MANILA, Philippines - The Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) is supporting proposals that seek to protect faultless workers against publication by employers of notices in newspapers or social media of their termination of services.
In a position paper submitted to the House of Representatives, ECOP endorsed the passage of House Bills 989, 1353, 1267, or the “Act Regulating the Practice of Employers in Posting of Notices of Termination of Employment of Former Employees in Newspapers, Social Media, and Other Public Information Venues.”
The three bills have identical provisions and contains common salient features such as declaration of policy, limitations on prerogative to publish termination of employment, damages and liabilities.
The practice of employers in publishing notices in newspapers or social media of their workers termination of services, according to ECOP, makes it difficult for workers to look for new jobs.
“ECOP finds the bills reasonable and just, as it offers some measure of protection for faultless former employees against undue or unnecessary publicity by the former employer that may prejudice their search for new employment,” the group said.
Under the proposals, the employer, in the exercise of his right to publish notices of termination, must act with fairness, respect the dignity, privacy and peace of mind of the former employer and observe good faith.
The bills also stated no employer should publish notices of termination of employment in newspapers unless upon concurrence of several factors such as seriousness of the act committed by the employee and if the employers have reasonable grounds to believe the former employer shall cause loss or compromise the interests of the employer.
Meanwhile, in the same position paper, the group expressed its opposition to House Bill 2625 known as the “Act Mandating All Business Establishments in the Country to Institutionalize Profit Sharing, Repealing and/or Amending All Laws Inconsistent with this Act.”
The proposal mandates all business establishments that made a profit for a fiscal year to annually distribute 10 percent of their net profit to all their employees, both regular and contractual.
ECOP said the bill is oppressive and confiscatory, as well as destructive to the viability of micro and small establishments.