DOLE urges employers to release 13th-month pay before Dec. 24
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reminded on Thursday, Nov. 16, all private sector employers to give the mandated 13th-month pay of their workers before Dec. 24.
DOLE Undersecretary Benjo Santos Benavidez said there is neither exemption nor deferment for the release of the 13th-month pay for the workers.
“Paalala sa ating mga employers, sana mas maaga niyong maibigay ang 13th month pay at iba pang bonuses ng ating mga manggagawa. Regular man o hindi, rank and file, supervisory o managerial, nang sa gayon ay mas maging maligaya ang kapaskuhan ng lahat ng manggagawang Pilipino (Reminder to our employers, I'm hoping that you can pay our employees' 13th-month pay and other bonuses as soon as possible. Whether they are regular or not, rank and file, supervisory or managerial, let's make this holiday season happier for all of our fellow Filipino workers,” said Benavidez.
“Ang mga kasambahay tulad ng mga manggagawa sa mga kumpanya, ay entitled din (House helpers, like company employees, are also entitled,” he added.
Earlier, DOLE Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma issued Labor Advisory No. 25, Series of 2023, to advise employers and workers on the proper calculation of the mandatory benefit under the Labor Code of the Philippines and Presidential Decree No. 851.
Qualified for the benefit are rank-and-file workers who are paid on a piece-rate, fixed, or guaranteed wage plus commission, those who have several employers, resigned, were fired, or got a salary differential while on maternity leave.
According to the advisory, the minimum 13th-month pay should not be less than 1/12 of the total basic salary earned by an employee within a calendar year.
Benavidez also clarified that although businesses can request an exemption, this does not guarantee that the application would be approved.
The labor official said that the majority of the companies they examined complied with the need to pay employees for the 13th-month pay.
“Although the IRR of PD 851 allows for an exception—not us—we are not absolving anyone of paying the 13-month pay,” said Benavidez.
To ensure that business owners follow the law, the government has instructed employers to file a report through the DOLE establishment report system on Jan. 15, 2024.
The DOLE Regional/Field/Provincial Office with jurisdiction over the workplace is liable for monitoring compliance with the general labor standard.
The public is advised to call DOLE hotline [email protected] or via direct message to DOLE’s Facebook Page from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., for any queries on the 13th-month pay. (Trixee Rosel)