It’s December and people are looking forward to two (2) things: The Holidays and their bonuses and 13th month pays. A lot of people have inquiries as to what the 13th month pay is and whether or not they can get it. In this article, we will be detailing what the 13th month pay is and to answer your question, we’ll tell you who are entitled to receive a 13th month pay.
Before we start, let us first know what a 13th month pay is. Many people think that this is a pay given to workers as a bonus. The value of the 13th month pay will depend on the number of months an employee has been working for the company in a calendar year.
What is the 13th month pay?
To end the inquiries and confusion, the 13th month pay is a mandatory benefit given to employees as part of the Presidential Decree No. 851. The 13th month pay is not actually a “bonus” because a bonus is an incentive or a reward given to employees in excess of a business or an establishment success. It’s not a bonus because the 13th month pay is a benefit that should be given to all rank and file employees even if the business doesn’t have excess funds.
A bonus is given to an employee depending on the company’s generosity; it’s not really a requirement. The factors in computing for the 13th month pay would include the basic pay of a worker in a month and the number of months the employee has worked for the company in a calendar year.
What is a basic salary?
For most of you who are not aware, the basic salary is the sole ingredient in this computation. The basic salary is the pay that an employer gives its employees. However, the basic pay shall not include monetary benefits, incentives, and allowances of a certain employee. So, the basic salary is simply the renumeration of paid by the employer without allowances and benefits.
More so, salary-related benefits should be part of the computation of the 13th month pay depending on company policy or collective agreement. But usually, the 13th month pay only includes the basic salary.
Who can receive a 13th month pay?
All rank-and-file employees can receive a 13th month pay. However, it’s computed monthly so that employee must have had worked for a month in a calendar year for the company. They should receive a 13th month pay regardless of the nature of the company they work for; irrespective of the ways they are paid.
What are file-and-rank employees?
Employees who do not have managerial roles in a company are considered as file and rank employees. Managerial roles are people who make decisions terminate and execute management policies. Furthermore, they’re the people who have the power to decide over hiring, suspending, recalling, discharging, and laying employees off.
Are there exceptions to the 13th month mandatory pay?
Yes, there are certain exceptions. The following employers who have this exemption under Presidential Decree 851 are:
- The government and any of its political subdivisions. This includes government-owned and controlled corporations, except those corporations operating essentially as private subsidiaries of the Government;
- Employers who are already paying their employees 13th month pay or more in a calendar year or its equivalent at the time of the issuance of the Presidential Decree 851;
- Employers of persons in the personal service of another in relation to such workers; and
- The employers of those who are paid on purely commission, boundary, or task basis. Those who are paid a fixed amount for performing specific work, irrespective of the time consumed in the performance thereof, except those workers who are paid on piece-rate basis, in which case the employer shall grant such workers the required 13th month pay.
What is the computation of the 13th month pay?
Since you are to receive your 13th month pay, you should know the computation for you to know whether or not it’s legitimate. The 13th month pay should not be less than 1/12 of the basic salary of the worker. To give you an illustration of how the formula looks like:
TOTAL BASIC SALARY IN A MONTH, EARNED IN THE YEAR / 12 MONTHS = PROPORTIONATE 13TH MONTH PAY
So, the number of calendar years a specific employee has worked for the company is a major factor in the computation.
What if a person had a maternity or a paternity leave?
Unfortunately, while a person is either on a maternity or a paternity leave, it’s not part of the computation. So, even if a person is having a maternity leave, they’ll still get what they should. For instance, let’s take a scenario and look at it in a practical manner:
A woman will be on Maternity Leave for two months. She’ll be out on September 1st to October 31st. Her basic salary is P15, 000.00 in a month.
- January – P15, 000.00
- February – P15, 000.00
- March – P15, 000.00
- April – P15, 000.00
- May – P15, 000.00
- June – P15, 000.00
- July – P15, 000.00
- August – P15, 000.00
- September – On Maternity Leave
- October – On Maternity Leave
- November – P15, 000.00
- December – P15, 000.00
- 15, 000 x 10 (number of months the woman has worked) = 150, 000.00
- 150, 000 / 12 (full calendar year) = P12, 500; the 13th month pay that the worker will get.
P.S.: There are companies who have different rules as regards maternity and paternity leaves. So, it’s better to clarify it with your compensation and benefits department.
What if the employee resigned? Would they still receive a 13th month pay?
Yes, even if a person has resigned or if they completely detached themselves from the company, they should still get a 13th month pay depending on the number of months they’ve worked for the company. So, if a person has worked for a company from January to October, it should be computed as:
- Basic Salary x 10 (number of months an employee worked for the company) = XXXXXX
- XXXXXX / 12 = 13th month pay of the resigned employee
When should employees receive the 13th month pay?
As per the Presidential Decree, employers should hand the 13th month pay not later than the 24th of December, each calendar year. However, an employer can pay their employees staggered, giving half of it before the opening of the regular school year (S.Y.) and the half on or before the 24th of December of each calendar year.
Moreover, employers can also give half of it before December payouts and on or before the 24th of December. This way, the employees have ample budget and time to plan for the holidays.
Are you going to receive a 13th month pay? Will you be able to confirm whether or not the 13th month pay given to you is correct? Now that you know what THE 13th month pay is, why not assess and validate whether or not you’ll be receiving it? Who knows? Maybe your employer has something brewing special for you.
5 mos na aq reliever sa ospital na pinapasukan ko agency kami…
D daw kami kasama sa 13 month pay ibg sbhin kahit abutin kami 1 year wala pla kami makukuha 13 month
ang gardener po ba may 13 month pay rin po ba kc tagal kunan pong gardener wala pa akong nattangap na 13 month pay
Binabawas dn po ba nla ung absent m nung ngtatrabaho ka pa sa 13th mnth pay m?nagresign po aq sa work qoh pero ngstart po aq ng march hnggang sept.14… 2,700 lng po ang nakuha qoh?bkit ganun?
Pano po kong 1 month lng po ako nag work ? Start ko po is Sept12-oct 12 .my matatanggap po b ako ?
Halos same tayo situation . Sana naman masagot nila 😅
good afternoon! pwewdi po ba maka recieved ng 13th month ang employee na hindi pa regular for example mga 2 tmonths or three months pa lang siya at nag resigned na maka avail pa rin ba ng 13th month pay employee. mapa voluntary resign man o mapa terminate.
Hi Sir/Ma’am,
Confirm ko lang po, hindi po ba kasama ang OT and Holiday pay sa computation.
Good day po, Ma’am/Sir tanong ko lang po pwde na po ba akong makatanggap ng 13th month pay nagstart ako ng august at ngaun 3 months na ako sa isang company pwede na po bang makatanggap ng 13th month pay pagdating ng december?
yung job order ba sa government wla po bang 13month pay matatanggap?
Pano po yung kasambahay, may 13th month pay dn po ba? Required po ba magbigay ang mga amo o kng gusto lng nla.. Kasi ako mag 7 yrs na hindi parin ako nakakatanggap ng 13th month pay…
Ask ko Lang PO.20 years na po driver asawa ko pro never pa pa xa nkatanggap ng 13 month pay s company nla.trucking driver position po xa..may makakuha PO ba kmi SA company Nia?
nagstart po ako sa new company ko nung aug. 19 at magresigned din po ako next week may makukuha po kaya ako na 13 mongh pay.tfta
Yung 13th month pay po ba ang total computation nito ay minus pa ba sa absent o bilang lang talaga ng buwan mo sa company?
Pano po ba kpag working student sa isang fast food..ang tawag po nila dun ayy seeds ..talaga po ba wala kmi matatanggap na 13 month ksi parehas lang naman ang trabaho namin sa mga kasamahan namin na agency…sana nmn mabigyan ng pansin ang mga working student
May 13thmonth pa rin po ba ang commission base?hindi po kami minimum wage..commission base lng po pro may allowance na binibigay.may makukuha po ba kaming 13thmonth?
Pano po maam , sir . Kung pinag resign ka nila dahil buntis ka daw tapos wala dw po akong makukuhang 13 month pay kasi hindi daw po ako kasama sa 5 days sil . Tama po ba yun ?
3 years na po na laging incomplete ang 13th month namin, may mga nag DOLE na at NLRC, pero until now,
hindi pa rin po namin nakukuha ang kakulangan…..hello, super bagal, super prustrating po ang process ng
DOLE, lalo na ang NLRC… sana yang agency naman ang tutukan ni Pres. Duterte, araw araw walang tigil ang
dumadating na reklamo, ibig sabihin ganyan kadami ang may mga problema sa mga employer nila,
nanalo na sa mga isinampang kaso, bakit wala pa ring napapala, nanalo lang sa papel……anong mangyayari
sa pamilya namin, gutom na, paano makakasurvive kung hindi kami nabibigyan ng justice, sana katulad
sa ibang bansa na matagal na ang 3 months para makakuha ng justice… sa Phils, grabe, taon ba talaga dapat,
tyaga lang daw…..gutom na nga eh, bakit kailangang magutom ang pamilya, may pera kami sa company n hindi binigay at hindi binibigay….. Dear Pres or sino man po sa Senado na makakapansin sa hinaing ko….salamat po
mam,sir tanong kulang po kung pwede icomplain sa DOLE ang company ng Mr.ko,kc po last june 2018 nagbigay po ng mid year bonus company nila.pero ngayong 2019 wala po binigay pwede po ba yun i reklamo sa DOLE?
Ako po ay contractual utility worker sa public school 4 years na ako dun. Entitled ba ako sa 13th month pay?
hello po,,,panu po kung per day ung sahod may 13th month din po ba?
Bkit aq halos 13 years n s philippine national railways khit singko wla aq natatanggap n 13 month pay n yan…bigyan nmn sana ng action ng gobyerno ntin ito ang dami nmin worker n nagtyatyaga n wla nmn natatanggap n 13 month pay….
i was my work so long 8years always none bonus on december christmas until
How about government hospital job order for 18 months mka tanggap po ba nang 13th month?thanks
Pano po ung nagwowork sa government pero job order lng po, pwede po bng makatanggap ng 13th month pay?
Nsa Government po aq ngttrabho mg 16 yearr na po bilang Contract of Service, dti po my 13th Month kmi pero nwala nong 2013 dhil binago po Contrata nmin, no Employee ,Employer relastionship, tnong q po dba tlaga kmi ksma s 13th month pay. Kc dti meron nman po. Thanks
Kami po ay job order ang status fir more than 3years makakatanggap po ba kami ng 13th month pay?
I’m a bus driver since 2010 ask ko po Sana Kung dapat mayroon din kmi 13th month pay. Commission basis po kmi.
Yun pong hinde naman daw staff ng Barangay pero volunteers lang, allowance lang pinaka monthly pay nila…may bonus?
Barangay appointed officials like secretary and treasurer makakatanggap po ba ng 13th month pay?
Yung MGA barangay health worker may 13th mnth pay po ba…o d Kaya ay? bonus
hello..job order po ako ng 5 months p lang po, nag start ako nung sept, may 13th month dun po b ako mattanggap?
hi job order po status ko for almost 2 years makakatangap po ba ako nang 13th month pay?
ang tanong q po ay about s partner q. driver po sya ng isang truck ng hauling services. so ang kita po nila ay nakabase s kung ilang biyahe ang nagawa nila. s madaling salita po ay pakyawan po sila. 120 per trip. dapat din po b silang makatanggap ng 13th month pay?
i been working for 6yrs s company nag leave po ako then di n po ako babalik.meron po b ako makukuha 13th month pay?
asko ko lang po, im working for 5 years and 5 months as job order and naka state po ay no employee employeer relationships in this case hindi po kami makakatanggap ng 13th month pay?
Hi can i ask. What if . Kng hindi po nag File ng resignation letter ang isang employee may 13 month pay parin po ba.
How much po ang salary ng managerial/supervisoy employee?
Paano po kung 10 months palang po nag wowork tapos below minimum po ang sahod? Entitled parin ba sa 13th month pay? If oo po pano kung di nman magbibigay ang amo?
Entitled po, kung hindi nagbibigay report nyo po sa DOLE
Tanung kulang po, Yung husband ko po direct hired po sya tapos direct din po binigay yung sahud nya ng amu nya..yung amo nya po ay isang private lawyer ..almost 3yrs napo sya nagwowork wla po sya nya natanggap n 13month pay..bakit po ?wla po bang 13monthpay pag private.? Wla din po syang mga benifits na natanggap..tapos pag hiningi nya ang COE..D sya binigyan kasi d DAW sya regular employee..please paki advice po ako ..salmat
Good day po mam/ sir..mag 2 yrs na po ako sa pinagtatrabahuan ko po..hindi po ako nakakatanggap ng 13th month pay..maliit lng po na ang pinagtatrabahuan ko 6 lng po kami na empleyado ..3 branch lng po kasi ung piangtrabahuan namin .makakatanggap po ba kami ng 13th month pay??salamat po
In our case, we had a one month trainee status but we received a basic salary of a casual employee and after that training period you may sign a MOA as seasonal employee. I just want to ask if t is included in the computation of our 13th month pay the training period which is one month?
Paano q ba masasabi sa Arabic ang 13th month pay ang hirap I paliwanag sa mga arabo ang gnito please reply po kung paano ko to masasabi sa Arabic word nila
Iba po ang batas dyan, I’m not sure kung meron din silang 13th month pay
is part time job have a 13th month pay
Tanong ko po kong pwede na po bang makatanggap ng 13th month pay ang isang new employee kasi nagstart po ako ng august ngaun 3 months na ako sa isang company tanong ko po kong may matatanggap na po ba akong 13th month pay pagdating ng december. maraming salamat po sa inyong kasagutan
Just want to share my side, im a private school teacher we dont received salary if it is summer break.so we only work for 10 months in a year.do we need to divide it by 12 to compute our 13th month pay? Thanks
It should be your basic salary x 10 divide by 12
Sana po mapansin ang concerns ko..
Hi. Im pregnant po and im on leave. I start my leave on nov 16 this year? Why i dont have my 13th month pay? My co workers have their 13th month. What should i do?
Ask your HR
Can household worker have a 13 month pay? Thanks
Yes, entitled po ang household workers sa 13th month pay.
panu po kung per trip ang labanan at hnd minimum wage hnd b dpat mktanggap ng 13th mnth pay????
me 13th month pay din po b ang caregiver?mag 2 yrs n po aq patient q..
Kami po n nag work s philippine national railways meron bang 13 month pay halos 13 year n po aq s work n to job order ngalng po
Sana me magawa nmn kau paraan….
Halos 13 years n po aq s philippine,national railways ni singko wla aq natatanggap n 13 monrh pay n yan..meron po kya job order lng po kc aq sana magawan nyo nmn aksyon….