Leave Policy in the Philippines – An Overview

Welcome to our detailed exploration of the leave policy in the Philippines. The beautiful Southeast Asian nation is known for its specific provisions for employee leaves. Are you planning to expand your global team? You must understand these leave policies for ensuring compliance and maintaining a harmonious workplace.

In the Philippines, employers need to provide employees with service incentive leaves. In addition, we will highlight many more to explore in our blog.

Before understanding the leaves, let’s see how many public holidays there are in the Philippines in the 2024 calendar year.

The list of public holidays in 2024

In 2024, there is good news for Filipino workers. There are ten regular holidays and eight special holidays.

Regular holidays: According to the leave policy in the Philippines, traditional holiday employees get off days with total wages. If employees work on holidays, they get double wages.

Special holiday: During special holidays, employees are entitled to non-paid leaves. If employees work, they will get paid 30% extra wages.

List of regular holidays in 2024 in the Philippines:

Special holidays for 2024:

Types of leaves in the Philippines

The Philippine labor law outlines several types of leaves. Here’s a breakdown of the most common ones:

1. Annual leave

Entitlement: The Philippines doesn’t mandate a private sector employer to grant annual leave or vacation leave. Here, it is known as Service Incentive Leave ( SIL). However, it’s a common practice for companies to provide this benefit and allow employees five days after their one-year employment duration with the company according to leave policy in the Philippines.
Duration: Typically, employees receive five to fifteen days of annual leave, depending on the employee’s employment duration.

2. Sick leave

Entitlement: Similar to annual leave, there is no legal requirement for sick leave in the private sector, but most companies offer this benefit.
Duration: Sick leave typically ranges from five to fifteen days per year.

Note: There is a provision in the Philippines that a sick employee can claim 90% of his regular salary if he already used all his paid leaves. Again, if the employee contributes three months to the Social Security System (SSS), he will be eligible for full pay during his hospitalization or quarantine days. The employer will pay the employee, and SSS will compensate the employer.

3. Maternity leave

Entitlement: Under the Expanded Maternity Leave Law (Republic Act No. 11210), maternity leave benefits have been extended. It will be based on the health conditions of both the child and the mother.
Duration: Female workers are entitled to 105 days of paid maternity leave. Irrespective, the childbirth is via natural delivery or cesarean section.
Consequently, a mother employee can transfer seven days of leave to the child’s father if she wishes. Furthermore, due to miscarriage or termination of pregnancy, female employees get 60 days of paid leave.

4. Paternity leave

Entitlement: The Paternity Leave Act 1996 (Republic Act No. 8187) provides paternity leave for married male employees.
Duration: Eligible employees can take up to seven days of paternity leave for each pregnancy of the legitimate spouse, up to the first four deliveries.

5. Parental leave for solo parents

Entitlement: The Solo Parents’ Welfare Act of 2000 (Republic Act No. 8972) offers additional leave for solo parents.
Duration: Qualified solo parents receive an additional seven days of leave according to leave policy in the Philippines.

6. Special leave for women

Entitlement: The Magna Carta of Women (Republic Act No. 9710) provides special leave for female employees.
Duration: Women who have undergone critical surgery receive two months of leave with full pay.

7. Service incentive leave

Entitlement: According to the Philippines Labor Code, employees get Service Incentive Leave.
Duration: Employees who have rendered at least one year of service receive five days of full-paid incentive leave as per the leave policy in the Philippines.

8. Bereavement leave

Entitlement: Bereavement leave is typically offered to the employees, although it’s not mandated.
Duration: The duration varies and depends on the company’s internal policy but usually ranges from three to seven days.

9. Emergency or calamity leave

Entitlement: Some companies provide leave during natural calamities or emergencies, although this depends on the company’s decision.

Employers in the Philippines must adhere to these leave policies stipulated by the labor law and ensure that their company policies align with legal requirements. The implementation of these leave policies should be communicated to all employees.

Also Read:Work Culture in Philippines – Learn the Facts

Implementation and compliance with Global Squirrels

If you plan to expand your global team with the Filipino workforce, you must be aware of the leave policy in the Philippines. And, if you want to go the hassle-free way, sign up with Global Squirrels.

It’s one of the leading platforms that assist in remote hiring and payroll management, including compensation and benefits management, managing leaves, and compliance based on international laws.

Request a demo and see how you can hire Philippine workers most cost-effectively; only $1.49/hour/employee + payroll cost covers everything.

Conclusion

Understanding the leave policy in the Philippines is essential for both employers and employees to ensure compliance with labor laws and promote a balanced work-life environment. While some leaves are mandated by law, others depend on company policy.

As the Philippines continues to evolve its labor laws, staying informed about these changes is crucial for everyone in the workforce.