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.
Philippine Business Closure: Legally Navigating Employee Terminations to Avoid Costly Disputes
A look at Industrial Timber Corp. v. Ababon on valid business closure, termination pay, and the cost of missing notice requirements.
Quitclaims Are They Always a Bar to Future Claims? Tagle v. Court of Appeals
Quitclaims do not automatically bar labor claims. Know when waivers are valid and when courts will set them aside.
Due Process and Illegal Dismissal: Why Employers Bear the Burden of Proof in Termination Cases
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies procedural rules on indispensable parties in illegal dismissal cases and the employer's burden of proof.
Due Process in Retrenchment: Balancing Employer Prerogative and Employee Rights
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the distinction between just and authorized causes in dismissal, and the penalties for violating notice requirements.
Project Employees vs Regular Employees: Security of Tenure Under the Labor Code
When is a construction worker a project employee rather than a regular one? The Supreme Court clarifies the rules on tenure and illegal dismissal.
Business Closure and Employee Rights: Employer Obligations in Termination
Understand employer obligations when closing a business in the Philippines, including notice requirements, separation pay, and when dismissal is valid.
Employer-Employee Relationship and Illegal Dismissal: The Control Test in Philippine Labor Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the control test for employer-employee relationship and rules on illegal dismissal due to disease in Sy v. Court of Appeals.
Reinstatement or Separation Pay: Employer Obligations After Illegal Dismissal in the Philippines
Philippine labor law on illegal dismissal: when reinstatement is ordered, when separation pay applies, and the employer's obligations.
Regular vs Project Employee: Continuous Rehiring and Security of Tenure Under Philippine Labor Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when project employees become regular employees through continuous rehiring, securing tenure under Article 280.
Security Guard's Dismissal Ruled Illegal: Probationary Status and Sister Companies Explained
A security guard absorbed by a sister company becomes a regular employee; first-offense infractions cannot justify dismissal.
Illegal Dismissal in the Philippines: When an Anonymous Letter Leads to Reinstatement and Back Wages
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on illegal dismissal based on an anonymous letter, and the awards of back wages and separation pay.
Redundancy vs Retrenchment: Understanding Employee Rights in Philippine Labor Law
The Supreme Court clarifies the difference between redundancy and retrenchment, and what employers must prove to validly terminate employees for economic reasons.
Regular vs Casual Employment in the Philippines: Employee Rights and Employer Obligations
Understand the difference between regular and casual employment in the Philippines, and learn how labor-only contracting affects employee rights and employer liability.
Illegal Dismissal in the Philippines: Understanding Your Rights to Back Wages and Reinstatement
Learn how Philippine law protects workers from illegal dismissal, including rights to back wages, reinstatement, and separation pay.
When Employee Criticism Becomes Illegal Dismissal: The Open Letter Case
Philippine Supreme Court rules on when employee expression is protected and when dismissal for misconduct is illegal.
When Can an Employer Refuse a Work Order? Employee Rights in the Philippines
Philippine law protects employees from unjust dismissal. Learn when a work order can be refused and what employers must prove to terminate a worker.
Due Process in Employee Dismissal: What Philippine Law Requires
Philippine law requires both just cause and due process for valid dismissal. Learn the rules from Aquinas School v. Magnaye.
Retrenchment in the Philippines: Proving Business Losses for Valid Employee Termination
Learn when retrenchment is valid in the Philippines, what business losses employers must prove, and how courts protect workers from illegal dismissal.
When Can a Seaman Be Dismissed: Understanding Seafarer Rights and Obligations
Learn the legal grounds for dismissing a seaman in the Philippines, plus the rights and obligations of seafarers under Philippine maritime law.
When Can a Company Terminate an Employee Due to Illness? Philippine Law Guide
Philippine law sets strict rules for terminating employees due to illness. Learn the requirements, including the six-month cure rule and medical certification.
Project Employee vs Regular Employee: Termination Rights in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court explains the difference between project and regular employees, and the rules on termination rights under the Labor Code.
Labor-Only Contracting: When the Principal Is the Real Employer in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court explains labor-only contracting, employer liability, and separation pay rules in Magnolia Dairy v. NLRC.