We’re right smack in the middle of holiday season, so the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reminded employers to release their employees’ 13th month pay on or before Dec 24.
“It is stipulated in the Labor Code of the Philippines that all employers are required to give the 13th month pay of all employees who have worked for at least one month in the company,” reports Patricia Lourdes Viray on Philstar.com.
DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz was quoted as saying, “The 13th month pay must be paid on or before December 24 of every year. This year, the 24th of December falls on a Wednesday, so employers may pay their workers the 13th month benefit on this day, but I urge them to pay earlier to avoid the rush.”
The report noted: “The 13th month pay is equal to 1/12 of an employee’s basic salary within a calendar year. Employers may opt to release the first half of the 13th month pay before the opening of the regular school year on May or June, while the other half may be paid on or before December 24.”
But, really, the only employer who waits until Dec 24 to give their employees’ 13th month pay is a total Grinch. (Unless, of course, they have valid reasons for waiting.)
Photo: Dreamstime.com
