Jose Rizal College Vs NLRC (1987)
Jose Rizal College Vs NLRC (1987)
Jose Rizal College Vs NLRC (1987)
CASE DOCTRINE:
Regular holidays specified as such by law are known to both school and faculty
members as no class days;” certainly the latter do not expect payment for said unworked
days, and this was clearly in their minds when they entered into the teaching contracts.
Be it noted that when a special public holiday is declared, the faculty member paid by
the hour is deprived of expected income, and it does not matter that the school calendar
is extended in view of the days or hours lost, for their income that could be earned from
other sources is lost during the extended days.
Similarly, when classes are called off or shortened on account of typhoons, floods,
rallies, and the like, these faculty members must likewise be paid, whether or not
extensions are ordered.
FACTS:
● Action: Demand for payment of holiday pay
● Background:
○ Petitioner is a non-stock, non-profit educational institution duly organized and
existing under the laws of the Philippines. It has three groups of employees
categorized as follows:
■ personnel on monthly basis, who receive their monthly salary uniformly
throughout the year, irrespective of the actual number of working days in
a month without deduction for holidays;
■ personnel on daily basis who are paid on actual days worked and they
receive unworked holiday pay and
■ collegiate faculty who are paid on the basis of student contract hour.
Before the start of the semester they sign contracts with the college
undertaking to meet their classes as per schedule.
○ Private respondent National Alliance of Teachers and Office Workers (NATOW)
in behalf of the faculty and personnel of Jose Rizal College filed a complaint
against the college for said alleged non-payment of holiday pay from 1975 to
1977.
Employee’s arguments Employer’s arguments
NLRC Ruling Teaching personnel paid by the hour are entitled to holiday
pay
ISSUE:
1. Whether or not the school faculty who according to their contracts are paid per lecture
hour are entitled to unworked holiday pay.
2. Whether or not the faculty paid by the hour (by lecture) should be paid holiday pay
HELD:
1. Yes. both the law and the Implementing Rules governing holiday pay are silent as to
payment on Special Public Holidays.
a. It is readily apparent that the declared purpose of the holiday pay which is the
prevention of diminution of the monthly income of the employees on account of
work interruptions is defeated when a regular class day is cancelled on account
of a special public holiday and class hours are held on another working day to
make up for time lost in the school calendar.
b. Otherwise stated, the faculty member, although forced to take a rest, does not
earn what he should earn on that day.
c. Be it noted that when a special public holiday is declared, the faculty member
paid by the hour is deprived of expected income, and it does not matter that the
school calendar is extended in view of the days or hours lost, for their income
that could be earned from other sources is lost during the extended days.
d. Similarly, when classes are called off or shortened on account of typhoons,
floods, rallies, and the like, these faculty members must likewise be paid,
whether or not extensions are ordered.
2. NO. The provisions in the Labor Code as to holiday pay do not apply in this case.
Subject holiday pay is provided for in the Labor Code (Presidential Decree No. 442, as
amended), which reads:
(a) Every worker shall be paid his regular daily wage during regular holidays,
except in retail and service establishments regularly employing less than ten (10)
workers;
(b) The employer may require an employee to work on any holiday but such
employee shall be paid a compensation equivalent to twice his regular rate; …
and in the Implementing Rules and Regulations, Rule IV, Book III, which reads:
SEC. 8. Holiday pay of certain employees. — (a) Private school teachers, including
faculty members of colleges and universities, may not be paid for the regular holidays
during semestral vacations. They shall, however, be paid for the regular holidays during
Christmas vacations. …
The aforementioned implementing rule is not justified by the provisions of the law which
after all is silent with respect to faculty members paid by the hour. Regular holidays
specified as such by law are known to both school and faculty members as no class
days;” certainly the latter do not expect payment for said unworked days, and this was
clearly in their minds when they entered into the teaching contracts.
DISPOSITIVE:
(a) exempting petitioner from paying hourly paid faculty members their pay for regular holidays,
whether the same be during the regular semesters of the school year or during semestral,
Christmas, or Holy Week vacations;
(b) but ordering petitioner to pay said faculty members their regular hourly rate on days declared
as special holidays or for some reason classes are called off or shortened for the hours they are
supposed to have taught, whether extensions of class days be ordered or not; in case of
extensions said faculty members shall likewise be paid their hourly rates should they teach
during said extensions.
SO ORDERED.