Legal Insights
Plain-language guides and case briefs on Philippine law — researched from the firm's law library of 184,000+ statutes, Supreme Court decisions, and agency issuances, and written so non-lawyers can understand and act on them.
Get a cited, plain-language answer from 184,000+ statutes and decisions — free, no sign-up.
Probationary Employment: When Employers Can Terminate for Failure to Meet Standards
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when employers may validly terminate probationary employees for failing reasonable standards, including chronic tardiness.
Work-Related Illness and Seafarers’ Disability Claims: Proving the Causal Link
Seafarers claiming disability benefits must prove work-relatedness, not just illness during employment. The Supreme Court clarifies the burden.
Probationary Employment: Employers Must Inform Employees of Regularization Standards
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on probationary employment: employers must inform employees of regularization standards at the time of engagement.
Project vs Regular Employment: Security of Tenure in Construction After 31 Years of Service
Supreme Court rules repeated rehiring in construction projects can convert project employment into regular employment with security of tenure.
Verbal Dismissal in the Philippines: Why Oral Termination Is Illegal Without Due Process
Verbal dismissal alone cannot lawfully end employment in the Philippines. Learn the due process rules from Uy v. Centro Ceramica.
Breach of Seafarer Employment Contracts: POEA Rules and the Risk of Suspension
A Supreme Court ruling on a seafarer's refusal to join a vessel clarifies POEA breach rules and the proper appeal route.
Probationary Employment in the Philippines: Standards for Regularization and Illegal Dismissal
A general manager dismissed during probation won his illegal dismissal case because his employer failed to set reasonable standards for regularization.
Regular Employment vs Apprenticeship: Protecting Workers' Rights in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when apprenticeship agreements cannot defeat regular employment status and workers' rights.
False Pretenses and Failed Promises: Establishing Estafa in Employment Scams
When promises of overseas jobs fail, when is it estafa or illegal recruitment? The Supreme Court clarifies in People v. Laogo.
Proving Work-Related Illness in Seafarer Disability Claims: The Francisco Case
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a seafarer's illness is compensable, emphasizing proof of work-relatedness beyond mere occurrence during employment.
Seafarers Must Comply With Post-Employment Medical Exams or Forfeit Disability Claims
Philippine Supreme Court rules seafarers who skip mandatory post-employment medical exams within three days forfeit disability claims, even for mental health conditions.
Seafarer Disability Claims: The Cost of Skipping the Post-Employment Exam
A seafarer's failure to submit to the required post-employment medical exam within three days forfeits disability claims, even for depression.
Habeas Data vs. Employment Disputes: The MERALCO Transfer Case
The Supreme Court clarifies when the writ of habeas data protects privacy—and when labor disputes belong instead to the NLRC.
When Outsourcing Obscures Employment: Labor-Only Contracting in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies when a contractor is merely a labor-only contractor, making the principal the true employer. Learn the rules.
Civil Service Eligibility and the Consequences of Dishonesty in Government Employment
Buying a civil service eligibility is dishonesty punishable by dismissal. Learn the rules and consequences from a Supreme Court case.
Project Employees vs Regular Employees: The Burden of Proof in Illegal Dismissal Cases
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when construction workers become regular employees and the employer's burden in proving project employment status.
Accountability Prevails: Illegal Recruitment and the Promise of Overseas Employment
The Supreme Court affirms life imprisonment for illegal recruitment in large scale, protecting OFWs from false promises of overseas employment.
Drug Testing in Employment: Employer's Duty to Prove Accreditation for Valid Termination
When can a positive drug test justify dismissal? The Supreme Court clarifies employer obligations under R.A. 9165.
Finality of Dismissal: Understanding Res Judicata in Employment Disputes
A Supreme Court ruling explains when a dismissal becomes final and how res judicata bars relitigation of settled employment disputes.
Decoding Independent Contractors When Control Determines Employment Status in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies employer-employee relationship tests and the mandatory certificate of non-forum shopping in NLRC appeals.
Seafarers' Rights: Employer Liability for Illness Manifesting During Employment Despite Post-Contract Death
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on seafarer death benefits when illness manifests during employment but death occurs after contract term.
Prescription of Seafarer Claims: Labor Code Prevails Over Standard Employment Contract
Supreme Court rules 3-year Labor Code prescription governs seafarer money claims, but death benefits require death during contract effectivity.
Illegal Dismissal and Optional Retirement: When a Demotion Does Not End Employment
Explaining the Supreme Court's ruling on constructive dismissal, optional retirement age, and the rights of managerial employees in the Philippines.
Fixed-Term Contracts vs Probationary Employment: Protecting Teachers' Rights in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies when fixed-term teaching contracts must yield to probationary employment rules under Philippine law.