ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta @Magtanong Kay Attorney Marso 7, 2024
Dear Chief Acosta,
Ako ay isang manggagawa na natanggal sa trabaho. Nagtrabaho ako ng halos 10 taon sa isang construction company sa iba’t ibang gawain tulad ng utility, pintor, electrician, welder, karpintero, at iba pa. Noong ako ay natanggal, ipinipilit ng dati kong kumpanya na ako ay isang project employee. Nabasa ko na ang mga empleyadong nagsasagawa ng mga aktibidad na karaniwang kinakailangan o kanais-nais sa karaniwang negosyo ng employer ay itinuturing na mga regular employee.
Maaari ba akong ituring na regular employee? -- Juan Carlos
Dear Juan Carlos,
Ang iyong katanungan ay sinagot ng Korte Suprema sa kasong University of Sto. Tomas vs. Samahang Manggagawa ng UST, et al., G.R. No. 184262, 24 April 2017, sa panulat ni Kagalang-galang na Kasamang Mahistrado Estela M. Perlas-Bernabe. Dito ay nilinaw ng Korte Suprema ang mga pamantayan para ang isang tao ay makonsiderang regular employee:
“Art. 295 [280]. Regular and casual employment. -- The provisions of written agreement to the contrary notwithstanding and regardless of the oral agreement of the parties, an employment shall be deemed to be regular where the employee has been engaged to perform activities which are usually necessary or desirable in the usual business or trade of the employer, except where the employment has been fixed for a specific project or undertaking the completion or termination of which has been determined at the time of the engagement of the employee or where the work or services to be performed is seasonal in nature and the employment is for the duration of the season.
An employment shall be deemed to be casual if it is not covered by the preceding paragraph: Provided, That any employee who has rendered at least one year of service, whether such service is continuous or broken, shall be considered a regular employee with respect to the activity in which he is employed and his employment shall continue while such activity exists.
Under the foregoing provision, the law provides for two (2) types of regular employees, namely: (a) those who are engaged to perform activities which are usually necessary or desirable in the usual business or trade of the employer (first category); and (b) those who have rendered at least one year of service, whether continuous or broken, with respect to the activity in which they are employed (second category). xxx”
Sang-ayon sa Korte Suprema, isa sa mga pamamaraan upang ang isang manggagawa ay makonsiderang regular employee ay ang paggawa ng trabahong ‘usually necessary’ o ‘desirable’ sa negosyo ng employer. Sang-ayon pa rin sa Korte Suprema:
“The primary standard, therefore, of determining regular employment is the reasonable connection between the particular activity performed by the employee in relation to the usual trade or business of the employer. The test is whether the former is usually necessary or desirable in the usual business or trade of the employer. The connection can be determined by considering the nature of work performed and its relation to the scheme of the particular business or trade in its entirety. Also, if the employee has been performing the job for at least a year, even if the performance is not continuous and merely intermittent, the law deems repeated and continuing need for its performance as sufficient evidence of the necessity if not indispensability of that activity to the business. Hence, the employment is considered regular, but only with respect to such activity and while such activity exists.”
Nabanggit mo na nagtrabaho ka sa isang construction company ng halos 10 taon sa iba’t ibang gawain tulad ng pagiging utility, pintor, electrician, welder, karpintero, at iba pa. Samakatuwid, maaari kang ituring na isang regular employee kung isasaalang-alang na ang iyong mga dating gawain ay kinakailangan o kanais-nais sa construction business ng iyong dating kumpanya, at kung hindi nila mapatutunayan na ikaw ay isang project employee.
Sana ay nabigyan namin ng linaw ang iyong katanungan. Ang payong aming ibinigay ay base lamang sa mga impormasyon na iyong inilahad at maaaring magbago kung mababawasan o madaragdagan ang mga detalye ng iyong salaysay.
Maraming salamat sa iyong patuloy na pagtitiwala.