Employers warned: Report 13th month pay compliance

CEBU, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment in Central Visayas has reminded employers to submit a report on their 13th month pay compliance within this month.

“All covered employers must be able to submit the compliance report to our office. However, we still be accepting submission of reports even until the last working day of January,” DOLE regional director Johnson Cañete said yesterday.

He said the compliance report must detail the company name, its address, nature of business, total employment, total number of workers benefited, amount granted per employee, total amount of benefits granted, and name, position, contact number of the person giving information.

Cañete has ordered the agency's field offices in Bohol, Negros Oriental, Siquijor and Cebu to closely monitor the companies' reports on their compliance.

The law requires all private employers to pay their rank-and-file employees 13th Month Pay, regardless of the nature of their employment and irrespective of the methods by which their wages are paid, provided said workers have worked for at least one month during the calendar year.

“We have strictly instructed all of our field offices to consolidate the reports submitted to them by establishments located in their respective areas and turn in the same to the regional office not later than 22 January 2019,” he said.

The regional report will be submitted to the Bureau of Working Conditions (BWC) not later than January 25.

Businesses found not complying with the 13th month mandate will eventually be subjected to inspection.

The labor official also urged the workers to help the DOLE monitor the compliance of establishments by immediately reporting violators.

The 13th month pay is the one twelfth of the basic salary of an employee within the calendar year. It could also be released to workers twice a year – one half before the opening of the regular school year and the remaining half on or before December 24.