Dole issues pay guidelines for Christmas Day, Rizal Day

Local

PRIVATE workers who reported for duty on Christmas Day and Rizal Day are entitled to double pay.

The Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) clarified this on Friday, Dec. 26, reiterating wage rules covering regular holidays amid year-end observances.

In a labor advisory issued, DOLE reminded employers and employees that Dec. 25 (Christmas Day) and Dec.

30 (Rizal Day) are regular holidays, and specific pay rules apply depending on whether an employee worked, rested, or rendered overtime on those dates.

Under the advisory, employees who did not work on a regular holiday are still entitled to 100 percent of their daily basic wage, provided they reported for work or were on paid leave on the day immediately preceding the holiday.

If the day before the holiday was a non-working day or scheduled rest day, the employee remains entitled to holiday pay as long as they reported for work or were on paid leave on the day immediately preceding that non-working day.

For employees who worked on a regular holiday, Dole said employers must pay 200 percent of the employee’s basic wage for the first eight hours of work, commonly referred to as double pay.

Employees who rendered overtime work on a regular holiday are entitled to an additional 30 percent of the hourly rate on that day, computed on top of the 200 percent holiday rate.

Dole further clarified that if a regular holiday falls on the employee’s rest day and the employee works, the employer must pay an additional 30 percent of the basic wage on top of the 200 percent holiday pay.

This effectively brings the total pay to 260 percent of the basic wage for the first eight hours.

If the employee works beyond eight hours on a regular holiday that also falls on a rest day, the employer must pay an additional 30 percent of the hourly rate on top of the already increased holiday-rest day rate.

The labor department emphasized that these rules are meant to protect workers’ rights while providing clear guidance to employers on lawful compensation during regular holidays.

Dole urged employees who believe they were underpaid or denied proper holiday compensation to raise their concerns with their employers or seek assistance from the nearest Dole office. Employers, meanwhile, were reminded to strictly comply with labor standards to avoid penalties and labor disputes.

Christmas Day and Rizal Day are among the country’s most widely observed regular holidays, with many businesses operating on skeletal or special holiday schedules while others require full staffing due to the holiday rush.(TGP)