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Employer of Record (EOR) in the Philippines: 2024 Guide

Updated on:
16 Jan, 2024
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EOR in 
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Annually
Pay monthly at a discounted rate with a 12-month commitment
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Employer Of Record In the Philippines

Skuad’s Philippines EOR (Employer of Record) solution can help you establish, streamline and expedite your business set-up and expansion process without forming a separate legal entity in the country. The decision to expand your business in the Philippines can be fruitful as the island country boasts of its highly educated and skilled workforce in the fields of information technology and customer-related services, etc. People in the Philippines are flexible, warm and have strong work ethics.

One of the many hindrances while business expansion is to understand the legal rules and regulations, employment laws, taxation structure, filings, payroll management and other specific details of the country. This information is necessary to do business efficiently and effectively with a considerable cost mechanism.

Skuad’s global HR platform helps you understand all business requirements in the Philippines while you are sitting in your home country. All you need is Skuad’s automated and unified platform through which you can easily manage the payroll, taxes, recruitment, training, development and compliances of the Philippines. Let us begin by taking you through some basic employment guidelines and details about the Philippines.

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Employment In the Philippines

The employment rate in the Philippines stood at 91.3% in January 2021. Employment laws in the Philippines are governed by the Labor Code 1974, which defines the rules and standards regarding employment policies, wage rates, working hours, employee benefits,etc..

Skuad’s Philippines EOR (Employer of Record) solution provides stimulating opportunities for companies across the globe to enter into the Philippines market. Our automated platform reduces the time and rigidity to hire employees or to conduct administrative activities such as managing payroll solutions and offering employment contracts without any delay. 

To make the employment contract, it is necessary to know the rules for hiring and termination of private employees, the working conditions, overtime benefits, and updated guidelines of the labor code rules, if you need to stay compliant. 

Skuad helps in carrying out business operations as per the laws of the Philippines and assists the individual or company to attain the desired objectives in an accurate manner while complying with all the applicable employment laws in the Philippines. As a result, your business will grow faster and have the potential to survive for a long time.

Let us discuss the employment laws in detail:

Entitlements Explanation
Statutory Working Hours A normal working week should not exceed 8 hours a day and 6 days a week.
Overtime eligibility
  • Overtime is paid at 125% of the basic wage, 130% on a Sunday or paid holiday, and 200% on a public holiday.
  • Any employee who works during an emergency under Article 89 in the country will be eligible for overtime compensation.
Weekly Rest Period Sunday is classified as a rest day in a 7-day week.
Public Holidays The following holidays in the Philippines are marked as paid holidays for employees:
  • New Year’s Day (1 January)
  • Chinese New Year (10 February)
  • Maundy Thursday (28 March)
  • Good Friday (29 March)
  • Black Saturday (30 March)
  • Araw ng Kagitingan (9 April)
  • Labour Day (1 May
  • Independence Day (12 June)
  • Ninoy Aquino Day (August 21)
  • National Heroes Day (26 August - last Monday of August)
  • All Saints' Day (1 November)
  • All Souls' Day (1 November)
  • Bonifacio Day (30 November)
  • Feast of the Immaculate Conception (8 December)
  • Christmas Eve (24 December
  • Christmas Day (25 December)
  • Rizal Day (30 December)
  • Last Day of the Year (31 December)
Maternity & Paternity Leave
  • Female employees receive up to 105 days of fully paid maternity leave for each pregnancy while employed.
  • However, a male employee is entitled to seven days' leave until the birth of the first four children.
  • Employees can take leave within 60 days from the birth of the child. The employer shall pay paternity leave after submitting documents to the Social Security Program for reimbursement.
Social Security System
  • The Social Security System is established to help employees and their families cope with a disability, illness, and death.
  • It is mandatory for employees below the age of 60 years and who earn P1000 per month to contribute to the social security fund.
  • An amount is deducted automatically from the employee’s salary every month.
Annual Vacation Leave
  • All employees are entitled to five days of paid leave after one year of service, called ‘service incentive leave’ that can be used for vacation or for illness depending upon the number of working days.
  • Employers also provide 15 days of paid leave to their employees every year when they reach a professional level.
Medical Leave
  • There is no specific provision for sick leave for employees in the Philippines.
  • However, some employment contracts or collective bargain agreements might include sick leave benefits to the employees.
  • Employees are entitled to 90% of their average daily wages from employers in case of illness or injury. This benefit is provided to only those employees who have paid a three-month Social Security System contribution fund for 1 year prior to their illness or injury.
  • The above-mentioned clause is applicable when all the sick leave with payment due by the employer has been drained. In this case, the employer is entitled to a 100% reimbursement from the Social Security System.
Employment Protection & Anti-Discrimination Rights
  • Employment contracts may be in writing or oral. Written contracts are needed for a domestic helper, children working in public entertainment and trilateral job contracting.
  • The Labor Code provides for implied terms in employment contracts.
  • Employees are protected against discrimination as per the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act and The Safe Spaces Act. This law is applicable to all categories of workers in the Philippines.
Confidentiality of Personal Information In the Philippines, the Data Privacy Act 2012 protects the data of individuals and entities. It provides detailed guidelines for processing personal data.

Contractors vs. Full-Time Employees

There are two primary employee categories in the Philippines which are protected through employment contracts in the Labor Code - full-time employees and contractor employees. 

Full-time employment involves the provision of statutory sick pay, paternity leaves, minimum notice periods, legal protection against illegal or unfair dismissal, pension, health insurance benefits, etc. Workers employed on a full-time basis are selected according to the nature of work they conduct. They may be hired to perform activities necessary or desirable in the usual course of business.

Employees who serve for at least a year, whether continuous or interrupted, in respect of their business activity are also known as regular employees. They enjoy the security of tenure as per the Labor Code. 

Contractors have a fixed tenure for a specific project, after which their engagement comes to an end. There are not entitled to the benefits normally given to full-time employees.

People in the Philippines mostly prefer full-time employment. One of the main reasons for this is job security. Full-time employment provides attractive benefits and a high level of job security. 

Contact Skuad today to hire contractors and full-time employees with no hassles.

Hiring In the Philippines

Hiring an exceptional team for the growth of your business is vital for success because a good team helps in achieving the desired objectives of the organization. Before hiring, you must evaluate the skills and competency of the candidates during the interview process according to the job description. All employment-related issues are governed by the Philippines Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) regulations.  

The system of hiring in the Philippines for government positions is through civil services exams that take around two to six months. Vacancies in the private sector are filled through various job portals namely, Google for Jobs, Pinoy jobs, jobfinderph.com, Jora, etc. Upon selection, the candidate needs to enter into a written employment contract with the company in accordance with compliances. But you must be thinking how will you stay compliant by sitting in your home country?

Book a demo with Skuad to consult on how to proceed with hiring in the Philippines for your business expansion plan.

Probation & Termination

In the Philippines, every person new to the organization needs to undergo a probationary period of up to 6 months. However, the period may be extended if any apprenticeship agreement exists between the employer and the employee. After the successful completion of this period, the employee must be considered as a regular employee whether a new contract is executed or not for the same as per the employment law in the Philippines.

Termination

Topics Explanations
Notice for Termination of Employment
  • An employee can terminate his employee-employer relationship by serving a written notice to the employer at least one month in advance.
  • An employee can also terminate his service without giving prior notice, on the following grounds:
    1. Serious insult by the employer or his representative
    2. Inhuman and unbearable treatment
    3. Commission of a crime or offense by the employer
Grounds for Termination by Employer The termination can be carried out by the employer as per Article 282 of Book VI, Title I of post-employment rules of Labor Relations. The grounds for termination are as follows:
  1. Wilful disobedience
  2. Gross negligence towards duty
  3. Serious misconduct
  4. Breach of trust and fraud
  5. Commission of any crime against the employer or his representative

EOR Solution

The Philippines Employer of Record (The Philippines EOR) solution makes it easier to expand business in an accurate and compliant manner without setting up separate legal entities in the Philippines. Choosing EOR can shape your business route in smooth payroll management, company compliances, attendance management, tax filings and other employment related tasks.

Skuad global HR platform will help to manage your business in a simplified way by removing complexities through its unified and automated platform which is designed to handle monthly payroll, onboarding employees, drafting employment contracts, managing compliances and all day to day HR functions for your employees in the Philippines. Talk to a Skuad expert now.

General Employer of Record Service Terms

Taxes that apply to invoices Employer Liability 12.25% + Provident fund.
Minimum duration of service No specific fixed duration of service. There is a six-month probationary period, which may be terminated by either the employee or the employer on certain grounds, as mentioned in the probation and termination section.
Currency Accepted Philippine Peso.
Required Details and Documents For Filipino Citizens: Personal information, ID proof, residential proof, CV, bank details, job details. For Expatriates: Personal information, job details, educational qualifications, technical qualifications, CV, copy of passport, copy of ID, Bank details, photographs, Employment contract.

Types Of Visas In the Philippines

The three categories of Visas in the Philippines are Immigrant, Non-Immigrant and Special Visa, which are further classified into different types of visas as explained in the table below:

Immigrant Visas

Visa category Explanation
A Child born abroad of an immigrant mother A child who is born outside the Philippines during a temporary visit by the mother.
13 C This visa is for a child born after the issuance of an immigrant visa to the accompanying parent.
13 A It includes two types:
  • Conversion to non-quota immigrant visa by marriage, which is given to a foreign national based on his valid marriage to a citizen of the Philippines.
  • Dependent children under 21 years of age, unmarried, joining or accompanying the applicant with sufficient proof of blood relationship.
Permanent Resident Visa (PRV) This type of visa is granted to four types of categories:
  1. Amendment to PRV by marriage
  2. Amendment to PRV-PROC married to Filipino
  3. Conversion to PRV-PROC married to Filipino
  4. PRV for Filipino Veterans
13 G This is for the applicant who
  1. Was previously a natural-born citizen of the Philippines
  2. Is a naturalized citizen of a foreign country, and
  3. Intends to return to the Philippines for permanent residence
Returning Visa (13 E) This transaction is available to one who was previously granted permanent residence in the Philippines and who is returning to an unrelinquished residence in the Philippines after a temporary visit abroad.
Quota Visa (13) This is for the nationals of the countries who have diplomatic relations with the Philippines and grant Filipinos the same immigration privileges under the principle of reciprocity, which shall not be in excess of fifty (50) of any one nationality or without nationality for any one calendar year.

Non-Immigrant Visa

Visa category Explanation
Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) This type of visa is granted to 4 types of categories:
  1. Conversion to TRV by marriage
  2. Extension to TRV by marriage
  3. Conversion to TRV-Indian married to Filipino
  4. Extension of TRV-Indian married to Filipino
Temporary Visitor Visa (9A) Temporary Visitor Visa includes the following types:
  • Visa waiver
  • Extension of authorized stay beyond 59 days
  • Motion for reconstruction or updating and extension of authorized stay
  • Long stay visitor visa extension
Treaty Trader or Treaty Investor (9D) This type of Visa includes:
  • Conversion to Treaty or Treaty Investor
  • Extension of Treaty Trader’s Visa/ Treaty Investor’s Visa
  • Inclusion of dependent in the Treaty Trader’s or Treaty Investor’s visa of the principal holder
Accredited Official of Foreign Government (9E) Any accredited official of a foreign government recognized by the government of the Philippines, his family, attendants, servants, and employees.
Student Visa (9F) This includes 2 categories:
  1. Conversion to student visa
  2. Extension of student visa
  3. Intends to return to the Philippines for permanent residence
Pre- Arranged Employment Visa (9G) This type of Visa includes:
  1. Conversion to pre-arranged employee commercial
  2. Extension of pre-arranged employee commercial
  3. Conversion to pre-arranged employee non-commercial
  4. Extension of pre-arranged employee non-commercial
  5. Inclusion of dependent in the pre-arranged employee visa of the principal holder

Special Visa

Visa category Explanation
Visa Upon Arrival (SEVUA)
  1. Foreign investors and businessmen duly endorsed by the Board of Investments (BOI), the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA), the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), local business councils, or local as well as foreign chambers of commerce and industry; Athletes and delegates to sports competitions, conventions, or exhibitions duly endorsed by its organizers and/or sponsors;
  2. Delegates and participants AND resource speakers in, international conventions, symposia, conferences, and similar gatherings duly endorsed by its organizers and/or sponsors;
  3. Foreign investors and their executives in investments that are endorsed by the government, or those resulting from bilateral agreements as well as those in response to Presidential Invitations for Investments during presidential trips or State Visits abroad;
  4. Officials of World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and other international development partners, including their dependent spouse and unmarried minor children;
  5. Other foreigners who, at the discretion of the Commissioner, may be entitled to the benefits of this program.
Special Visa for Employment Generation This visa is applicable for a qualified non-immigrant foreigner who shall actually employ at least ten (10) Filipinos in a lawful and sustainable enterprise, trade, or industry.
Special Employment Visa for Offshore Banking Unit This includes
  • Conversion to a non-immigrant visa of offshore banking unit under PD 1034
  • Extension of a non-immigrant visa of offshore banking unit under PD 1034
Special Visa under E.O. 226 as amended by R.A. 8756 This includes:
  1. Conversion of special non-immigrant visa
  2. Extension of special non-immigrant visa

Source: Visa Upon Arrival (SEVUA)

Work Permits

Skuad local partners in the Philippines can help you in managing work permits for your organization. As an EOR in the Philippines, Skuad manages all the employment requirements and responsibilities in a simplified and compliant manner. On Skuad’s HR platform the client company can handle their employees’ day-to-day employment activities and operations. For a work permit in the Philippines, you are required to apply for Employee Visa 9G at the Bureau of Immigration Philippines. The documents required are as follows:

  1. Copy of passport
  2. Employment Contract
  3. Alien Employment permit issued by the department of labor and employment
  4. Application Form
  5. Additional information on the applicant’s children (if needed)
  6. Notarized certification of the number of foreign and Filipino Employees

After the documents checklist preparation, Skuad will help to manage further processes for application. Consult with us now.

Payroll and Taxes In the Philippines

To manage payroll and taxation in the Philippines, you must be aware of the local employment rules and tax structure of the country as it may vary from one category to another. Taxation structure includes different types of tax laws like business tax, withholding tax, employee compensation, social security and more.

Skuad’s EOR solution will keep you compliant with payroll in the Philippines. The social security system also consists of a home development fund and the Philippines health insurance corporation (PhilHealth). Let us discuss the tax rates in detail.

Taxes in the Philippines

Employer Taxation

Tax Explanation
Tax Year 31st December (Calendar year)
Penalties P1,000 for basic tax, not more than P5,000.
P3,000 for basic tax is more than P5,000 but less than P10,000.
Payroll Tax No specific payroll taxes.
Social Security Contributions Employers contribute to social security at a rate between 73.70 pesos and 1,178.70 pesos
Public Pension Pensions in the Philippines are governed by the Government Service Insurance System and Social Security System.

Employee Taxation

Tax Explanation
Income Tax Rates
Taxable Income (PHP) Tax Rate (%)
Up to 250,000 0
250,000 - 400,000 20
400,000- 800,000 25
800,000- 2,000,000 32
8,000,000- Over 35
Non-resident aliens not engaged in trade or business in the Philippines - 25% based on gross income.
Sales Tax 12% on all goods and services.
Filing & Payment The annual income tax return must be filed by the 15th of April of the year following the calendar year.
Health Insurance Healthcare benefits are given by state-subsidized public healthcare under the Philippines Health Insurance Corporation, (PhilHealth) and these are non-taxable.

Provincial Rate / Minimum Wages Philippines 2022

Minimum wage revision in IV-A - Calabarzon, the Philippines

The provincial rate of daily minimum wages for Calabarzon (Region IV-A), the Philippines has seen an increase according to Wage Order No. IVA-19, published on June 14, 2022. The increase, cutting across different private sector industries, is mandated in two tranches:

  • 1st Tranche, where workers in the private sector will receive PHP 3 (USD 0.051)-PHP 49 (USD 0.83) per day, in addition to the current minimum wage rates
  • 2nd Tranche (applicable six months after 1st Tranche), where workers in the private sector will receive up to PHP 48 (USD 0.81) per day, in addition to 1st Tranche.

The minimum wage increase applies to a typical working day of working hours not exceeding eight hours per day and to all private sector workers regardless of position, status, designation, or method of wage payment.

The minimum wage increase applies to five provinces in Calabarzon including

  • Cavite
  • Laguna
  • Rizal
  • Batangas
  • Quezon

The minimum wage increase is indicated, as per Wage Order No. IVA-19, in Non-Agriculture and Agriculture sectors in each province as follows:

Province 1st Trenche (Non-Agriculture) 2nd Trenche (Non-Agriculture) 1st Trenche (Agriculture) 2nd Trenche (Agriculture)
Cavite PHP 29 (USD 0.49) PHP 28 (USD 0.47) PHP 29 (USD 0.49) - PHP 41 PHP 28 (USD 0.47) - PHP 41 (USD 0.69)
Laguna PHP 22 (USD 0.37) - PHP 29 (USD 0.49) PHP 21 (USD 0.36) - PHP 28 (USD 0.47) PHP 29 (USD 0.49) PHP 28 (USD 0.47)
Rizal PHP 22 (USD 0.37) - PHP 29 (USD 0.49) PHP 21 (USD 0.36) - PHP 28 (USD 0.47) PHP 29 (USD 0.49) - PHP 41 (USD 0.69) PHP 28 (USD 0.47) - PHP 41 (USD 0.69)
Batangas PHP 22 (USD 0.37) - PHP 29 (USD 0.49) PHP 21 (USD 0.36) - PHP 28 (USD 0.47) PHP 29 (USD 0.49) - PHP 41 (USD 0.69) PHP 28 (USD 0.47) - PHP 41 (USD 0.69)
Quezon PHP 22 (USD 0.37) - PHP 27 (USD 0.46) PHP 21 (USD 0.36) - PHP 27 (USD 0.46) PHP 29 (USD 0.49) - PHP 41 (USD 0.69) PHP 28 (USD 0.47) - PHP 41 (USD 0.69)

Check Wage Order No. IVA-19 for a full record of wage increases across provinces, metropolitan areas, and municipalities (First-Sixth Class).

The Wage Order No. IVA-19 exempts certain organizations from compliance including:

  • Retail or service industries employing 10 workers or less
  • Organizations affected by COVID-19, or natural or human-caused disasters

Failing to comply with Wage Order No. IVA-19 will result in legal consequences as indicated in Section 12 of RA No. 6727, as amended by RA No. 8188. 

Effective date

Wage Order No. IVA-19 is effective 15 days from when published: June 30, 2022.

Reason for wage revision

There are four reasons the minimum wage limit in Calabarzon was raised including:

  • Periodic assessment, where the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board assesses minimum regional wages to determine if current wages are responsive to in-region economic conditions
  • General public complaints, where public hearings and consultations show a general discontent with extraordinary hikes in prices of oil products as well as basic goods and services
  • Unionized petitions, where the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board received several petitions from the Federation of Free Workers, Metal Workers Alliance of the Philippines, and the Association of Minimum Wage Earners and Advocates on recent price hikes
  • Combined economic and social factors, including public discontent, socio-economic indicators,  the declining purchasing power of the Philippines peso, increased poverty, and impact of COVID-19

Incorporation: How To Set Up Subsidiaries In the Philippines?

We can help you make your company compliant in every corner of the country. The forms of business you can set up in the Philippines are a corporation, branch office, regional headquarter or foreign partnership. It also depends on the nature and activities of your business. So let’s discuss the requirement in detail.

For Filipino subsidiary establishment you need to file certain documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission and obtain necessary licenses along with the following documents:

  • Articles of Association
  • Memorandum of Association
  • Declaration from the Treasurer’s office
  • Company name verification and approval paper
  • Registration datasheet
  • Obtaining Tax Identification Number (TIN)
  • Registration with the social security system

It will take around 30 days to incorporate a subsidiary in the Philippines, after which you can directly do your business with ease. And as Skuad is your global EOR solution provider, you don’t need to worry about how to fulfil the legal formalities including business compliances, training, development and hiring of your employees in the Philippines. Our goal is to simplify your business process so that you focus on core areas of business expansion.

Consult with SKUAD to understand the process in detail from experts.

Professional Employer Organization (PEO)

Professional Employment Organization (PEO) is an outsourced HR department where organizations merge with small and medium-sized businesses to handle your company compliances, payroll management, tax filing, recruitment and other services. So when you avail of the services of PEO, that organization smoothly handles your business operation without setting up any separate entity. PEO offers customized services according to the client requirement e.g. employee benefit, payroll processing, administration of workers compensation, business compliances, recruitment and others.

With the Philippines’ EOR solution you don’t need to associate with any small or medium size organization because you can directly become the legal employer. With Skuad’s EOR solution you can easily handle employee benefits and compensation, tax filing, payroll, compliance, attendance management and all other day-to-day activities related to HR.

Depending upon the nature, size and operations of your business, you may opt to hire directly by becoming a legal employer or tie-up with a Professional Employment Organization (PEO). Both options are available.

To decide, Book a DEMO WITH SKUAD.

Conclusion

While setting up business in the Philippines, you need to be aware of the local laws, rules and regulations to expand your business line in an accurate manner. A business requires a one-stop source where an effective and efficient EOR solution can be provided to complete the outsourcing needs of the business. Therefore, Skuad is a one-stop source to handle payroll, compliances, tax filing, managing the hire to retire cycle and more.

Still not sure on how to begin, connect with Skuad to make the right choice about your business expansion dream in the Philippines with our automated and unified platform.

limited-offer-banner
EOR in 
the Philippines
Monthly
best value
Annually
Pay monthly at a discounted rate with a 12-month commitment
(Save upto 15%)
$
199
/month
(billed annually)
Start Hiring Now

Employ contractors and employees in 160+ countries

Get started
limited-offer-banner
EOR in 
the Philippines
Monthly
$
249
/month
(billed annually)
Annually
Pay monthly at a discounted rate with a 12-month commitment
$
199
/month
(billed monthly)

Employ contractors and employees in 160+ countries

Table of Content

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Skuad is the best solution to hire
and expand globally.

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limited-offer-banner
EOR in 
the Philippines
$
169
/month
(billed annually)
$
199
/month
(billed monthly)

Employ contractors and employees in 160+ countries