DOLE 7 to employers: Submit 13th month pay compliance report

EMPLOYERS are reminded to submit their 13th month pay compliance report to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) not later than Jan. 15.

DOLE 7 OIC Director Lilia Estillore on Tuesday said every covered employer shall make a report of their compliance through the DOLE Establishment Report System that should conform substantially with the following: name of establishment; address; principal product or business; total employment; total number of workers benefited; amount granted per employee; total amount of benefits granted; and name, position, and telephone number of person giving the information.

Compliance reports must be submitted to DOLE by accessing https://reports.dole.gov.ph/.

“Please be reminded that the 13th Month Pay is paid on or before 24 December of every year. So, by this time, we expect that all covered employers have already paid their workers with it,” said Director Estillore, who emphasized that no request or application for exemption from payment of the 13th month pay or for deferment of the payment shall be allowed.

All private-sector “rank-and-file” employees are eligible for the 13th month pay benefit as long as they’ve worked for at least one month during the calendar year.

“Let’s not forget that also covered by such benefit are the household helpers or ‘kasambahays,’ yaya, cooks, gardeners, laundry persons or any person who regularly performs domestic work in one household on an occupational basis,” she explained.

It should also be given to rank-and-file employees, who are paid on piece-rate basis, fixed or guaranteed wage plus commission, with multiple employers, resigned or were terminated, and were on maternity leave and receive salary differential.

Compliance with the 13th month pay, Estillore added, is being enforced by DOLE through the conduct of inspection.

“If there will be no compliance upon inspection and during the remediation period, then the noncompliance will escalate into a case whereby a compliance order is issued to erring establishments,” she said.

The 13th month pay is equivalent to at least one-twelfth (1/12) of the total basic salary earned by the worker within the calendar year.