DOLE reminds employers on employees' holiday pay

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Monday reminded employers that employees who are required to work during a regular holiday must be paid double their usual rate.

"'Yung regular holiday, pag ikaw ay pumasok kailangan bayaran ng 200 percent ng iyong basic salary, pero mayroong kondisyon, dapat ngayong araw na ito ay pumasok ka o kaya naman ikaw ay naka-leave with pay (The regular holiday when you come in to work, they have to pay you 200 percent more, but there is a condition, either you must come in today or file a leave with pay)," DOLE Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said in a radio interview.

"'Yung ang kondisyon, dapat pumasok ka ngayong araw na ito o kaya naman ikaw ay nakabakasyon na may bayad (That's the condition, come in today or file a vacation leave with pay)," Laguesma added.

Contractual workers, he noted, are also included.

"Ang mga kontrata po, mayroon po yang provision na nagsasaad ng pagtupad sa mga umiiral na labor standard provisions kasama na po yung payment ng holiday pay, 13th month pay, at overtime pay (The contracts usually have a provision that states the fulfillment of the existing labor standards provisions including the payment of holiday pay, 13th month pay, and overtime pay)," Laguesma continued.

"Maliban na lamang yung mga nagtatrabaho na nakasaad na nang eksakto yung halaga na dapat nilang tanggapin sa nakapaloob sa kanilang kontrata (With the exception of those who work that says in their contract that what they should receive has been stated exactly in their contract)," he added.

In Labor Advisory No. 5 issued on Friday, DOLE reminded employers to follow the pay rules.

For work rendered on a regular holiday, employees are entitled to receive a total of 200 percent of their daily wage for the first eight hours.

Meanwhile, if employees work beyond eight hours, they will receive an additional 30 percent of the hourly rate on top of the 200 percent.

Employees who work on a regular holiday that also falls on their rest day should be paid an additional 30 percent of their basic daily wage on top of the 200 percent holiday pay.

On the other hand, they should also receive an additional 30 percent of their hourly rate for any overtime hours worked.

Day of Valor, celebrated every 9th of April, is a national observance that honors the sacrifice and bravery of those soldiers who died during the Battle of Bataan in 1942.

Eid'l Fitr is celebrated by Muslims worldwide, marking the end of the month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan.