Senate Minority Leader Tito Sotto Refiles Bill for 14th-Month Pay for Private Sector Employees
TITO SOTTO – The Senate Minority Leader seeks the giving of 14th-month pay for the employees of the private sector in the Philippines.
Aside from the extra pay that many workers get for the December holidays based on the rules of DOLE or the Department of Labor and Employment, the private sector employees also receive their 13th month-pay. The labor department usually asks the employers and companies to release it not later than December 15 so the pay can help the workers in their holiday expenses.
In the case of government workers, what they receive at the end of the year is their 14th-month pay which is usually given between late November to early December. Their 13th-month pay is released usually between June to July. These extra pay are usually used in paying off loans, achieving new targets, or simply augmenting the household financial needs most especially that the holidays may really be costly.
It has been years or even decades now that while the government employees get both the 13th-month and the 14th-month pay, the workers in the private sector only has the 13th-month pay at the end of the year. Recently, Senate Minority Leader Tito Sotto made a move in the pursuit to also make the 14th-month pay available for the employees of the private sector.
Senate Minority Leader Tito Sotto refiled the Senate Bill No. 193. Based on a report on Inquirer, the Senate Minority Leader cited the changes in the needs and the cost of living in the country as among the reasons in his pursuit for a 14th-month pay for the employees in the private sector.
“After almost five decades, the needs and cost of living of every Filipino worker have drastically changed. Thus, it is high time that employees in the private sector receive their 14th-month pay,” the Senator stated.
Based on the report, under the proposed measure refiled by Senate Minority Leader Tito Sotto, the private sector employees who have worked for at least a month within the calendar year will be entitled to at least one twelfth (1/12) of the total basic salary earned by the workers.
Sotto suggests that the 13th-month pay will be given by June 14 so it can employees who have children in funding their kids’ education while the 14th-month pay will be given not later than December 24 to help them in the holiday expenses.
Under the Senate Bill No. 193, all rank-and-file employees in the private sector as well as those who are working under the Kasambahay Law, and other private workers who already receive 13th-month pay may be entitled to the 14th-month pay. Meanwhile, on the part of the employers, based on the report, the proposed measure does not mandate distressed companies as well as nonprofit institutions.
“So as not to burden struggling businesses as they are equally important for our economy,” the Senator said.
Senate Minority Leader Tito Sotto clarified that the proposed measure supports the employees without weighing the employers down. Aside from the 13th-month and 14th-month pays, some offices and companies also give out Christmas Bonus. There are ways to using your Christmas Bonus wisely.