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.
Fixed-Term Employment vs Regular Employment: Security of Tenure Under the Labor Code
Explaining Oyster Plaza Hotel v. Melivo on when fixed-term and probationary workers become regular employees entitled to security of tenure.
Protecting Workers: Illegal Dismissal and the Rights of Pakyaw Employees in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that pakyaw workers are regular employees entitled to security of tenure, holiday pay, and service incentive leave pay.
Beyond the Road: Field Personnel Status and Overtime Rights for Bus Employees in the Philippines
Supreme Court ruling clarifies that bus drivers and conductors are not field personnel, entitling them to overtime and service incentive leave pay.
Coca-Cola Route Helpers: Regular Employees Despite Agency Transfers
Philippine Supreme Court rules route helpers remain regular Coca-Cola employees despite transfers to labor contractors, applying stare decisis.
Constructive Dismissal: When Cutting Work Hours Violates Employee Rights
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when reducing work hours becomes constructive dismissal, and what employers must prove to justify it.
Constructive Dismissal When a Transfer and Floating Status Become Illegal Termination
When do a transfer and floating status cross the line into constructive dismissal? The Supreme Court explains in ICT Marketing v. Sales.
Probationary Employment: When a Job Description Can Define Clear Regularization Standards
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a job description and duties suffice as reasonable standards for probationary employee regularization and dismissal.
Redundancy vs Retrenchment: Protecting Employees From Illegal Dismissal
The Supreme Court clarifies the distinction between redundancy and retrenchment, and the rules employers must follow to avoid illegal dismissal.
Probationary Employment in Philippine Private Schools: Teacher Rights and Tenure
A Supreme Court ruling explains how probationary periods work for private school teachers, when tenure is acquired, and what schools must prove to validly terminate.
Fixed-Term Employment vs Regular Employment: Security of Tenure and Illegal Dismissal
When a fixed-term contract expires but the employee keeps working, regular employment and security of tenure may arise. Illegal dismissal rules apply.
Defining Regular Employment Security Benefits FOR Seasonal Farm Workers IN THE Philippines
Supreme Court clarifies when seasonal farm workers are regular employees entitled to SSS coverage and benefits under Philippine law.
When Is a General Manager Considered a Corporate Officer? Philippine Jurisprudence
Explore how Philippine law defines corporate officers, and when a general manager may be considered one, based on Supreme Court rulings.
Loss of Trust and Confidence: When Can Philippine Employers Dismiss Managerial Employees?
The Supreme Court in Manese v. Jollibee clarifies the less stringent standard for dismissing managerial employees for loss of trust and confidence.
Norkis Trading v. Buenavista: Labor-Only Contracting and Employer Status
Learn how the Supreme Court ruled on labor-only contracting, employer status, and the binding effect of DOLE findings in Norkis Trading v. Buenavista.
Wage Deductions VS Post Employment Claims Protecting Employee Rights
Learn how the Supreme Court protects employee rights in wage deductions, labor-only contracting, and illegal dismissal cases under Philippine law.
Due Process in Employee Dismissal: The Two-Notice Rule and Employer Obligations
Learn the two-notice rule in Philippine labor law and how the Supreme Court applied it to probationary employees in Carvajal v. Luzon Development Bank.
Verbal Dismissal in the Philippines: Why Oral Termination Is Illegal Without Due Process
Verbal dismissal alone cannot lawfully end employment in the Philippines. Learn the due process rules from Uy v. Centro Ceramica.
Probationary Teacher Rights in the Philippines: Non-Renewal and Security of Tenure
When can a private school validly refuse to renew a probationary teacher's contract? The Supreme Court's ruling in St. Paul College vs. Ancheta explains.
Facilities vs Supplements in Wage Disputes: Key Distinctions Under Philippine Labor Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the legal distinction between facilities and supplements in computing wages, and when employers may deduct their value.
Corporate Officers vs Employees: Who Hears Dismissal Cases in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies when a corporate officer's removal is an intra-corporate dispute, not an illegal dismissal case for labor tribunals.
Corporate Officer vs Employee: Who Hears Illegal Dismissal Cases?
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when an illegal dismissal case belongs to the Labor Arbiter versus the Regional Trial Court.
Decoding Independent Contractors When Control Determines Employment Status in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies employer-employee relationship tests and the mandatory certificate of non-forum shopping in NLRC appeals.
Waiver by Acquiescence: The Perils of Delay in Lease Agreement Disputes
A Supreme Court ruling shows how failing to promptly contest a lease violation can waive contractual rights — a cautionary tale for landlords and tenants.
Outsourcing Validity: Management Prerogative vs. Union Bargaining Rights
Supreme Court ruling on when outsourcing is valid management prerogative and when it intrudes on union bargaining unit coverage.