Bill to push 13th month pay for Job Orders and contractual gov’t workers

A proposed bill filed in the House of Representatives which seeks to institutionalize a 13th month pay for all government workers including job order (JO’s) and contractual employees once enacted into law.

House Bill (HB) No.6541 or the proposed “13th Month Pay Law for Contractual and Job Order Personnel” for this purpose was recently filed in the House of Representatives.

Filed last December 6, the proposed measure provides for a 13th month pay to individuals who have rendered a minimum of three months service with the government before July 1 of the current fiscal year, prior to the granting of the 13th month pay.

The minimum amount of 13th month pay which is usually given at the end of the year shall not be less than half of the monthly salary received by the employee.

The main proponent of the proposed bill said that the measure is for the benefit of thousands of job orders and contractual personnel working in the government amid the rising prices” as inflation raced to a 14-year high of 8 percent in November.

“Temporary hires had been languishing in government agencies and state-owned corporations for several years, some even decades, and their work and competency could be akin with permanent hires” the main author of the bill also said.

Citing recent data, some 493,900 individuals have been appointed as job order personnel while 148,100 have been hired on a contractual basis. “These employees don’t enjoy the same set of benefits as regular workers” the lawmaker said.

The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Appropriations.