The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) yesterday ordered private companies to release the deferred holiday pay of their workers before the end of the year.
“This advisory shall apply to all employers in the private sector which deferred payment of holiday pay on account of the existence of a national emergency arising from the Covid-19 situation,” the agency said in Labor Advisory No. 31, signed by Secretary Silvestre Bello III.
The order covers the holiday pay for previous regular holidays such as April 9 Araw ng Kagitingan and Holy Thursday, April 10 – Good Friday, May 1 – Labor Day, May 25 – Eid al-Fitr, June 12 – Independence Day, July 31 – Eid al-Adha, and August 31 – National Heroes’ Day.
It also covers holiday pay for the past special non-working days, such as April 11 – Black Saturday, August 21 – Ninoy Aquino Day, November 1 – All Saints’ Day, and November 2 – All Souls’ Day.
It also orders employers to release the holiday pay of those who would work on November 30 pr Bonifacio Day, that is a regular holiday.
“Employers who were allowed to defer payment of the holiday pay of their employees as referred herein, are required to pay all covered employees of the deferred holiday pay equivalent to 100 percent of their daily wage,” the DOLE said.
It said covered employers shall pay the qualified employees the deferred holiday pay on or before December 31.
The DOLE earlier allowed the deferment of holiday pay to help companies recover from the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) health crisis.*PNA
