DOLE: Senior citizens, PWDs also entitled to equal wages, other benefits

The labor department has reminded employers in the private sector to provide their senior citizens and differently-abled workers with equal wages and benefits. Read more: DOLE (2019). Working seniors, PWDs entitled to labor standards. November 10, 2019. https://www.dole.gov.ph/news/working-seniors-pwds-entitled-to-labor-standards.

Labor Assistant Secretary Benjo Santos Benavidez made the advise following the surfacing of photos on various social media sites such as Facebook of senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs) working for fast food chains and restaurants in Metro Manila.“We noticed this good development in companies who employ senior citizens and PWDs because of the intensified advocacy of the government. However, we would like to remind them that these senior citizens and PWD workers are also entitled to equal wages and opportunities in the workplace,” Benavidez said.

In the fast-food industry, he said the four-hour work scheme of the employed senior citizens and PWDs should also be according to the minimum wage law while working for more than eight hours should be compensated with appropriate overtime pay.

“The department is glad to receive these reports because they are being given the chance to have income and participate in the economic activity of the country despite their age or disability,” the labor senior official added.

He said the government has policies that promote equal access to employment regardless of their gender, ability, and age, such as the Anti-Age Discrimination law which strictly prohibits any employer from discriminating a person from access to work because of their age.

Section 4 of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 10911 or the Anti-Age Discrimination in Employment Act states that employers are prohibited to discriminate the employment of an applicant and a worker in terms of age through any forms of publication or advertisement relating to employment, or decline employment application, promotion, or training opportunities due to the individual’s age. The DOLE issued the IRR on February 2, 2017.

The DOLE senior official said the law exempts the employers to set age limitations during job hiring in a certain situation, particularly if the skills are bonafide for the occupation.

“There are exemptions to the law. It only allows limiting the acceptance of workers with a younger age if the job skills are bonafide for the occupation or if it can have a detrimental effect on the health of the worker. Examples of those are for policemen, construction workers, and others,” Benavidez explained.

To aid the employers in enforcing the law, the labor department conducts frequent visits and seminars to encourage them to hire differently-abled persons and senior citizens and avail of the benefits of implementing the law such as the tax incentives schemes. #Paul Ang. Read more: DOLE (2019). Working seniors, PWDs entitled to labor standards. November 10, 2019. https://www.dole.gov.ph/news/working-seniors-pwds-entitled-to-labor-standards.

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Seniors, PWD, may karapatan sa labor standards. Read more: DOLE (2019). Working seniors, PWDs entitled to labor standards. November 10, 2019. https://www.dole.gov.ph/news/working-seniors-pwds-entitled-to-labor-standards.

Nagpaalala ang Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) sa mga employer sa pribadong sektor na ibigay sa kanilang mga senior citizen at differently-abled na manggagawa ang patas na suweldo at benepisyo.

Ginawa ni Labor Assistant Secretary Benjo Santos Benavidez ang abiso kasunod ng mga lumabas na larawan sa iba’t ibang social media sites tulad ng Facebook ng mga senior citizens at persons with disabilities (PWDs) na nagtatrabaho sa mga fast food chains at restaurants sa Metro Manila.

“Napansin namin ang magandang pag-unlad na ito sa mga kumpanya na tumanggap ng mga senior citizen at PWDs dahil sa pinaigting na adbokasiya ng ating pamahalaan. Gayunman, pinaaalalahanan namin ang mga senior citizens at PWD na manggagawa dahil may karapatan rin silang makatanggap ng patas na suweldo at oportunidad sa kanilang mga pinagtatrabahuhan,” wika ni Benavidez.

Sa industriya ng fast-food, sinabi niya na ang four-hour work scheme ng mga senior citizens at PWDs ay dapat na alinsunod sa minimum wage law habang ang pagtatrabaho nang higit sa walong oras ay dapat na bayaran ng karampatang overtime pay.

“Nagagalak ang kagawaran na makatanggap ng ganitong mga ulat dahil nabibigyan sila ng pagkakataon na magkaroon ng kita at lumahok sa aktibidad na pang-ekonomiya ng bansa sa kabila ng kanilang edad o kapansanan,” ayon pa sa opisyal.

Dagdag pa niya, ang pamahalaan ay mayroon ding mga polisiya na nagpapalaganap ng patas na oportunidad sa trabaho sa kabila ng kanilang kasarian, abilidad, at edad tulad ng Anti-Age Discrimination law na mahigpit na nagbabawal sa sinumang employer na mag-discriminate ng isang tao sa trabaho dahil lamang sa kanilang edad.

Ayon sa Section 4 ng Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) ng Republic Act No. 10911 o ang Anti-Age Discrimination in Employment Act, bawat employer ay pinagbabawalan na mag-discriminate sa trabaho ng isang aplikante o manggagawa dahil lamang sa edad sa pamamagitan ng anumang uri ng paglalathala o advertisement na may kaugnayan sa trabaho, o pagbawalan ang aplikasyon sa trabaho, promosyon, o mga oportunidad sa pagsasanay dahil lamang sa edad ng tao. Inisyu ng DOLE ang IRR noong Pebrero 2, 2017.

Sinabi pa ng DOLE senior official na pinapayagan lamang ang mga employer, sa ilalim ng batas, na magtakda ng limitasyon sa edad sa pagtanggap ng manggagawa kung bonafide na kasanayan ang kinakailangan sa trabaho.

“Mayroong exemptions ang batas. Pinapayagan lamang ang tanging pagtanggap sa mga mas batang manggagawa kung ang kasanayan sa trabaho ay bonafide o maaaring magkaroon ng hindi magandang epekto sa kalusugan ng manggagawa. Halimbawa rito ang mga pulis, construction worker, at iba pa,” paliwanag ni Benavidez.

Upang tulungan ang mga employers na maipatupad ang batas, nagsasagawa ang DOLE ng mga pagbisita at seminar upang hikayatin sila na tumanggap ng mga differently-abled persons at senior citizens at makakuha ng mga benepisyo dahil sa pagpapatupad ng batas tulad ng mga tax incentives schemes. Read more: DOLE (2019). Working seniors, PWDs entitled to labor standards. November 10, 2019. https://www.dole.gov.ph/news/working-seniors-pwds-entitled-to-labor-standards.