Employers told: Heed Aug. 21 wage order or else …

WITH two holidays falling on Tuesday, the Department of Labor and Employment in Central Visayas (DOLE-7) told employers to be extra cautious in computing workers’ salaries to avoid sanctions.

DOLE-7 Regional Director Johnson Cañete urged employers on Friday to familiarize with the pay rules applicable for the August 21 celebration of the Eid’l Adha, a regular holiday and the NInoy Aquino Day which is a special non-working holiday.

Cañete further encouraged the employers to heed to the new wage order for Central Visayas that took effect on August 3.

Based on the DOLE Handbook on Workers’ Statutory Monetary Benefits, employers who fail to impose the right salary for their workers shall be punished with a fine of P25,000 to P250,000; two to four years of imprisonment or both.

“The employer concerned shall be ordered to pay an amount equivalent to double the unpaid benefits owing to the employees,” the handbook reads.

“We urge the employers to religiously follow, familiarize with, and be guided by the guidelines on the payment of wages on holidays particularly on August 21 where peculiar computations may be noticed since two holidays fall on the same day,” Cañete said.

“When workers are given what is due them, then they won’t have any reason to feel aggrieved and complain to us,” he added.

In the labor advisory issued by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello on Thursday (August 16), an employee who would work on Tuesday is entitled to at least 260 percent of their daily wage rate.

A worker who reports to work on Tuesday shall be paid twice his daily rate and since Eid’l Adha is considered a regular holiday, an additional 30 percent of the workers wage rate for date will also be added to his pay.

For instance, a worker earning the minimum wage (P386) shall be paid P1,003.60 or twice the P386 (P772) plus 30 percent of the day’s equivalent of P772.

But for workers who will render service beyond eight hours, an additional 30 percent on top of his hourly rate on the day’s pay (P772).

An addition of 50 percent or a total of 300 percent of a worker’s daily pay shall also be given if an employee is directed to report for duty on Tuesday if it falls on his rest day.

“Workers should be paid 300 percent of their daily rate which can be broken down to giving them the 200 percent of their daily rate plus 50 percent of the day’s rate,” Cañete said.