President Marcos authorized the grant of gratuity pay to contract of service and job order workers in government for fiscal year 2024.
Through Administrative Order No. 28, all contract of service and job order workers, who have rendered at least four months of actual satisfactory performance of service as of Dec. 15, 2024 and whose contracts are still effective as of the same date, may be granted a one-time gratuity pay not exceeding P7,000.
Those who have rendered less than four months of actual satisfactory performance of service may also be granted a one-time Gratuity Pay, on a pro rata basis.
While the granting of gratuity pay only covers workers whose services were rendered on-site, those workers whose services were rendered under any alternative work arrangement may also be included in the bonus program subject to the discretion of the agency and the availability of funds.
The order dated Dec. 19 covers workers whose services are directly engaged to national government agencies (NGAs), state universities and colleges (SUCs), government-owned or controlled corporations (GOCCs) and local water districts.
Under the order, the payment of gratuity pay to qualified workers shall be made from Dec. 15.
The order emphasized that granting a year-end gratuity pay to contract of service and job order workers is "a well-deserved recognition of their hard work and valuable participation in the implementation of various programs, activities, and projects of the government, and their pivotal role in the delivery of government services amidst the present socio-economic challenges."
It also noted that while contract of service and job order workers in the government are paid salaries or wages equivalent to those received by personnel occupying comparable positions and a premium of up to 20 percent of such wage, they do not enjoy the benefits accorded to regular government employees such as mid-year and year-end bonuses, performance-based bonus, and personnel economic relief allowance.
Earlier, Marcos also authorized the granting of service recognition incentive (SRI) to all government employees amounting to P20,000 each.