Training Bond

Good day po. I just want to ask for legal advice. I am a Service Engr, 2 years and 3 months napo akong employed. Minimum wage earner po ako. I have a training bond with my current company. 3 years bond po sya. 350k penalty if you leave the company on your 1st year of training, 240k on the 2nd year and 150k on the last year. The training is 2 days in Japan. Company visit and basic operation of equipment. There was a verbal agreement with my employer na bibigyan ako additional compensation after completion of my training. Ayaw nila ipalagay sa contract about the additional compensation kaya hindi nailagay sa contract. 1year na akong employed pero wala pa din po ang compensation.
Hirap din po kaming manghingi ng personal protective equipment sa employer. Hanggang ngayon wala pa din po silang provided na safety shoes at coverall for safety on site. Ang overtime po namin kapag nagfa-file, either bawasan or hindi bayaran. Kahit po ang travel time namin pag weekends at waiting time na dahil sa company, hindi binabayaran. Name-measure naman po ang exact time kasi po meron po kaming attendance sheet na pinapapirmahan sa customer.

Please advise kung may laban po ba ang case.

Maraming salamat po.

1st off 350k for a minimum wage earner is very very high. Especially since ni mention mo na training bond sya for 2 days in Japan. Perhaps sinama din nila yung liquidated damages ng breach of contract.

Secondly wag papayag sa mga verbal agreements, if ayaw isulat i-assume mo na hindi talaga ibibgay, factor that in when deciding to take a job or enter into an agreement.

if hindi sobrang mahal i would suggest na bumili kayo ng sariling protective gear, kasi although the employer must provide, if nasira or nawala pwede kayong singilin, kahit ang dahilan ng pagkasira ay dahil luma na. Some companies take advantage of this rule and charge very high fees to their employees.

the overtime ang problema nyo kasi customer ang pumipirma. Pwede i-dispute ng employer nyo yan. dapat supervisor nyo ang pumirma.

Ang travel time talaga beyond office hours is not paid. And waiting time unless pinigilan kayo from leaving is not paid also.

Wala akong nakikitang case except for yung invalidation ng training bond. may chance ka kasi sobrang taas nung amount. Yung safety issue pwede mo ireklamo but hindi ikaw ang bibigyan ng danyos, if merong fines sa DOLE magbabayad ang employer and not to you

Dear Sir Luke,

Thank you for taking the time to advise on my case.

For the personal protective equipment, kami napo ang nagbili ng mga gamit namin kasi hindi po kami makapasok sa site kapag wala. Thank you also for your advice a sa DOLE na ang danyos kung irereklamo namin.

For the overtime, nagpapapirma po kami sa customer para may proof that we worked overtime. Ang overtime din po bago i-render ay dinidiscuss namin sa aming service manager, approved naman po. Binabayaran din po ng customer ang overtime namin pero hindi po binibigay ng employer. Pumipirma din po ang manager namin during filing ng OT. Tama po ba na binabawasan nila ang OT namin?

For the travel time & waiting time, may nakita po kasi ako sa chanrobles virtual law library regarding the definition of the "hours worked".

Travel time:
a. Travel from home to work -not compensable working time
b. Travel that is all in the day’s work - compensable hours worked.
c. Travel away from home - compensable hours worked.

Waiting time - considered compensable if waiting is an integral part of the employee's work or he is required or engaged by the employer to wait.

Yun pong travel time namin falls on letter C. Nagtatravel po kasi kami usually out if town. We are Manila-based. Also the waiting time, we are engaged by our employer to wait.

Gusto ko lang po talagang malaman if pwede ma-void ang training contract ko for 3 years. Sobrang laki po kasi ng amount. Nahihirapan na din po kasi ako sa expenses at minimum wage earner lang po ako sa kanila. Thank you for your confirmation Sir.

re sa travel time, you can ask dole to confirm but the last time i asked them walang OT sa travel time. bayad lang yung first 8 hours. again yung waiting time unless pinigilan kayo fr leaving the vicinity, walang bayad yan.

unfortunately the only way mo malaman if pwedeng ma void yung contract is if iviolate mo and then idemanda ka at matalo ang employer. anything beyond that would merely be opinions. i dont think pwede mo idulog sa courts or sa authorities to rule if it is void or not.

regarding overtime. hindi talaga pwede yung customer. yung manager unless nandun sya sa site can be overuled by the paymaster/hr. If gusto mo talaga iprove, i record mo sa video habang nag overtime ka para hindi ma contest ng employer. ang problema kasi field personnel ka. im guessing wala kayong supervisor while you are working OT except for the customers representatives