These working hours apply to all sectors, companies, and establishments, both private and public.
- Normal Working Hours. Any employee’s typical working hours are not to exceed eight (8) hours each day. All time an employee is obliged to be on duty or at a specified workplace, as well as all time an employee is forced or authorized to work, is included in the hours worked. Short rest intervals during working hours are to be considered as hours worked.
- Meal Hours. Every employer owes it to his employees to provide them at least 60 minutes off for their regular meals. This is normally at 12:00pm during day shifts.
- Night Shift Differential. For each hour of work performed between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., each employee must be paid a night shift difference of at least 10% of his usual rate.
- Overtime. Any work that may be conducted for more than eight (8) hours per day if the employee is compensated for the extra time in the amount of his usual salary plus at least 25% of that amount.
Work performed on a holiday or rest day for more than eight hours should be compensated at the rate of the first eight hours on a holiday or rest day plus at least 30% of that rate. - Undertime. Overtime on one day does not compensate for undertime work on another day. The employee’s permission to take vacation on a different day of the week does not relieve the employer from providing the needed extra remuneration.
What if employer ask you to work on the rest day
- In the event of a catastrophic accident, fire, flood, typhoon, earthquake, pandemic, or other catastrophe or calamity, to avoid loss of life or property, or an urgent threat to public safety;
- In the event that urgent work on the machinery, equipment, or installation is required in order to avert significant loss to the employer;
- In the case of unusually high work pressure owing to unforeseen events, if the employer is unable to take additional steps;
- To protect perishable items from being lost or damaged;
- Where the nature of the job necessitates continuous operations and a work halt would cause the employer irreparable harm or loss; and
- Under other situations, as determined by the Secretary of Labor and Employment, that are identical or similar to the aforementioned.
Paid every holiday.
- Except in retail and service enterprises routinely employing less than 10 people, every worker should be paid his usual daily salary on ordinary holidays.
- An employer may ask an employee to work on a holiday, but that employee must be compensated at double his usual rate; and
- New Year’s Day, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, the ninth of April, the first of May, the twelfth of June, the fourth of July, the thirty-first of November, the twenty-fifth and thirty-first of December, and the day designated by law for holding a general election are all considered holidays in this Article.