Employers reminded: Observe holiday pay rules

THE Department of Labor and Employment in Central Visayas (DOLE-7) reminded employers to observe pay rules on holidays, particularly on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.

DOLE-7 OIC-Regional Director Cyril Ticao, in a statement, said there are certain rules for pay on these special days and employers are bound to follow them.

“We know already that for special days, the principle of No Work, No Pay shall apply if the employee did not work. But that can be superseded when there is a favorable company policy, practice or collective bargaining agreement granting payment on a special day,” he said.

Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 were declared Special Non-Working Days by President Rodrigo Duterte last August through Proclamation No. 50 issued in August this year.

Labor Advisory No. 13 reiterated this pronouncement, DOLE said in the statement.

Ticao reminded employers to pay an additional 30 percent of the worker’s daily rate on the first eight hours of work if the worker renders work during the special day.

For work done in excess of eight hours or overtime work, he added, the worker shall be paid an additional 30 percent of his or her hourly rate on the said day.

“Employers should exercise extra caution in their computations. It is because there is another computation to be followed for work done during a special day which falls on the worker’s rest day,” Ticao said.

In that case, Ticao further pointed out that the worker has to be paid an additional 50 percent of his or her daily rate on the first eight hours of work.
For work done in excess of eight hours or overtime work during the special day, which likewise falls on the worker’s rest day, he or she shall be paid an additional 30 percent of his or her hourly rate on the said day.

“We urge the employers to religiously follow, familiarize with, and be guided by the guidelines on the payment of wages on holidays. When workers are given what is due to them, then they won’t have any reasons to feel aggrieved and complain,” Ticao added.

In Region 7, Class A cities and municipalities or for those belonging to the expanded Metro Cebu, have a daily minimum wage rate of P366.

For cities and municipalities under the Class B category, the minimum wage rate is set at P333.

According to Ticao, the cities of Toledo, Bogo and the rest of the municipalities in Cebu province except for the towns on the islands of Bantayan and Camotes, belong to the said category.

Class C cities and municipalities in the provinces of Bohol and Negros Oriental, meanwhile, have a daily minimum wage rate of P323.

For Class D municipalities in Siquijor and the municipalities on Bantayan and Camotes Islands, workers should receive P308 in daily minimum wage.
DOLE earlier said that if workers are not given holiday benefits, they can file a complaint before the labor department for adjudication.

Once the department receives the complaint, the agency will summon the concerned employers for its comment on the matter.