The leave policy in the Philippines ensures employees receive adequate time off for personal, family, and health-related reasons. Understanding these entitlements helps maintain a balanced and productive work environment while ensuring legal compliance. This guide offers an overview of key leave policies in the Philippines. Employers looking to hire employees from the Philippines, whether through an Employer of Record (EOR) or other means, must be well-versed in these regulations for effective workforce management.

Annual Leave (Vacation)

Employees in the Philippines are entitled to a minimum of 5 working days of paid leave per year after completing one year of service. In the absence of a carryover policy, any unused leave must be compensated.

Public Holidays

• Holiday Observance:some text
  • If a regular holiday falls on a Sunday, it will be observed on the following Monday.
  • Regular holidays are paid non-working days.
  • Special holidays are unpaid non-working days, but if worked, employees must be paid.
• Holiday Pay Rates:some text
  • Work on regular holidays: Additional 100% of the daily rate for the first 8 hours and an additional 260% of the hourly rate for overtime.
  • Work on special non-working holidays: 150% of the daily rate for the first 8 hours and an additional 195% of the hourly rate for overtime.
• Religious Holidays:some text
  • Some religious holidays are determined by the lunar cycle and will be marked as 'Tentative' until confirmed closer to the date.
• 2024 Holidays in the Philippines:some text
  • 1 Jan 2024 (Monday): New Year's Day - Regular Holiday
  • 9 Feb 2024 (Friday): Chinese New Year - Special Non-working Holiday
  • 10 Feb 2024 (Saturday): Chinese New Year - Special Non-working Holiday
  • 28 Mar 2024 (Thursday): Maundy Thursday - Regular Holiday
  • 29 Mar 2024 (Friday): Good Friday - Regular Holiday
  • 30 Mar 2024 (Saturday): Black Saturday - Special Non-working Holiday
  • 9 Apr 2024 (Tuesday): Day Of Valor - Regular Holiday
  • 10 Apr 2024 (Wednesday): Eid Al-Fitr - Regular Holiday
  • 1 May 2024 (Wednesday): Labour Day - Regular Holiday
  • 12 Jun 2024 (Wednesday): Independence Day - Regular Holiday
  • 16 Jun 2024 (Sunday): Eid Al-Adha - Tentative Regular Holiday
  • 21 Aug 2024 (Wednesday): Ninoy Aquino Day - Special Non-working Holiday
  • 26 Aug 2024 (Monday): National Heroes Day - Regular Holiday
  • 1 Nov 2024 (Friday): All Saints Day - Special Non-working Holiday
  • 2 Nov 2024 (Saturday): All Souls' Day - Special Non-working Holiday
  • 30 Nov 2024 (Saturday): Andres Bonifacio Day - Regular Holiday
  • 8 Dec 2024 (Sunday): Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary - Special Non-working Holiday
  • 24 Dec 2024 (Tuesday): Eve of Christmas Day - Special Non-working Holiday
  • 25 Dec 2024 (Wednesday): Christmas Day - Regular Holiday
  • 30 Dec 2024 (Monday): Jose Rizal Day - Regular Holiday
  • 31 Dec 2024 (Tuesday): Last Day of the Year - Special Non-working Holiday

Sick Days

There is no legal obligation to offer paid or unpaid sick leave in the Philippines. Workers may use their annual leave days for illness. Many employers establish their own sickness policies that exceed statutory requirements.

Employees who have contributed to the Social Security System (SSS) for at least 3 months within the previous 12 months are eligible to claim 90% of their average daily salary if hospitalized for more than 3 days. Employers make the initial payment once the employee has exhausted their paid sick leave allowance, and are then reimbursed by the Social Security System.

Female employees with at least six months of continuous service are entitled to two months of fully paid leave for the treatment or surgery of gynecological disorders, provided they submit a medical certificate to qualify.

Maternity Leave

• Female employees in the Philippines with at least one year of service are entitled to 105 calendar days of maternity leave.
• Single mothers are entitled to 120 calendar days of maternity leave.
• Employees who have made at least three monthly contributions to the Social Security System (SSS) within the 12 months before childbirth or miscarriage will receive a daily maternity leave benefit equal to 100% of their average daily salary.
• The employer will make the initial payment and be reimbursed by the SSS up to a maximum of PHP 70,000.
• Mothers have the option to take an additional 30 days of unpaid maternity leave.
• Employees must inform their employer of their pregnancy and expected due date at least 30 days before the intended leave date.
• A medical certificate must be provided to support the leave application.

Paternity Leave

• Fathers married in the Philippines to the child's mother are entitled to 7 calendar days of paid paternity leave from the child's birth date.
• The employer makes the payment, which is reimbursed by the Social Security System.
• The mother can transfer up to 7 days of her paid maternity leave benefit to the child's father.
• This transfer can be made regardless of whether the parents are married or not.

Parental Leave

Single parents in the Philippines who have completed at least one year of service are entitled to 7 working days of paid parental leave each year to care for children under 18.

Bereavement leave

Employees in the Philippines are granted three days of bereavement leave when an immediate family member passes away. Immediate family members include a spouse, child, parent, grandparent, sibling, or in-laws.

Hassle-Free Leave Policy Management in Philippines with Gloroots

At Gloroots, we recognise managing leave policies, especially when expanding internationally, can be challenging. Our platform ensures compliance with Philippine labor laws, tracks leave balances, processes requests, and generates detailed reports. Partner with Gloroots to focus on business growth while we handle employee leave administration. Contact us to learn how Gloroots can simplify your HR processes and enhance your operations in the Philippines.