As the Philippines reels from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, with no clear end in sight for the “new normal” of prolonged community quarantines, employers are faced with difficult decisions which may have adverse effects on their workforce.
Through the article Navigating the Delicate Balance of Employee Rights and Employer Prerogatives on Temporary and Permanent Closures and Lay-Offs Under Philippine Law, written by the Firm’s Alejandro Alfonso E. Navarro, Rashel Ann C. Pomoy, and Efren II R. Resurreccion, the Firm’s COVID-19 legal response team on labor and employment weigh in on the options and alternatives to downsizing available to employers.
Discussing options which include: (a) Temporary Closures, (b) Redundancies, (c) Retrenchments, and (d) Permanent Closures, employers are reminded to always be cautious of the need to protect the rights of their employees, even as they exercise their prerogative to control and manage their enterprises effectively.
