EMPLOYER, MAY ‘K’ NA PAIKLIIN ANG PANAHON BAGO ANG BISA NG RESIGNATION

ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta @Magtanong Kay Attorney | June 11, 2024

Dear Chief Acosta,

Nagbitiw ako sa aking trabaho. Nais kong maging epektibo ito pagkatapos ng 30 araw mula sa pagsumite ko ng liham ng pagbibitiw, ngunit nakatanggap ako ng dokumento na nagsasaad na epektibo ito pagkatapos ng 15 araw. Maaari bang paikliin ng employer ang panahon bago ang bisa ng aking pagbibitiw sa trabaho? -- Zhieng

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Dear Zhieng,

Ang iyong katanungan ay sinagot ng Kataas-taasang Hukuman sa kasong Hechanova Bugay Lechez Lawyers, Hechanova & Co., Inc. Atty. Editha R. Hechanova vs. Atty. Leny O. Matorre, G.R. No. 198261, 16 October 2013. Ayon sa Korte Suprema, sa panulat ni Kagalang-galang na Kasamang Mahistrado Martin S. Villarama Jr.:

“Second, the act of HBV Law Firm of moving the effectivity date of Atty. Matorre’s resignation from September 30, 2008 to September 15, 2008 is not an act of harassment, as Atty. Matorre would have us believe. The 30-day notice requirement for an employee’s resignation is actually for the benefit of the employer who has the discretion to waive such period. Its purpose is to afford the employer enough time to hire another employee if needed and to see to it that there is proper turn-over of the tasks which the resigning employee may be handling. As one author puts it.

x x x The rule requiring an employee to stay or complete the 30-day period prior to the effectivity of his resignation becomes discretionary on the part of management as an employee who intends to resign may be allowed a shorter period before his resignation becomes effective.

Moreover, the act of HBV Law Firm of moving the effectivity date of Atty. Matorre’s resignation to an earlier date cannot be seen as a malicious decision on the part of the firm in order to deprive Atty. Matorre of an opportunity to seek new employment. This decision cannot be viewed as an act of harassment but rather merely the exercise of the firm’s management prerogative.