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.
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Forfeiture Clauses Balancing Employer Protection AND Employee Rights IN Commission Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when commission forfeiture clauses in employment contracts are valid and enforceable.
Misconduct in the Workplace: Defining the Boundaries of Trust and Employment
Philippine Supreme Court ruling clarifies when serious misconduct justifies dismissal and the evidentiary standard employers must meet.
Procedural Due Process in Employment Termination: The Right to a Hearing
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that employers must provide a hearing or conference, not just written notices, before validly dismissing employees.
Seafarer Disability Claims: Why Substantial Evidence and the 3-Day Medical Exam Rule Matter
A Supreme Court ruling explains why seafarers must comply with the mandatory post-employment medical exam and prove work-related illness with substantial evidence.
Breach of Trust in Employment: When It Justifies Termination
The Supreme Court clarifies when loss of trust and confidence can justify dismissing a managerial employee, and when it cannot.
COLA Benefits and Government Employment: Understanding Integrated Salaries Under R.A. 6758
The Supreme Court clarifies when Cost of Living Allowance is deemed integrated into government salaries under R.A. 6758, and why back pay is unauthorized.
Fixed-Term Contracts: Balancing Employer Flexibility and Employee Security of Tenure
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when fixed-term employment contracts are valid and do not circumvent security of tenure.
Fixed-Term Employment: When Repeated Contract Renewals Create Regular Employee Status
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when repeated fixed-term contract renewals convert employees to regular status with security of tenure.
Lawyer Suspended for Misconduct and Disobedience to Court Orders
Supreme Court suspends lawyer for two years for misrepresentation, improper language, and defying a court-imposed ban on government reemployment.
Illegal Recruitment: When Promising Overseas Jobs Without a License Becomes a Crime
The Supreme Court clarifies when promising overseas employment without a license constitutes illegal recruitment in large scale under Philippine law.
Breach of Trust in Employment: Requisites for Valid Dismissal in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when breach of trust justifies dismissal and what due process requires in Philippine labor law.
Finality vs Due Process: Resolving Conflicting Rulings on Employment Status
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when NLRC monetary awards become final, and why a valid dismissal still requires procedural due process.
Regular vs Seasonal Employment: Security of Tenure in the Plywood Industry
Supreme Court clarifies when workers, claiming they were hired only when there was high demand for plywood or when regular employees were absent.
Probationary Employment: Standards for Regularization and Dismissal Explained
Learn the rules on probationary employment in the Philippines—what standards employers must set and when dismissal is valid.
Seafarer's Right to Disability Benefits When Employer Delays Post-Employment Medical Exam
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies employer duties and seafarer rights in post-employment medical examinations under the POEA-SEC.
Termination Disputes and Choice of Law: Protecting Philippine Labor Rights in Cross-Border Employment
Philippine labor tribunals can hear termination disputes involving foreign employers; Philippine law applies when the worker's duties are performed here.
Security of Tenure vs Management Prerogative: Balancing Rights in Security Agency Employment
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on the balance between security of tenure and management prerogative in security agency employment.
Navigating Jurisdictional Boundaries Resolving Employment Disputes Within Corporate Structures
The Supreme Court clarifies which courts and tribunals have jurisdiction when employment claims and intra-corporate disputes overlap in one case.
Fixed-Term Employment Contracts: When Expiration Is Not Illegal Dismissal
The Supreme Court clarifies when fixed-term employment is valid and its expiration is not illegal dismissal, citing Brent School.
Project vs Regular Employment: Security of Tenure in Construction
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when construction workers are project employees and how employers prove project employment.
Seafarer Death Benefits: Proving Work Relatedness and Contractual Obligations
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when seafarer death benefits are payable under the POEA Standard Employment Contract, emphasizing work relatedness and contract term.
Upholding Workers Rights Interpreting Employment Contracts IN Favor OF Labor
The Supreme Court clarifies when a seafarer's disability becomes total and permanent, and how CBA conflict-resolution clauses bind the parties.
Regular Employment vs Talent Contract: Defining Employer-Employee Relationships in Media
How the Supreme Court distinguished regular employees from talents in ABS-CBN's TV Patrol Bicol case, applying the control test.
Seafarers Must Comply With Timely Medical Reporting To Claim Disability Benefits
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on why seafarers must undergo post-employment medical exams within three days to claim disability benefits.