Separation pay sa nalugi at nagsarang kumpanya

ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta @Magtanong Kay Attorney | July 10, 2023

Dear Chief Acosta,

Nawalan ako ng trabaho nang magsara ang kumpanyang pinapasukan ko dahil sa malubhang pagkalugi. Alam ko na ang kumpanya ay nakaranas ng matinding pagkalugi dahil ang aking trabaho ay pamamahala ng kanilang mga pananalapi. May karapatan ba ako sa separation benefits sa kabila ng pagsasara ng kumpanya dahil sa malubhang pagkalugi? -Madeline

Dear Madeline,

Ang sagot sa iyong katanungan ay matatagpuan sa pinagsamang kasong “Sangwoo Philippines, Inc., et. al. vs. Sangwoo Philippines, Inc. Employee Union – OLALIA, represented by Porferia Salibongcogon” at “Sangwoo Philippines, Inc. Employee Union – OLALIA, represented by Porferia Salibongcogon vs. Sangwoo Philippines, Inc., et. al.” (G.R. No. 173154, 9 December 2013), na isinulat ni Kagalang-galang na dating Kasamahang Mahistrado Estela M. Perlas-Bernabe ng ating Kagalang-galang na Korte Suprema, kung saan nakasaad ang mga sumusunod:

“Closure of business is the reversal of fortune of the employer whereby there is a complete cessation of business operations and/or an actual locking-up of the doors of establishment, usually due to financial losses. Closure of business, as an authorized cause for termination of employment, aims to prevent further financial drain upon an employer who cannot pay anymore his employees since business has already stopped. In such a case, the employer is generally required to give separation benefits to its employees, unless the closure is due to serious business losses.

The Constitution, while affording full protection to labor, nonetheless, recognizes “the right of enterprises to reasonable returns on investments, and to expansion and growth.” In line with this protection afforded to business by the fundamental law, Article [297] of the Labor Code clearly makes a policy distinction. It is only in instances of “retrenchment to prevent losses and in cases of closures or cessation of operations of establishment or undertaking not due to serious business losses or financial reverses” that employees whose employment has been terminated as a result are entitled to separation pay. In other words, Article [297] of the Labor Code does not obligate an employer to pay separation benefits when the closure is due to serious losses. To require an employer to be generous when it is no longer in a position to do so, in our view, would be unduly oppressive, unjust, and unfair to the employer. Ours is a system of laws, and the law in protecting the rights of the working man, authorizes neither the oppression nor the self-destruction of the employer”.

Batay sa nabanggit na desisyon, ang pag-utos sa employer na maging mapagbigay kapag wala na ito sa kalagayan na gawin ito ay magiging labis na mapang-api, hindi makatarungan, at hindi patas sa employer. Alinsunod dito, wala kang karapatan sa separation benefits dahil hindi inoobliga ng batas ang kumpanya na bayaran ito kapag ang pagsasara ay dahil sa malubhang pagkalugi tulad ng iyong sitwasyon.

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 inyong patuloy na pagtitiwala.