Dismissed Workers Entitled to Certificate of Employment – Baldoz

Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz yesterday reminded employers that a worker who resigns or is terminated from employment is entitled to a certificate of employment (COE) from the company where he/she was employed.

“Under the Labor Code, all workers who resigned or terminated from the company or establishment they were employed are entitled to certificates of employment. A COE is also one of the requirements for pre-employment,” said Baldoz.

Section 10, Rule 14, Book 5 of the Labor Code states that a dismissed worker shall be entitled to receive, on request, a certificate from his/her employer specifying the dates of his/her engagement and termination and the type or types of work on which he/she was employed.

Baldoz issued the reminder after Gerald Cagiwa, 26, a salesman employed by Zest-O Corporation, sought the help of the DOLE Call Center for the immediate issuance of his certificate of employment from the said company.

Melvin Pelinta, action officer at the DOLE Call Center, said she received a call from Cagiwa on 19 October 2015 inquiring about how he can get a certificate of employment after he resigned and was cleared by the company in May.

Acting on the inquiry, Pelinta immediately called the Human Resource Management of Zest-O Corporation. Her call was received by HR manager Maricel Ibanez and Pelinta requested her to expedite the issuance of Cagiwa’s certificate of employment.

Because of the call, Zest-O Corporation issued Cagiwa a COE the following day, 20 October. Satisfied with the DOLE Call Center service, Mr. Cagiwa thanked the DOLE Call Center.

Celeste Maring, DOLE Call Center supervisor, said the DOLE continues to receive this kind of call, as well as other labor and employment concerns from many clients every day. She reported that from 1-30 October 2015, the Center entertained a total of 3,835 callers with 4,560 queries generated.

The number of callers was 22 percent less than the total number received in September 2015 when the Call Center received 4,912 calls with 5,536 queries. Female callers outnumber male callers, 3,790 to 1,122.

Majority of the queries centered on social protection and welfare concerns, with a total of 3,031, or 66 percent of the queries. These concerns include services to safeguard fair and just terms and conditions of employment, 2,878 queries; holiday pay rules, 1,169; separation/termination, 386; and resignation, 258 queries.

The DOLE Call Center also received 1,115 queries, or 24 percent, on labor relations. Of the said number, 562 queries focused on the Single Entry Approach (SeNA), while 362 queries were on grievance settlement and voluntary arbitration.

It also received 299, or seven percent, of the queries on the DOLE’s employment facilitation program. Of these queries, 72 queries were made by local and overseas job seekers. About 107 queries referred to alien employment permit concerns (AEP).

Source: www.dole.gov.ph