Legal Insights
Plain-language guides and case briefs on Philippine law — researched from the firm's law library of 184,000+ statutes, Supreme Court decisions, and agency issuances, and written so non-lawyers can understand and act on them.
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Philippine Labor Law: Workplace Venue Not Always Mandatory for Labor Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court ruling: NLRC venue rules are permissive, not mandatory. Worker convenience and substantial justice can override workplace location.
When AWOL Is Not Grounds for Dismissal: Philippine Labor Law Explained
Philippine Supreme Court explains when absence without leave (AWOL) is not valid grounds for dismissal, and what employers must prove.
Can an Employee Refuse to Work? Understanding Constructive Dismissal in the Philippines
Explore when refusing work is legal in the Philippines, focusing on constructive dismissal, employee rights, and employer obligations under labor law.
Employee Dismissal: Proving Misconduct Requires Solid Evidence in Philippine Labor Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on Buhisan v. NLRC: dismissal for misconduct needs substantial evidence, not mere suspicion or affidavits.
Abandonment vs Illegal Dismissal: Due Process in Philippine Labor Law
Understanding when failure to report for work is abandonment or illegal dismissal, and what due process requires in termination cases.
Strikes in the Philippines: Legal Requirements and Consequences for Labor Disputes
Understand the legal framework for strikes in the Philippines, including requirements, prohibited acts, and consequences for illegal strikes under Philippine labor law.
Successor Liability in Philippine Labor Law: When a New Company Inherits Old Debts
When a new company takes over a business, it may inherit the old firm's labor liabilities. The Alfante v. NLRC ruling explains.
Project Employee vs Regular Employee: Security of Tenure Under Philippine Labor Law
Learn how the Supreme Court distinguishes project from regular employees and protects workers' security of tenure under Article 280 of the Labor Code.
Perfecting Appeals and Timelines in Philippine Labor Cases: The PAL v. Brillantes Guide
Learn how the Supreme Court resolved PAL v. Brillantes, balancing strict appeal timelines, labor law, and equitable justice.
Employee vs Independent Contractor: Key Factors in Philippine Labor Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the control test distinguishing employees from independent contractors in labor disputes.
When Can Employees Demand Bonuses: Vested Rights in Philippine Labor Law
Philippine law on bonuses: when they are demandable, vested rights, and what employers must know.
Due Process in Employee Dismissal: What Employers Need to Know in the Philippines
Learn the essentials of procedural and substantive due process in Philippine labor law, including key rules and practical compliance tips for employers.
Compromise Agreements and Quitclaims: When Are They Valid in Philippine Labor Law?
The Supreme Court explains when compromise agreements and quitclaims bind workers—and when courts will set them aside as unconscionable.
Illegal Dismissal: Proving Just Cause and Due Process in Philippine Labor Law
Philippine Airlines v. NLRC explains the employer's burden of proof in illegal dismissal cases and the twin requirements of notice and hearing.
Due Process in Employee Dismissal: A Philippine Labor Law Perspective
Understand the two-part due process rule in Philippine labor law—substantive and procedural—and the consequences of non-compliance, explained through Bondoc v. NLRC.
When Dismissal Is Too Harsh: Proportionality in Philippine Labor Law
The Supreme Court rules that dismissal can be disproportionate to an employee's offense, awarding separation pay instead of reinstatement.
Solidary Liability Holding Principals Accountable FOR Wage Violations OF Contractors IN THE Philippines
Learn how Philippine labor law holds principals solidarily liable for wage violations of their contractors and the rules on valid dismissal.
When Can You Be Fired for Absences? Understanding Abandonment in Philippine Labor Law
Philippine law requires more than just absences to prove abandonment. Learn the two elements employers must show to validly dismiss.
Separation Pay in the Philippines: When Is It Required?
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when separation pay is legally required—and when it is not—in this plain-language guide to labor law.
Proving Employer-Employee Relationship in Philippine Labor Law
Understand the four-fold test for employer-employee relationship in the Philippines, explained through the Supreme Court's ruling in Progress Homes v. NLRC.
When a Memo for File Counts as Resignation: Philippine Labor Law Explained
The Supreme Court explains when a memo without the word The company board interpreted this as a resignation and accepted it. Alegre later claimed he never resigned and sued for illegal dismissal.
Independent Contractor vs Employee: Control Test in Philippine Labor Law
Supreme Court clarifies the control test distinguishing independent contractors from employees in Philippine labor law, using an insurance agent case.
Understanding the Scope of Appeals in Philippine Labor Law: A Case on 13th Month Pay
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies that the NLRC can only review issues raised on appeal, using a 13th month pay case as an example.
Retrenchment vs Redundancy: Navigating Employee Layoffs in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies the difference between retrenchment and redundancy as valid grounds for employee layoffs under Philippine labor law.