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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Forfeiture of Seafarers Disability Claim: Strict Adherence to Post-Employment Medical Examination
Learn the strict rule on post-employment medical exams for seafarers and how failing to comply can forfeit disability claims.
When Probationary Employment Becomes Regular: The Umali v. Hobbywing Rule
Explore when a probationary employee becomes regular by operation of law, based on the Supreme Court's ruling in Umali v. Hobbywing Solutions.
Habitual Absenteeism in the Judiciary: Dismissal for Court Employee Who Abandoned Post
Supreme Court dismisses court interpreter for habitual absenteeism, forfeiting benefits and barring re-employment in government service.
Project Employment vs Regular Employment: Security of Tenure in Construction
The Supreme Court clarifies when construction workers are project employees, not regular employees, and their rights to wages and benefits.
Seafarers' Disability Claims: Strict Compliance With Post-Employment Medical Exam
Supreme Court clarifies that seafarers who fail the 3-day post-employment medical exam rule forfeit disability benefits, even if illness is work-related.
Defiance and Dismissal: Loss of Retirement Benefits for Striking Employees
When a pilot defied a return-to-work order, he lost his employment status and, ultimately, his retirement benefits. Here's why.
Court Personnel and Homeowners' Association Duties: When Civic Service Is Not Moonlighting
Supreme Court clarifies when court employees may serve in homeowners' associations without violating conduct rules on outside employment.
Proving Fault in Pre-Employment Medical Exams: The St. Martin Polyclinic Case
A clinic cleared a worker as fit, but he tested positive for hepatitis C abroad. The Court explains when negligence can—and cannot—be presumed.
Abandonment Requires Clear Intent Protecting Employees From Unjust Dismissal
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that abandonment of work requires clear intent to sever employment, not mere absence from work.
Seafarers' Rights: Defining Total and Permanent Disability in Maritime Employment
When a company-designated physician fails to issue a final disability assessment within 120 or 240 days, a seafarer is deemed totally and permanently disabled.
Seafarer Disability Claims Strict Compliance With Post Employment Medical Exam Rule
Seafarer Disability Claims Upholding Honesty IN PRE Employment Medical Exams
Regular Employment vs Independent Contractor: The Control Test in Philippine Labor Disputes
The Supreme Court clarifies when construction workers are regular employees, not independent contractors, using the four-fold test and control test.
Breach of Trust: Defining Qualified Theft in Employment Relationships
The Supreme Court clarifies when employee theft becomes qualified theft, punishing breach of trust with reclusion perpetua.
Deceptive Recruitment: The High Cost of False Promises in Overseas Employment
The Supreme Court affirms life imprisonment for illegal recruitment in large scale and estafa, underscoring the severe penalties for fake overseas job promises.
Breach of Trust in Employment: When Can an Employer Validly Terminate an Employee
The Supreme Court clarifies the rules on dismissing managerial and fiduciary employees for loss of trust and confidence under the Labor Code.
The Duty to Disclose Probation and Honesty in Government Employment
A Supreme Court ruling on a court employee's failure to disclose a past conviction in his Personal Data Sheet, and the judge who recommended him.
UST v. Samahang Manggagawa ng UST: When Repeated Hires Make Workers Regular Employees
The Supreme Court clarifies when repeated fixed-term hires for maintenance work create regular employment, not project employment, under the Labor Code.
Project vs Regular Employment: Defining Boundaries of Fixed-Term Contracts in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies when project-based employees become regular employees and the validity of fixed-term contracts in Philippine labor law.
Project Employment vs Regular Employment: What Philippine Law Says
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when construction workers are project employees and not regular employees, and what this means for termination rights.
Breach of Trust in Employment: When Negligence Justifies Dismissal
The Supreme Court ruled that negligence in handling company property can justify dismissal for breach of trust, even without proof of theft or misconduct.
Social Media Speech and Employment: Defining the Boundaries of Loss of Trust in Termination Cases
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when loss of trust justifies dismissal, distinguishing rank-and-file from managerial employees.
Government Employment and Separation Benefits: The TransCo Ruling on Contractual Employees
The Supreme Court clarifies when contractual government employees qualify for separation benefits and when good faith excuses refund of disallowed amounts.
Project vs Regular Employment: Defining Worker Rights in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies when construction workers are regular employees, not project-based, and the employer's burden of proof.