— Concept of dismissal of an employee. The illegal dismissal of an employee is one of the most common labor cases filed in the Philippines. There are two approaches to end employer-employee relationship, the first one is the ground zero of our recent blog series– employer initiated which is termination. Despite that, termination of employment is still allowed by law as valid exercise of management prerogative. The employee will be given a chance to answer the allegations within a reasonable period. In such cases, employers must notify the Minister of Labour in writing of their planned group termination of employment at least 16 weeks before the employment terminations begin. The processes include notice of dismissal, which requires employers to furnish a written notice stating grounds for the employees' dismissal. 284 *299. Disease as ground for termination. Affording due process means recognizing the employee's right to be informed of unsatisfactory performance and to have a chance to defend himself and improve before an adverse employment … Employees should be issued a written “Notice of Retrenchment” or other analogous memorandum to inform them that they have been retrenched from their employment. An employer may not be sure how to handle a situation, either due to their inexperience or the complexity of the circumstances, and mistakes can happen. For termination of employment due to an authorized cause, the employee is dismissed because the management exercised its business prerogative, not because the employee was at fault. With respect to Art. A look at the key legal provisions governing the termination of employment in Philippines, including grounds for dismissal, notice requirements and severance pay, among other things. For termination of employment as defined in Article 283 of the Labor Code, the requirement of due process shall be deemed complied with upon the service of a written notice to the employee and the appropriate Regional Office of the Department of Labor and Employment at least thirty days before [effectivity] of the termination, specifically the ground or grounds for termination. NOTICE TO EXPLAIN (SHOW CAUSE MEMO) [Sample Form] This is one of my suggested formats for the FIRST NOTICE in the observance of procedural due process under the Philippine law on termination of employment (otherwise known as the "two notice rule" or "twin notice rule"). Due process of law is an oft-invoked clause in most situations involving an individual’s relationship with others, especially with the Government or the State. If an employee is unhappy with his work or would like to seek greener pastures, the normal recourse is to resign. 283 of the Labor Code, the employer's failure to comply with the notice requirement does not constitute a denial of due process but a mere failure to observe a procedure for the termination of employment which makes the termination of employment merely ineffectual. I. The due process involved in ‘just cause’, as stipulated under Article 296 of the Philippine Labor Code, indicates that a regular employee may be terminated under the following conditions: * In cases of willful and intentional disobedience, or gross misconduct, with regards to the contractual obligations in terms of the assigned and required work-related duties. The … Separation Pay in the Philippines - Reasons for Termination. 147-15 expressly provides for the specific standards in applying the just and authorized causes and specifically outlines the due process of termination of employment. Termination of employment should undergo due process. The Supreme Court reasoned that, in cases of termination for blameworthy conduct, it could be said that the process is effectively initiated by the employee because he or she provided the grounds for the dismissal by committing the culpable act or omission. Through Department Order … In cases of termination due to just or authorized causes, the employer must comply with procedural due process. The law authorizes termination of employment on the ground of disease found in Article 284 [now Article 299 in a renumbered Labor Code] of the Labor Code. — In all cases of termination of employment, the following standards of due process shall be substantially observed. Losing one’s job for health reasons falls under authorized causes as stated on the Philippine Labor Code: Art. Potential Issues Regarding Due Process and Employee Termination. RETRENCHMENT NOTICE. The reason for termination may be due serious misconduct, redundancy, cessation business and others. The It is similar to the failure to observe the provisions of Art. Elvin B. Villanueva.. 1592, in relation to Art. While a management prerogative, it is subject to the two-fold limitations of good faith and employee rights. Before an employer dismisses an employee, the due process must be properly observed regardless of the ground for termination. Termination of employment in the Philippines can be a complex process for employers since the Labor Code is construed in favor of employees. Employers must take the components of procedural due process to prevent any violation of the labor code. 284 *299 or termination due to health reasons. Due process and its associated elements is a rather complicated concept so it's not uncommon for issues to arise with its application to employee termination. A group termination of employment is the termination of employment of 50 or more employees working at a single industrial establishment either on the same date or within any 4 week period. Unlike the United States of America, which has an “at-will employment” doctrine, employers in the Philippines can only terminate their relationship with an employee if a “just” or “authorized” cause, as defined under the law, has been established, after undergoing due process. If your dismissal is due to retrenchment, your employer should submit proof of actual or imminent financial losses that are substantive in character to justify this authorized cause. THE RULES and regulations on termination of employment were revised recently by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). Ms Li is a member of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. There are five different types of employment in the Philippines and they are determined by the nature and/or existence of activities that an employee is required to perform. On the other hand, procedural due process in dismissal cases consists of the twin requirements of notice and hearing. Your employer should submit documents and undergo due process when terminating employees because of authorized causes. D.O. In San Miguel Properties v. Gucaban (G.R. 1. terms of Employment 1.1 Status of Employee In the Philippines, blue-collar and white-collar workers are not explicitly described under the law or jurisprudence. The post below is based on the book Guide to Valid Dismissal of Employees Second Edition by Atty. NOTICE TO DOLE THROUGH ESTABLISHMENT FORM. A look at the key legal provisions governing the termination of employment in Philippines, including grounds for dismissal, notice requirements and severance pay, among other things. Proper due process must be observed when dismissing employees due to authorized causes. Since loss of trust and confidence is among the just causes of termination of employment, two-notice rule in dismissing employees must be observed. No. Dismissing employees is the act by the employer of terminating their employment on the ground of just causes and after observance of substantive and procedural due process. For termination of employment as defined in Article 283 of the Labor Code, the requirement of due process shall be deemed complied with upon service of a written notice to the employee and the appropriate Regional Office of the Department of Labor and Employment at least thirty days before effectivity of the termination, specifying the ground or grounds for termination. Posted on September 09, 2015. For termination of employment based on just causes as … Types of Employment in the Philippines. company policies, termination of employment, collective bargaining negotiations, labour law audits and compliance. The employer satisfies procedural due process, which constitutes compliance with the procedures laid down in the Labor Code, after serving a written notice of termination to the employee concerned, and the appropriate regional office of the Department of Labor and Employment, at least 30 days before the effective date of the termination, specifying the ground/s for termination. Today, we will talk about resignation . Due process requirement. “x x x Unlike under the first ground for the valid termination of probationary employment which is for just cause, the second ground failure to qualify in accordance with the standards prescribed by employer does not require notice and hearing. 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