The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has reminded employers that employees’ final pay and Certificate of Employment (COE) must be released on time.
Based on DOLE records, issues related to final pay are the most common labor standards concern this year.
Out of the 168,853 cases received by the agency, 23,496 were related to unpaid or delayed final pay.
Because of this, Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma warned that employers who delay the release of final pay and employment records are violating the law and may face complaints and penalties.
Under Labor Advisory No. 06, Series of 2020, a worker’s final pay must be released within 30 days after separation from employment, unless the company has a different policy. Meanwhile, the COE must be issued within three days after it is requested by the employee.
DOLE stressed that companies must strictly comply with these standards, as failure to do so may result in the filing of formal complaints.
