CEBU CITY – Workers are expected to get a higher pay on the holidays of this month, the Department of Labor and Employment in Central Visayas (DOLE-7) reminded employers on Thursday.
April 1, Maundy Thursday; April 2, Good Friday; April 3, Black Saturday; and April 9, Araw ng Kagitingan will each have a different computation for the payment of wages of the workers.
DOLE-7 regional director Salome Siaton in a statement said the rules for pay on said holidays must be religiously observed by employers.
Labor Advisory No. 4, Series of 2021 provides for the payment of wages for the Regular Holidays on April 1, 2 and 9, and for the Special Non-Working Day on April 3, 2021.
Workers who will not be reporting to work on April 1, 2, and 9 will be paid 100 percent of their daily wage rate.
“Workers who report to work on a regular holiday should be paid 200 percent of their daily wage rate for the first eight hours of work,” Siaton said.
For work done in excess of eight hours or overtime work, workers must be paid an additional 30 percent of their hourly rate on that day. For work done on that day, which also happens to be the rest day of the workers, employers must ensure looking closely into the computation of their wages.
“This time, workers must be paid an additional 30 percent of their basic wage of 200 percent,” Siaton noted.
For workers who render overtime work on that day, which also happens to be their rest day, they must be paid an additional 30 percent of their hourly rate on said day.
If workers will not work on April 3, then the “no work, no pay” principle will apply unless there is a favorable company policy, practice, or collective bargaining agreement (CBA) granting payment on that day even if unworked.
But for workers reporting to duty on that day, they must receive an additional 30 percent of their basic wage for the first eight hours of work.
“Workers who will be rendering overtime work, they should receive an additional 30 percent of their hourly rate on that day,” Siaton said.
For work done on that day that also falls on the workers’ rest day, they should be paid an additional 50 percent of their basic wage on the first eight hours of work.
For overtime work during a special day that also falls on the rest day of the workers, then they must be paid an additional 30 percent of their hourly rate on said day.
“Just to let companies be aware in advance of the rules to be adhered to in the computation of the holiday pay for the four holidays, that is why we are also giving out advance information so that they will be properly guided,” Siaton said.
Under Labor Advisory No. 4, Series of 2021, establishments that have totally closed or ceased operations during the community quarantine period are exempted from the payment of the holiday pay on April 1, 2, and 9, 2021 in view of the existence of a national emergency arising from the pandemic. (PNA)
