DOLE issues holiday pay rules

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has reminded the public that today and Jan. 1, 2015 are considered regular holidays so employees working on these dates should be paid double their regular salary for the first eight hours.

For overtime work, employees shall be paid an additional 30 percent of their respective hourly rate.

“For work done during a regular holiday that also falls on an employee’s rest day, he shall be paid an additional 30 percent of double his/her daily rate,” DOLE yesterday noted.

For work done in excess of eight hours on a worker’s rest day, the employee would be entitled to an additional 30 percent of the hourly rate. But if he did not report for work on these days, he will still receive 100 percent of his salary.

DOLE said that for Dec. 31 and Jan. 2, which are declared special non-working days, the “no work, no pay” principle shall apply for employees who would not report for work “unless there is a favorable company policy practice or collective bargaining agreement granting payment on a special day.”         

Those who work during these days shall get an additional 30 percent of their salary for the first eight hours.