By Mario Casayuran
Senator Imee R. Marcos appealed to companies and employers on Wednesday to make this Yuletide season a memorable one for their employees by giving them a Christmas bonus.
Senator Imee Marcos (Senator Imee Marcos Official Facebook Page / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
“Bagamat hindi itinatakda sa batas ang pagbibigay ng Christmas bonus, ang mga malalaking kumpanya o maunlad ang negosyo ay maaaring boluntaryo na magbigay ng Christmas bonus sa kanilang mga empleyado,” Marcos said. (Although there is no law mandating the giving of a Christmas bonus, large or successful business companies may voluntarily give Christmas bonuses to their employees.)
Marcos suggested that profitable business establishments could consider giving grocery packs or P2,000 or more to their workers.
“Christmas naman ngayon at malaking bagay na ‘yun sa kanilang mga empleyado,” Marcos explained. (It’s Christmas anyway, and those things would count a lot.)
Anyway, the giving of a Christmas bonus is done only once a year, she added.
“Kung gagawin ito ng isang kapitalista, lalung mahihikayat ang kanilang mga empleyado na magtrabaho nang maayos at higit na magpakita ng katapatan sa kanilang pinapasukang trabaho,” Marcos said. (If an employer does this, their employees will be encouraged to work well and show their commitment at work.)
Marcos earlier said that employers’ non-payment of 13th-month pay has become prevalent despite the existence of a law mandating the release of the incentive.
“Kawawa talaga ang mga empleyado dahil maraming tiwaling kumpanya ang hindi sumusunod sa mga batas sa paggawa,” she said. (Employees are unfortunate because there are many companies that do not obey labor laws.)
“Talamak pa rin ang hindi pagbibigay ng kanilang SSS, walang overtime pay, night differential, walang regularisasyon, hindi maayos na kondisyon ng pinapasukan, at iba pang anyo ng pang-aabuso at labor violation,” she added.
(It is still prevalent that many employers do not pay their employees’ social service contributions, overtime pay, and night differential; also no regularization, unacceptable working conditions, and other forms of abuse and violation of labor laws.)