Philippines: Employment laws for the private sector

Guide to laws governing the rights of workers, types of employment, termination, social insurance, and other labor-related matters

In brief

The Philippine economy is expected to improve, reinforcing its status as one of the fastest growing economies in Southeast Asia. The Philippines remains an attractive country in which to do business due to relatively low labor costs and largely bilingual workforce.


Contents

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the Philippine employment rate in November 2023 increased to 96.4%, from 95.8% in November 2022, and in October 2023. The country's unemployment rate fell to its lowest level of 4.2% in October last year. This shows the successful initiatives of the government aimed at enhancing employment opportunities and labor conditions that resulted in a robust labor force participation.

The Guide to Philippine Employment Laws for the Private Sectors is intended to provide employers and human resources professionals with a comprehensive overview of the key aspects of Philippine labor law. It covers the entire life cycle of the employment relationship from hiring through to termination, with information on working terms and conditions, family rights, personnel policies, workplace safety and discrimination. The guide links to our global handbooks, which include information for the Philippines on immigration and data privacy. The guide also contains information on the employment implications of share and asset sales.

Download Publication

QT Employment laws pub

Click here to get a PDF copy of the publication.

* * * * *

LOGO Philippines_QuisumbingTorres_Manila

© 2024 Quisumbing Torres. All rights reserved. Quisumbing Torres is a member firm of Baker & McKenzie International, a Swiss Verein. This may qualify as "Attorney Advertising" requiring notice in some jurisdictions. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Contact Information

Copyright © 2024 Baker & McKenzie. All rights reserved. Ownership: This documentation and content (Content) is a proprietary resource owned exclusively by Baker McKenzie (meaning Baker & McKenzie International and its member firms). The Content is protected under international copyright conventions. Use of this Content does not of itself create a contractual relationship, nor any attorney/client relationship, between Baker McKenzie and any person. Non-reliance and exclusion: All Content is for informational purposes only and may not reflect the most current legal and regulatory developments. All summaries of the laws, regulations and practice are subject to change. The Content is not offered as legal or professional advice for any specific matter. It is not intended to be a substitute for reference to (and compliance with) the detailed provisions of applicable laws, rules, regulations or forms. Legal advice should always be sought before taking any action or refraining from taking any action based on any Content. Baker McKenzie and the editors and the contributing authors do not guarantee the accuracy of the Content and expressly disclaim any and all liability to any person in respect of the consequences of anything done or permitted to be done or omitted to be done wholly or partly in reliance upon the whole or any part of the Content. The Content may contain links to external websites and external websites may link to the Content. Baker McKenzie is not responsible for the content or operation of any such external sites and disclaims all liability, howsoever occurring, in respect of the content or operation of any such external websites. Attorney Advertising: This Content may qualify as “Attorney Advertising” requiring notice in some jurisdictions. To the extent that this Content may qualify as Attorney Advertising, PRIOR RESULTS DO NOT GUARANTEE A SIMILAR OUTCOME. Reproduction: Reproduction of reasonable portions of the Content is permitted provided that (i) such reproductions are made available free of charge and for non-commercial purposes, (ii) such reproductions are properly attributed to Baker McKenzie, (iii) the portion of the Content being reproduced is not altered or made available in a manner that modifies the Content or presents the Content being reproduced in a false light and (iv) notice is made to the disclaimers included on the Content. The permission to re-copy does not allow for incorporation of any substantial portion of the Content in any work or publication, whether in hard copy, electronic or any other form or for commercial purposes.