Businessmen cannot be called a boss, an employer, or a leader without their employees. With the help of their teams, their business ideas will not only come to life but also will run and grow continuously. Thus it is a win-win solution for entrepreneurs to treat their every Filipino employee well.

His or her well-being is your wealth.

People make money not only because of their talents and skills alone. First and foremost, it is because they are healthy enough to work.  Remember, a person can be an efficient and productive employee because of his/her well-being. So how can employers contribute to their employees’ well-being?

Honor their time to rest. 15 to 30-minute office breaks mean a lot for employees who need diversions and power naps.  Besides, according to Article 83 (Conditions of Employment) of the Labor Code, any Filipino employee is entitled to a one-hour meal break when he/she works for eight-hours.

Value their work-life-balance. Filipino people are a family-oriented nation and it is common for them to do whatever it takes just to provide for their loved ones. This quality, though, has consequences on the employment side. A staff tends to absent or resign if he/she is lacking the family time or even “me time.” A suggestion to keep employees motivated is by fostering their work-life balance through leave incentives.

In Book III, Chapter III, Article 95 of the Labor Code of the Philippines, employers should give special incentive leaves like the following:

  • Parental Leave for Solo Parents, or Solo Parenting Leave (SPL) – Additional seven days leave with pay, aside from Maternity or Paternity leave.
  • Paternity Leave – For a married father, R.A No. 8187 or Paternity Leave Act of 1996 allows him to leave from work up to seven days with pay. This leave is effective for his legal wife and up to their fourth child. 
  • Maternity Leave – For pregnant employees, they can file work leaves before and after they deliver their babies. In July 2018, Republic Act 11210 states pregnant employees can have 105 days or three-month maternity leave with pay. They can extend their leave to another 30 days, but without pay. Single mothers and for those with other valid reasons can have an additional 15 days leave without pay after that. Maternity leave is applicable for those who are part of their companies for at least six months. It is also effective only up to their first four babies.
  • Special benefits leave for women – As per R.A. 9710 or the Magna Carta of Women Female, female employees who will have operations because of gynecological disorders can have a two-month leave with pay after it. This is provided they have already been working with their companies for at least six months

Protect employees’ work conditions. Geographically speaking, the Philippines is a hazard-prone country. Every Filipino employee and employer cannot escape from acts of nature such as earthquakes and typhoons, and human-induced hazards such as civil disturbances and structural collapses. To financially assist you and your staff from these and other life scares, it is better have protections such as the following:

  • Medical Insurance. An employer is mandated (Republic Act No. 7875 or an act instituting a national health insurance program for all Filipinos) to contribute to his/her employee’s Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth). Employees are eligible for this if they are below 60 years old and earn more than Php 1000 monthly.
  • Social Insurance. It is also compulsory to pay your Filipino employee’s Social Security Systems (SSS) contribution.  It is stated in Republic Act No. 8282 or the Social Security Act of 1997.
His or her high morale boosts your company’s net worth.

Sometimes a person, who is supposed to be a company’s asset, becomes a liability because of negative work ethics.  There are 101 reasons behind this, but the most common would be financial woe. Thus it pays to offer competitive salary benefits that can boost your Filipino employee’s morale.  

  • Contribute to his or her Home Development and Mutual Fund (HDMF). Aside from it being compulsory, you also help your Filipino employee to avail a house, save, and invest money. 
  • Overtime pay.  Overtime rates differ depending on the day employees render their time. It matters whether it’s done during holiday, special non-working holiday, rest day, or ordinary day. For an ordinary day, it’s computed by multiplying an hourly rate to 1.25%
  • The 13th Month Pay. According to Presidential Decree No. 851, it’s lawful for a Filipino employee to claim his or her 13th-month pay or bonus salary before December 24 every year. 
  • Night shift differential (NSD) -Additional 10% premium per hour work for those render work between 10 pm to 6 am.
  • Retirement pay. The minimum retirement pay is computed by multiplying retiring employee’s latest daily pay rate by 22.5 (days per month). The result is multiplied again to a number of years of his/her service.

In addition to these, some companies are also generous enough to give separation pay, paid vacation leaves, a company-sponsored vehicle, and educational assistance. Companies may spend a lot of these perks, but then again, the loyalty of skilled and dedicated employees is important in their business.     

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