DOLE reminds employers of holiday pay for employees who will work on April 6, 9 and 10
Posted on April 3rd, 2009
Next week the whole country will observe the Holy Week in the Philippines. It will be a week sandwiched between two long weekends as it will only have two working days for the country’s labor force, this is in pursuant to the Proclamation 1699 signed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in December last year.
Because of the signed proclamation, April 9, which is the Araw ng Kagitingan is moved to April 6, the Monday nearest to it. While April 9 and 10, are traditionally observed in the Christian world as the Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, which is two of the most important days of reflections in the Holy Week, are also declared as regular holidays in the country.
This only leaves April 7 and 8, Tuesday and Thursday, as the official working days for the Holy Week.
The labor department, through labor secretary Marianito Roque, reminded employers that employees who will report to on the said holidays (April 6, 9 and 10) will get paid, subject to the holiday pay rules.
The guideline states that if an employee worked on a holiday, he is entitled to 200% of his basic salary for the first 8 hours and, an additional 30% of his her hourly rate for works rendered in excess of 8 hours. If an employee didn’t work, he is still entitled to 100% of his daily rate, provided that he was present or was on official leave (with pay) on the working day immediately preceding the holiday.
Roque also reminded that the signing of Proclamation 1699 further affirmed Republic Act 9492, which provides that holidays, except those which are religious in nature, are moved to the nearest Monday unless otherwise modified by law, order, or proclamation.
