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.
Conditional Settlement Agreements: Are They Binding in Philippine Labor Disputes?
The Supreme Court ruled on whether a "conditional" settlement of a labor judgment award is valid and binding, and its effect on pending appeals.
Unfair Labor Practices: The Duty to Bargain Collectively in the Philippines
When does an employer's refusal to negotiate become an unfair labor practice? The Supreme Court clarifies the rules on the duty to bargain collectively.
Regular vs Project Employees: Security of Tenure in Philippine Labor Law
Supreme Court clarifies when project employees become regular employees entitled to security of tenure under Philippine labor law.
Retrenchment vs Illegal Dismissal: When Business Downturns Justify Employee Separation
Learn when retrenchment is valid under Philippine labor law and how procedural lapses affect separation pay and employee rights.
Security of Tenure vs Academic Standards: The St. Mary's Academy Case
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on premature dismissal of teachers who failed the LET, balancing security of tenure with professional regulation.
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.
Defining the Lines: Independent Contractor vs Employee Status in Philippine Labor Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the distinction between independent contractors and employees, and the fatal consequences of procedural lapses in labor appeals.
Independent Contractor or Employee? Control in Insurance Agency Agreements
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when an insurance agent becomes an employee, applying the four-fold test and control standard.
Constructive Dismissal: Balancing Management Prerogative and Employee Rights
Learn when a job transfer amounts to constructive dismissal under Philippine labor law and how courts balance employer prerogative with employee rights.
Workplace Misconduct: Defining the Boundaries of Just Cause for Dismissal in the Philippines
When does a fistfight outside work justify dismissal? The Supreme Court clarifies the limits of just cause under Philippine labor law.
Backwages and Separation Pay: Reconciling Employee Rights in Illegal Dismissal Cases
The Supreme Court clarifies that illegally dismissed employees can receive both backwages and separation pay when reinstatement is no longer feasible.
Safeguarding Employee Rights: The Imperative of Due Process in Termination Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on Genesis Transport clarifies preventive suspension limits, valid dismissal, and illegal wage deductions under the Labor Code.
When an Alien Executive Is a Regular Employee, Not a Corporate Officer: The WPP v. Galera Lesson
The Supreme Court clarifies the distinction between a corporate officer and a regular employee, and the consequences of working without an alien employment permit.
Work-Related Stress and Compensability of Peptic Ulcer Under Philippine Law
Explains GSIS v. Raoet, where the Supreme Court ruled peptic ulcer is compensable when work involves prolonged emotional or physical stress.
Illegal Dismissal, Retirement Age, and Employee Benefits: Key Lessons from Ondevilla v. Colegio de San Juan de
Learn how the Supreme Court ruled on constructive dismissal, optional retirement, and CBA benefits for managerial employees in this Philippine labor case.
Employer Control Determines Employment Status: The PLDT Security Guard Case
When a security agency's contract ends but guards remain at their posts under the principal's direction, an employer-employee relationship may arise.
Resignation vs Retrenchment: When Are Retirement Benefits Required?
Supreme Court clarifies when resigned employees can claim retirement benefits, distinguishing voluntary resignation from retrenchment in Kimberly-Clark case.
Abandonment vs Illegal Dismissal: Protecting Employee Rights in the Philippines
Explain the difference between abandonment and illegal dismissal in Philippine labor law, and the employer's burden of proof.
Forced Resignation Is Illegal Dismissal: Casa Cebuana v. Leuterio
Forcing an employee to resign without due process is illegal dismissal. Learn the two-notice rule from Casa Cebuana v. Leuterio.
Breach of Trust and Confidence: Upholding Termination of Supervisory Employees in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on valid dismissal of supervisory employees for breach of trust and confidence in Coca-Cola Bottlers case.
Probationary Employees Can Vote in Certification Elections: Key SC Ruling
Supreme Court clarifies probationary employees' voting rights in certification elections, ordering a run-off after votes were wrongly excluded.
Union Shop Steward Is a Union Position: Lessons from Miranda v. Asian Terminals
The Supreme Court clarifies that a shop steward holds a union position, not a company post, and explains the limits of employer liability in intra-union disputes.
Illegal Dismissal: Proving Valid Cause and the Right to Reinstatement and Backwages
Learn the rules on illegal dismissal, valid cause, and the employee's right to reinstatement and backwages from this Philippine Supreme Court case.
Illegal Dismissal: Employer Bears Burden of Proving Just Cause and Due Process
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on employer's burden to prove just cause and due process in illegal dismissal cases.