ENGLISH

TO FILIPINO WORK-VISA HOLDERS, particularly those who have been hired to New Zealand through a Philippine Recruitment Agency (PRA):

It is lawful in New Zealand to resign anytime from your original employer.

However, if at the point of your deployment to New Zealand, you have signed an employment contract with an Addendum that specifies a Contract Duration, be informed that under Philippine jurisdiction you are legally bound by that contract. The addendum states, among others, that:

"The employee acknowledges that the employer incurred significant costs in relation to this Contract of Employment. Accordingly, if the employee failed to complete the contract at no fault of the employer, then the employer shall be entitled to recover actual damages from the employee (except those cost not allowed by law). The actual damages due shall be determined by the proper court or tribunal"

“Likewise, the action to recover actual damages shall be without prejudice to the filing of an administrative case against the worker for unjustified breach of contract.”

You are therefore informed that under Rule V of the 2016 POEA Rules and Regulations for Land-based Workers, “UNJUSTIFIED BREACH OF EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT” committed by a worker carries the penalty of suspension from participation in the overseas employment program.

Please be guided accordingly.

FILIPINO

SA LAHAT NG MANGGAGAWANG FILIPINO, lalo na kayong mga na-recruit sa pamamagitan ng isang Philippine Recruitment Agency (PRA):

Sa ilalim ng batas ng New Zealand, karapatan ng isang manggagawa ang mag-resign anumang oras mula sa kanyang employer.

Ngunit kung ikaw ay lumagda ng employment contract bago ka tumungo ng New Zealand, na may kalakip na Addendum na nagsasaad tungkol sa Contract Duration, dapat mong malaman na ikaw ay may legal na pananagutan sa ilalim ng batas ng Pilipinas. Ang binabanggit na Addendum ay nagpapahayag na:

“Kinikilala ng manggagawa na ang kanyang (New Zealand) employer ay gumugol ng malaking halaga hinggil sa employment contract na ito. Kaya sa panahong ang manggagawa ay mag-resign nang walang makatuwirang dahilan bago matapos ang kontratang ito, may karapatan ang employer na mabawi ang halaga ng mga tinamong pinsala mula sa manggagawa (liban sa mga halagang bawal ng batas). Ang kabuuang halaga ng pinsala ay ibabatay sa pagpapasiya ng kaukulang korte o husgado.”

“Gayon din, liban sa kaso ukol sa pinsalang pinansyal na dapat bayaran, ang nasabing manggagawa ay maari ring sampahan ng kasong administratibo na unjustified breach of contract”.

Samakatuwid, ipinagbibigay alam sa iyo na sa ilalim ng Rule V ng 2016 POEA Rules and Regulations for Land-based Workers, ang kasong “UNJUSTIFIED BREACH OF EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT”, kapag napatunayan, ay nagpapataw ng parusa na pagka-suspende sa programa ng paggawa sa ibayong dagat ng pamahalaan.

Para sa inyong kaukulang gabay.