1996
employee has committed a violation against the employer, the opportunity to submit their written explanation within a
while terminations under Article 283 of the Labor Code are reasonable period. “Reasonable opportunity” under the
initiated by the employer in the exercise of his management Omnibus Rules means every kind of assistance that
prerogative. management must accord to the employees to enable them That the workers involved in the incident were “mustered” or
to prepare adequately for their defense. convened thereafter by the captain is inconsequential. It is
iii. Ample opportunity to be heard insufficient compliance with the law which requires, as a vital
This should be construed as a period of at least five (5) component of due process, observance of the twin
calendar days from receipt of the notice to give the requirements of notice and hearing before dismissing an
employees an opportunity to study the accusation against employee.
them, consult a union official or lawyer, gather data and
Perez v. PT&T, 152048 (2009) evidence, and decide on the defenses they will raise against As regards the notice requirement, the Court has stated: “On
the complaint. the issue of due process . . ., the law requires the employer
to furnish the worker whose employment is sought to be
Moreover, in order to enable the employees to intelligently terminated a written notice containing a statement of the
Respondents illegal act of dismissing petitioners prepare their explanation and defenses, the notice should cause or causes for termination and shall afford him ample
was aggravated by their failure to observe due process. contain a detailed narration of the facts and circumstances opportunity to be heard and to defend himself with the
that will serve as basis for the charge against the employees. assistance of a representative.
Petitioners were neither apprised of the charges A general description of the charge will not suffice.
against them nor given a chance to defend themselves. They Neither is the ship captain’s having witnessed the altercation
were simply and arbitrarily separated from work and served Lastly, the notice should specifically mention which company an excuse for dispensing with the notice and hearing
notices of termination in total disregard of their rights to due rules, if any, are violated and/or which among the grounds requirements. Serving notice to private respondent under the
process and security of tenure. The labor arbiter and the CA under Art. 282 is being charged against the employees. circumstances cannot be regarded as an “absurdity and
correctly found that respondents failed to comply with the two-
notice requirement for terminating employees superfluity.”
Same; Same; A verbal appraisal of the charges against an
employee does not comply with the first notice
requirement.—
In sum, the following are the guiding principles in
connection with the hearing requirement in dismissal cases: Lopez vs. Alturas Group of Companies,
In the instant case, KKTI admits that it had failed to provide
(a) ample opportunity to be heard means any meaningful 647 SCRA 568, G.R. No. 191008 April
respondent with a “charge sheet.” However, it maintains that
opportunity (verbal or written) given to the 11, 2011
employee to answer the charges against him it had substantially complied with the rules, claiming that
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Even if there was no hearing, he was required to submit The CA’s observation that “nowhere can it be found in the list Also, in Aberdeen Court, Inc. v. Agustin, 456 SCRA 32
written explanation, which he failed to do so. of Basic Responsibility and Specific Duties and (2005), it has been held that the rule on notifying a
Responsibilities of respondent Magtibay that he has to abide probationary employee of the standards of regularization
As to substantive due process, the Court finds that by the duties, rules and regulations that he has allegedly should not be used to exculpate an employee who acts in a
respondent company’s loss of trust and confidence arising violated” is a strained rationalization of an unacceptable manner contrary to basic knowledge and common sense in
from petitioner’s smuggling out of the scrap iron, conduct of an employee. regard to which there is no need to spell out a policy or
conpounded by his past acts of unauthorized selling cartons standard to be met.
belonging to respondent company, constituted just cause for Common industry practice and ordinary human experience
terminating his services. do not support the CA’s posture. All employees, be they In the same light, an employee’s failure to perform the duties
regular or probationary, are expected to comply with and responsibilities which have been clearly made known to
The right to counsel and the assistance of one in company-imposed rules and regulations, else why establish him constitutes a justifiable basis for a probationary
investigations involving termination cases is neither them in the first place. Probationary employees unwilling to employee’s nonregularization.
indispensable nor mandatory, except when the employee abide by such rules have no right to expect, much less
himself requests for one or that he manifests that he wants a demand, permanent employment. We, therefore find A different procedure is applied when terminating a
formal hearing on the charges against him. In petitioner’s sufficient factual and legal basis, duly established by probationary employee; the usual two-notice rule does not
case, there is no showing that he requested for a formal substantial evidence, for PDI to legally terminate Magtibay’s govern. Section 2, Rule I, Book VI of the Implementing Rules
hearing to be conducted or that he be assisted by counsel. probationary employment effective upon the end of the 6- of the Labor Code states that “[i]f the termination is brought
month probationary period. about by the x x x failure of an employee to meet the
Verily, since he was furnished a second notice informing him standards of the employer in case of probationary
of his dismissal and the grounds therefor, the twin-notice employment, it shall be sufficient that
requirement had been complied with to call for a deletion of
the appellate court’s award of nominal damages to petitioner. Abbott Laboratories, Philippines vs. 1. a written notice is served the employee,
Alcaraz, 701 SCRA 682, G.R. No. 2. within a reasonable time from the effective date of
iv. Terminating a probationary employee termination.”
192571 July 23, 2013
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by now holding that conformably with the evident legislative 166581, G.R. No. 167187 December 7,
intent as expressed in Rep. Act No. 6715, above-quoted, Capin-Cadiz vs. Brent Hospital and 2015
backwages to be awarded to an illegally dismissed Colleges, Inc., 785 SCRA 18, G.R. No.
employee, should not, as a general rule, be diminished or 187417 February 24, 2016
reduced by the earnings derived by him elsewhere during
the period of his illegal dismissal. As regards the alleged erroneous computation of Lazaro’s
monthly pay, it has been settled that if reinstatement is not
The underlying reason for this ruling is that the employee, The Court also finds that Cadiz is only entitled to limited possible, an illegally dismissed employee is entitled to
while litigating the legality (illegality) of his dismissal, must backwages. Generally, the computation of backwages is separation pay and backwages, computed using his gross
still earn a living to support himself and family, while full reckoned from the date of illegal dismissal until actual monthly pay, inclusive of allowances and other benefits or
backwages have to be paid by the employer as part of the reinstatement. In case separation pay is ordered in lieu of their monetary equivalent. Such amounts however must be
price or penalty he has to pay for illegally dismissing his reinstatement or reinstatement is waived by the employee, duly proved before it may be granted by the Court.
employee. backwages is computed from the time of dismissal until the
finality of the decision ordering separation pay. Backwages are computed from the time of dismissal until the
The clear legislative intent of the amendment in Rep. Act No. finality of the decision ordering separation pay, and not
6715 is to give more benefits to workers than was previously Jurisprudence further clarified that the period for computing merely until promulgation of the Court’s decision.
given them under the Mercury Drug rule or the "deduction of the backwages during the period of appeal should end on
earnings elsewhere" rule. the date that a higher court reversed the labor arbitration However, considering that Solidbank ceased operations in
ruling of illegal dismissal. If applied in Cadiz’s case, then the 31 July 2000, we must compute backwages only up to the
Thus, a closer adherence to the legislative policy behind computation of backwages should be from November 17, time of such cessation. To compute “backwages beyond the
Rep. Act No. 6715 points to "full backwages" as meaning 2006, which was the time of her illegal dismissal, until the date of the cessation of business would not only be unjust,
exactly that, i.e., without deducting from back-wages the date of promulgation of this decision. but confiscatory, as well as violative of the Constitution
earnings derived elsewhere by the concerned employee depriving the employer of his property rights.”
during the period of his illegal dismissal. In other words, the
provision calling for "full backwages" to illegally dismissed
employees is clear, plain and free from ambiguity and, Samahang Manggagawa sa General
therefore, must be applied without attempted or strained c. Separation pay
Offset Press Inc. vs. General Offset
interpretation. Index animi sermo est. Press, Inc., 793 SCRA 75, G.R. No.
212960 June 8, 2016
Claudia’s Kitchen v Tanguin, 221096
Lim vs. HMR Philippines, Inc., 731 SCRA (2017)
576, G.R. No. 201483 August 4, 2014 With the case at bench being similar to the cases of Garcia
v. Philippine Airlines, Inc., 576 SCRA 479 (2009), and
Philippine Airlines, Inc. v. Paz, 743 SCRA 1 (2014), the Issue: WHETHER SEPARATION PAY IN LIEU OF
Court agrees with the CA that the valid closure of GOPI’s REINSTATEMENT MAY BE AWARDED TO AN EMPLOYEE
Lim entitled to backwages from the time of dismissal up to operation made it legally impossible to reinstate the WHO WAS NOT DISMISSED FROM EMPLOYMENT. - NO
the time of reinstatement complainants who were members of petitioner SMGOPI.
Article 279 of the Labor Code is clear in providing that an Held: The grant of separation pay in lieu of reinstatement has
Accordingly, GOPI cannot be ordered to pay back wages no legal basis
illegally dismissed employee is entitled to his full backwages beyond the date of closure.
computed from the time his compensation was withheld up
At the time Tanguin initiated the illegal dismissal case, the
to the time of his actual reinstatement The NLRC aptly stated it, when it wrote: Invariably, an complaint had no basis. The status quo ante was that she
employer may not be ordered to pay backwages beyond the was being asked to explain the accusation against her.
The nature of an illegal dismissal case requires that date of closure of business where such closure was due to
backwages continue to add on until full satisfaction. The legitimate business reasons and not merely an attempt to Instead of complying, she opted to file a complaint for illegal
computation required to reflect full satisfaction does not defeat the order of reinstatement. Employee is entitled to dismissal. It was premature, if not pre-emptive, which the
constitute an alteration or amendment of the final decision backwages up to date of closure Court cannot tolerate or accommodate. At this time, her plea
being implemented as the illegal dismissal ruling stands.
for reinstatement, backwages and/or separation pay cannot
Thus, in the present case, a computation of backwages until be granted. Respondent should return to work and answer
actual reinstatement is not a violation of the principle of the complaints against her and the petitioners should accept
Solidbank Corporation vs. Court of her, without prejudice to the result of the investigation
immutability of final judgments. Appeals, 776 SCRA 98, G.R. No. against her.
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4. where the dismissed employee's position is no longer Finally, it must be noted that Tanguin herself is asking for her
available;37 reinstatement, the same being one of the reliefs she prayed
Separation pay warranted when the cause for termination is for in her Appeal47 before the NLRC and even in her
not attributable to the employee's fault, such as those 5. when the continued relationship between the employer Comment48 to the petition for review filed by the petitioners.
provided in Articles 29827 and 29928 of the Labor Code, as well and the employee is no longer viable due to the strained
as in cases of illegal dismissal where reinstatement is no relations between them;38 or To recapitulate, there was neither dismissal nor
longer feasible. 29 abandonment.
6. when the dismissed employee opted not to be reinstated,
On the other hand, an employee dismissed for any of the just or the payment of separation benefits would be for the
causes enumerated under Article 29730 of the same Code, best interest of the parties involved. 39
being causes attributable to the employee's fault, is not, as a HSY Marketing Ltd. Co. vs. Villastique,
general rule, entitled to separation pay. In all of these cases, the grant of separation pay presupposes 801 SCRA 163, G.R. No. 219569 August
that the employee to whom it was given was dismissed from 17, 2016
The non-grant of such right to separation is pay premised on employment, whether legally or illegally. In fine, as a general
the reason that an erring employee should not benefit from rule, separation pay in lieu of reinstatement could not be
their wrongful acts. 31 Under Section 7,32 Rule I, Book VI of the awarded to an employee whose employment was not
Omnibus Rules Implementing the Labor Code, such terminated by his employer. Same; Illegal Dismissals; Termination of Employment; In the
dismissed employee is nonetheless entitled to whatever
absence of any showing of an overt or positive act of
rights, benefits, and privileges he may have under the There were cases, however, wherein the Court awarded
applicable individual or collective agreement with the dismissal, the claim of illegal dismissal cannot be sustained,
separation pay in lieu of reinstatement to the employee even
employer or voluntary employer policy or practice. after a finding that there was neither dismissal nor as such supposition would be self-serving, conjectural, and
abandonment. In Nightowl Watchman & Security Agency, Inc. of no probative value.—Other than the latter’s
As an exception, case law allows the grant of separation pay v. Lumahan (Nightowl)41 the Court awarded separation pay in unsubstantiated allegation of having been verbally
or financial assistance to a legally-dismissed employee as a view of the findings of the NLRC that respondent stopped terminated from his work, no substantial evidence was
measure of social justice or on grounds of equity. In Philippine reporting for work for more than ten (10) years and never presented to show that he was indeed dismissed or was
Long Distance Telephone Co. v. NLRC (PLDT), 33 the Court returned, based on the documentary evidence of petitioner. prevented from returning to his work. In the absence of any
allowed the grant when the employee was validly dismissed showing of an overt or positive act proving that petitioner had
for causes other than serious misconduct or those reflecting The circumstances in this case, however, does not warrant an dismissed respondent, the latter’s claim of illegal dismissal
on his moral character. application of the exception. Thus, the general rule that no cannot be sustained, as such supposition would be self-
separation pay may be awarded to an employee who was not serving, conjectural, and of no probative value.
The payment of separation pay and reinstatement are dismissed obtains in this case. In this regard, it is only proper
exclusive remedies.34 The payment of separation pay for Tanguin to report back to work and for the petitioners to Same; Same; Same; Abandonment; The claims of voluntary
replaces the legal consequences of reinstatement to an accept her, without prejudice to the on-going investigation resignation and/or abandonment deserve scant
employee who was illegally dismissed.35 To award separation against her. consideration considering the failure to discharge the burden
pay in lieu of reinstatement to an employee who was never of proving the deliberate and unjustified refusal of the
dismissed by his employer would only give imprimatur to the No strained relations between the parties employee to resume his employment without any intention of
unacceptable act of an employee who is facing charges
returning.—Petitioner’s claims of respondent’s voluntary
related to his employment, but instead of addressing the Finally, the doctrine of strained relations, upon which the CA
complaint against him, he opted to file an illegal dismissal resignation and/or abandonment deserve scant
relied on to support its pay award of separation to Tanguin,
case against his employer. consideration, considering petitioner’s failure to discharge
has also no application in this case.1âwphi1
the burden of proving the deliberate and unjustified refusal of
In sum, separation pay is only awarded to a dismissed That Tanguin would be spiteful towards the petitioners, respondent to resume his employment without any intention
employee in the following instances: however, is a mere presumption without any factual basis. of returning. It was incumbent upon petitioner to ascertain
Further, the filing of an illegal dismissal case alone is not respondent’s interest or noninterest in the continuance of his
1. in case of closure of establishment under Article 298 sufficient reason to engender a conclusion that the employment, but to no avail.
[formerly Article 283] of the Labor Code; relationship between employer and employee is already
strained. Same; Same; Same; Same; Reinstatement; Since there is
2. in case of termination due to disease or sickness under no dismissal or abandonment, the appropriate course of
Article 299 [formerly Article 284] of the Labor Code; The doctrine on strained relations cannot be applied action is to reinstate the employee without the payment of
indiscriminately since every labor dispute almost invariably backwages.—Hence, since there is no dismissal or
3. as a measure of social justice in those instances where results in strained relations; otherwise, reinstatement can abandonment to speak of, the appropriate course of action is
the employee is validly dismissed for causes other than never be possible simply because some hostility is to reinstate the employee (in this case, herein respondent)
serious misconduct or those reflecting on his moral engendered between the parties as a result of their without, however, the payment of backwages.
character;36 disagreement.46
Same; Same; Same; Separation Pay; An award of
separation pay is inconsistent with a finding that there was
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no illegal dismissal.—Properly speaking, liability for the keeper and inventory-taker of laboratory materials. Clearly, There is no specific provision of law which treats of a
payment of separation pay is but a legal consequence of Mina’s new duties as laboratory custodian were merely temporary retrenchment or layoff and provides for the
illegal dismissal where reinstatement is no longer viable or perfunctory and a far cry from his previous teaching job, requisites in effecting it or a period or duration therefor.
feasible. As a relief granted in lieu of reinstatement, it goes which involved the use of his mental faculties.
without saying that an award of separation pay is These employees cannot forever be temporarily laid off. To
inconsistent with a finding that there was no illegal dismissal. And while there was no proof adduced showing that his remedy this situation or fill the hiatus, Article 286 [now 292]
This is because an employee who had not been dismissed, salaries and benefits were diminished, there was clearly a may be applied but only by analogy to set a specific period
much less illegally dismissed, cannot be reinstated. demotion in rank. As was stated in Blue Dairy Corporation v. that employees may remain temporarily laid off or in floating
NLRC, 314 SCRA 401 (1999), “[i]t was virtually a transfer status.
from a position of dignity to a servile or menial job.”
Six months is the period set by law that the operation of a
d. Constructive dismissal business or undertaking may be suspended thereby
suspending the employment of the employees concerned.
e. Floating status
The temporary layoff wherein the employees likewise cease
Intec Cebu, Inc. vs. Court of Appeals, to work should also not last longer than six months. After six
794 SCRA 266, G.R. No. 189851 June months, the employees should either be recalled to work or
22, 2016 Exocet Security and Allied Services permanently retrenched following the requirements of the
Corporation vs. Serrano, 737 SCRA 40, law, and that failing to comply with this would be tantamount
G.R. No. 198538 September 29, 2014 to dismissing the employees and the employer would thus be
liable for such dismissal.
Intec committed illegal reduction of work hours.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) issued
Constructive dismissal occurs when there is While there is no specific provision in the Labor Code which Department Order No. 14, Series of 2001 (DO 14-01),
governs the “floating status” or temporary “off-detail” of entitled “Guidelines Governing the Employment and Working
1. cessation of work because continued employment is security guards employed by private security agencies, this Conditions of Security Guards and Similar Personnel in the
rendered impossible, unreasonable or unlikely; situation was considered by this Court in several cases as a Private Security Industry,” Section 6.5, in relation to Sec. 9.3,
2. when there is a demotion in rank or diminution in pay or form of temporary retrenchment or layoff. of which states that the lack of service assignment for a
both; continuous period of six (6) months is an authorized cause
3. or when a clear discrimination, insensibility, or disdain The concept has been defined as that period of time when for the termination of the employee, who is then entitled to a
by an employer becomes unbearable to the employee. security guards are in between assignments or when they separation pay equivalent to half-month pay for every year of
are made to wait after being relieved from a previous post service.
Intec’s unilateral and arbitrary reduction of the work day until they are transferred to a new one.
scheme had significantly greatly reduced respondents’ To validly terminate a security guard for lack of service
salaries thereby rendering it liable for constructive dismissal. As pointed out by the CA, it takes place when the security assignment for a continuous period of six months under
agency’s clients decide not to renew their contracts with the Secs. 6.5 and 9.3 of DO 14-01, the security agency must
agency, resulting in a situation where the available posts comply with the provisions of Article 289 (previously Art. 283)
under its existing contracts are less than the number of of the Labor Code, which mandates that a written notice
guards in its roster. should be served on the employee on temporary off-detail or
floating status and to the DOLE one (1) month before the
Divine Word College of Laoag vs. Mina, It also happens in instances where contracts for security
intended date of termination.
789 SCRA 369, G.R. No. 195155 April services stipulate that the client may request the agency for
13, 2016 the replacement of the guards assigned to it, even for want In every case, the Court has declared that the burden of
of cause, such that the replaced security guard may be proving that there are no posts available to which the
placed on temporary “off-detail” if there are no available security guard may be assigned rests on the employer.
posts under the agency’s existing contracts.
There is demotion when an employee occupying a highly We ruled in Nationwide Security and Allied Services, Inc. v.
technical position requiring the use of one’s mental faculty is This Court has held, citing Sebuguero v. NLRC, 248 SCRA Valderama, 644 SCRA 299 (2011): In cases involving
transferred to another position, where the employee 532 (1995), that the placement of the employee on a floating security guards, a relief and transfer order in itself does not
performed mere mechanical work — virtually a transfer from status should not last for more than six months. sever employment relationship between a security guard and
a position of dignity to a servile or menial job. his agency.
After six months, the employee should be recalled for work,
The assessment whether Mina’s transfer amounted to a or for a new assignment; otherwise, he is deemed An employee has the right to security of tenure, but this does
demotion must be done in relation to his previous position, terminated. not give him a vested right to his position as would deprive
that is, from an associate college professor, he was made a the company of its prerogative to change his assignment or
LABOR LAW I under Atty. Nolasco | COMPILATION OF DOCTRINES AND LAWS | DLSU law | Quebal
transfer him where his service, as security guard, will be HELD: NO. The employment of security guards generally they were each given the "Notice to Return to Unit) would only
most beneficial to the client. depends on their employers' contracts with clients who are be in January or February 2009.
third parties to the employment relationship, and the
It cannot, therefore, be gainsaid that the right of security requirements of the latter for security services. No illegal dismissal
guards to security of tenure is safeguarded by administrative
issuances and jurisprudence, in parallel with the mandate of There should be no indefinite lay-offs. After the period of six 3. Retirement
the Labor Code and the Constitution to protect labor and the months, the employers should either recall the affected
working people. security guards to work or consider them permanently
retrenched pursuant to the requirements of the law; otherwise,
Nonetheless, while the Court has recognized the security the employers would be held to have dismissed them, and Grace Christian High School vs.
guards’ right to security of tenure under the “floating status” would be liable for such dismissals. Lavandera, 733 SCRA 498, G.R. No.
rule, the Court has similarly acknowledged the management 177845 August 20, 2014
prerogative of security agencies to transfer security guards Under DOLE Department Order No. 014-01, the tenure of
when necessary in conducting its business, provided it is security guards in their employment is ensured by
guaranteeing that their services are to be terminated only for
done in good faith.
just or authorized causes expressly recognized by the Labor
RA 7641, which was enacted on December 9, 1992,
Code after due process.
The security guard’s right to security of tenure does not give amended Article 287 of the Labor Code, providing for the
him a vested right to the position as would deprive the rules on retirement pay to qualified private sector employees
The respondents insist that they were constructively
company of its prerogative to change the assignment of, or in the absence of any retirement plan in the establishment.
dismissed when they were relieved from their posts at Ibiden.
transfer the security guard to, a station where his services The said law states that “an employee’s retirement benefits
would be most beneficial to the client. Indeed, an employer However, the notices sent to them contained nothing from under any collective bargaining [agreement (CBA)] and other
has the right to transfer or assign its employees from one which to justly infer their having been terminated from their agreements shall not be less than those provided” under the
office or area of operation to another, or in pursuit of its employment. same — that is,
legitimate business interest, provided there is no demotion in
rank or diminution of salary, benefits, and other privileges, Moreover, their complaint for illegal dismissal was even at least one-half (1/2) month salary for every year of service,
and the transfer is not motivated by discrimination or bad prematurely filed on August 14, 2008 because the notices a fraction of at least six (6) months being considered as one
faith, or effected as a form of punishment or demotion were sent to each of them only in the period from July 3, 2008 whole year —
without sufficient cause. to August 2, 2008.
and that “[u]nless the parties provide for broader inclusions,
In this factual milieu, since respondent Serrano was not Nor was the CA justified to simply dismiss the right of the the term one-half (1/2) month salary shall mean fifteen (15)
actually or constructively dismissed from his employment by petitioner to implement the action plan and thereby effect the days plus one-twelfth (1/12) of the 13th month pay and the
petitioner Exocet, it is best that petitioner Exocet direct him rotation and replacement of the respondents as their security cash equivalent of not more than five (5) days of service
to report for work, if any security assignment is still available guards posted at Ibiden. incentive leaves.”
to him.
We have already recognized the management prerogative of The foregoing provision is applicable where
If respondent Serrano still refuses to be assigned to any the petitioner as their employer to change their postings and
available guard position, he shall be deemed to have assignments without severing their employment relationship. (a) there is no CBA or other applicable agreement
abandoned his employment with petitioner. providing for retirement benefits to employees, or
Respondents failed to properly establish that they were (b) there is a CBA or other applicable agreement providing
If no security assignment is available for respondent, dismissed by the petitioner. Aside from the respondents' plain for retirement benefits but it is below the requirement
petitioner Exocet should comply with the requirements of DO allegation that they were illegally dismissed by the petitioner, set by law.
14-01, in relation to Art. 289 of the Labor Code, and serve a no other evidence was presented by the respondents to
written notice on Serrano and the DOLE one (1) month support their contentions. Verily, the determining factor in choosing which retirement
before the intended date of termination, and pay Serrano scheme to apply is still superiority in terms of benefits
We can only uphold the LA's conclusion that the respondents provided.
separation pay equivalent to half month pay for every year of
had actually abandoned their employment and had severed
his actual service.
their employment relationship with the petitioner themselves. The Court, in the case of Elegir v. Philippine Airlines, Inc.,
676 SCRA 463 (2012), has recently affirmed that “one-half
Furthermore, assuming arguendo that when respondents (1/2) month salary means 22.5 days: 15 days plus 2.5 days
reported to the human resource office and the company did representing one-twelfth (1/12) of the 13th month pay and
Spectrum security services v Grave, not provide them with new assignments at that time, the six-
196650 (2017) the remaining 5 days for [SIL].” The Court sees no reason to
month period had not yet lapsed. depart from this interpretation.
The reckoning of the end of the six-month period from the GCHS’ argument therefore that the 5 days SIL should be
supposed termination (July and August 2008, the period when likewise prorated to their 1/12 equivalent must fail.
ISSUE: W/N Respondents were illegally dismissed
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The first takes place at age 65, while the second is primarily however, was that the corporate entity that hired her ceased
Universal robina v Cabulleda (2014) determined by the collective bargaining agreement or other to be government-owned and controlled when it was
employment contract or employer's retirement plan. privatized in 1996. As a result of the privatization of PNB, all
of its officers and employees were deemed retired from the
In the absence of any provision on optional retirement in a government service. Consequently, many of them, Obusan
collective bargaining agreement, other employment contract, included, received their respective retirement gratuities.
or employer's retirement plan, an employee may optionally
This doctrine has been repeatedly upheld and clarified in retire upon reaching the age of 60 years or more, but not
several cases.25 Pursuant thereto, this Court imposed two (2) beyond 65 years, provided he has served at least five years It cannot be said that the PNB-RRP is a retirement
essential requisites in order that R.A. 7641 may be given in the establishment concerned. That prerogative is plan providing retirement benefits less than what the law
retroactive effect: exclusively lodged in the employee.31 requires. In fact, in the computation of the employees
retirement pay, the plan factored what Article 287 require
1. the claimant for retirement benefits was still in the employ Indubitably, the voluntariness of the respondents' retirement
of the employer at the time the statute took effect; and is the meat of the instant controversy. Petitioners postulate To our mind, Obusan’s invocation of Jaculbe on account of
that respondents voluntarily retired particularly when her lack of consent to the PNB-RRP, particularly as regards
2. the claimant had complied with the requirements for Alejandro filed his application for retirement, submitted all the the provision on compulsory retirement age, is rather
eligibility for such retirement benefits under the statute. documentary requirements, accepted the retirement benefits misplaced.
and executed a quitclaim in favor of URSUMCO.
It is evident from the records that when respondents were The records show that the PNB Board of Directors approved
compulsorily retired from the service, R.A. 7641 was already Respondents claim otherwise, contending that they were
merely forced to comply as they were no longer given any the PNB-RRP on December 22, 2000. On February 21, 2001,
in full force and effect. The petitioners failed to prove that the PNB informed all of its officers and employees about it,
respondents did not comply with the requirements for eligibility work assignment and considering that the severance of their
employment with URSUMCO is a condition precedent for complete with its terms and conditions and the guidelines for
under the law for such retirement benefits. its implementation. Then, the PNB-RRP was registered with
them to receive their retirement benefits.
the BIR and, later, was recognized by the Philnabank
In sum, the aforementioned requisites were adequately Employees Association in the CBA it entered with PNB.
satisfied, thus, warranting the retroactive application of R.A.
7641 in this case.
Obusan vs. Philippine National Bank, 625 With the information properly disseminated to all of PNBs
SCRA 542, G.R. No. 181178 July 26, officers and employees, the PNB-RRP was then opened for
2010 scrutiny. The employees had every opportunity to question the
2) Third. Retirement is the result of a bilateral act of the plan if, indeed, it would not be beneficial to the employees, as
parties, a voluntary agreement between the employer and the compared to what was mandated by Article 287 of the Labor
employee whereby the latter, after reaching a certain age, Code. Consequently, the union of PNBs rank-and-file
agrees to sever his or her employment with the former. Retirement plans allowing employers to retire employees who employees recognized it as a legally-compliant and
have not yet reached the compulsory retirement age of 65 reasonable retirement plan by the act of incorporating it in their
years are not per se repugnant to the constitutional guaranty CBA with PNB.
The age of retirement is primarily determined by the existing
agreement between the employer and the employees. of security of tenure. By its express language, the Labor Code
However, in the absence of such agreement, the retirement permits employers and employees to fix the applicable We already had the occasion to strike down the added
age shall be fixed by law. retirement age at 60 years or below, provided that the requirement that an employer must first consult its employee
employees’ retirement benefits under any CBA and other prior to retiring him, as this requirement unduly constricts the
Under Art. 287 of the Labor Code as amended, the legally agreements shall not be less than those provided therein. By exercise by management of its option to retire the said
mandated age for compulsory retirement is 65 years, while the this yardstick, the PNB-RRP complies. employee. Due process only requires that notice of the
set minimum age for optional retirement is 60 years. employer’s decision to retire an employee be given to the
Company retirement plans must not only employee.
LABOR LAW I under Atty. Nolasco | COMPILATION OF DOCTRINES AND LAWS | DLSU law | Quebal
marriage, bears no relation to the achievement of the The illegal dismissal case before the NLRC involved an
policy objective of the law, i.e., “provide meaningful inquiry into the existence or non-existence of an employer-
MATERNITY BENEFITS protection to members and their beneficiaries against the employee relationship.
Coverage hazard of disability, sickness, maternity, old age, death and
other contingencies resulting in loss of income or financial The very same inquiry is needed in the SSC case.
1. Female employee
2. Paid at least three (3) monthly contributions in the 12- burden.”
month period preceding the semester of childbirth, Act of ministration/Proximate cause
abortion or miscarriage
3. 60 days (normal delivery); 78 days (caesarian
operation) sss versus atlantic gulf
4. Only for the first four (4) deliveries or miscarriages
Visayan Stevedore Transport
Company v. Workmen’s
REMEDIES When the controversy involves the non-implementation of Compensation Commission
Commission the approved and agreed dacion en pago on the part of the
SSS, it is a suit for specific performance and one incapable
• Any disputes with respect to coverage, benefits,
of pecuniary estimation beyond the competence of the
contributions and penalties
• Decision shall be final and executory 15 days after Commission Where due to the number of workers engaged in, the loading
notification work, the sanitary facilities on board the ship being loaded
• Exhaustion of administrative remedies should be were rendered inadequate, thus compelling some of the
observed by the parties laborers, including the deceased, to answer the call of nature
• Appeal to the Court of Appeals via Rule 43, then to the ORTEGA VERSUS SSS by going down a barge tied along the right side of the ship, it
Supreme Court via Rule 45 is but logical to consider said barge as an extension of the
working premises of the laborers; and inasmuch as they took
their evening meal on board the ship and were supposed to
resume their work a reasonable time thereafter, they were
Claims under the Labor Code for compensation and under not free to leave the vessel, it is, therefore, held that the facts
SSS versus azote the Social Security Law for benefits are not the same as to of the case do not support the defense of notorious
their nature and purpose. negligence, and the accident must be deemed to be one
arising out of, or in the course of employment
The pertinent provisions of Benefits under the Social
Only the legal spouse of the deceased member is qualified the Labor Code govern Security Law are intended
to be the beneficiary of the latter’s SSS benefits compensability of work- to provide insurance or COMING AND GOING RULE
related disabilities or when protection against the
Although the SSC is not intrinsically empowered to there is loss of income due hazards or risks of
determine the validity of marriages, it is required by Section to work-connected or work- disability, sickness, old age
4(b)(7) of R.A. No. 8282 to examine available statistical aggravated injury or or death, inter alia,
illness. irrespective of whether
and economic data to ensure that the benefits fall into
they arose from or in the
alano versus ecc
the rightful beneficiaries
course of the employment
MEMBER TOTALIZATION
Any person receiving compensation while in the service of Adding up the periods of creditable services or
an employer, whether by election or appointment, contributions under each of the Systems, for purposes of
irrespective of status of appointment, including barangay and eligibility and computation of benefits
Sanggunian officials
1. If a worker is not qualified for any
benefits from both Systems;
2. If a worker in the public sector is not
qualified for any benefits in the GSIS;
III. GOVERNMENT SERVICE INSURANCE or
3. If a worker in the private sector is not
SYSTEM (GSIS) qualified for any benefits from the
SSS.
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