Workers entitled to holiday pay

MANILA, Philippines — Hefty pay awaits workers who will opt to work during the observance of Holy Week.

In an advisory, Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma reminded employers that their workers who will opt to work on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Monday are entitled to double their daily pay.

Laguesma said workers shall be paid 200 percent of their regular daily for the first eight hours of work pay and an additional 30 percent of the hourly rate for overtime work.

Those workers whose rest day fall during the holiday break shall receive 230 percent for the first eight hours of work and another 30 percent of the hourly rate for work done in excess of eight hours.

Laguesma said workers who would choose not to work and just enjoy the holiday break are still entitled to get their regular daily pay, provided they reported for work or on leave of absence the day preceding the regular holiday.

Since Black Saturday is a special non-working holiday, Laguesma said, workers who will opt to report for work shall only receive an additional 30 percent of their daily rate.

Workers who will be required to work on their rest day shall be paid 150 percent of the daily rate for the first eight hours of work and an additional 30 percent of the hourly rate for overtime work.

Laguesma, however, stressed that the “no work, no pay” principle shall apply unless there is a favorable company policy, practice or collective bargaining agreement granting payment on a special day.

Malacañang previously announced that the Observance of Araw ng Kagitingan shall be moved from Sunday, April 9, to April 10, a Monday, to enable Filipinos to avail themselves of the benefits of a long weekend.

Thus, Monday shall be considered a regular holiday and workers who will report for work shall receive extra pay.

But Laguesma said Sunday, April 9, shall be considered an ordinary working day and employers shall provide their workers regular daily pay for the first eight hours of work.