Last week my father attended a conciliation conference at the DOLE field office here in our city after receiving a letter last week. During the meeting, the employee, Miss A, complained that she was illegally terminated and claimed for underpaid wages. During the conference, She demanded 50,000 thousand pesos which she later reduced to 30,000pesos. What really happened was, last Sept. 1 she was told by my father not to bring her share of meals home and instead eat her meals in the workplace. My father was informed by my mother that other employees are talking about Miss A bringing home more than her share of a meal. All employees are furnished three meals and snacks per day as part of their compensation. Upon learning the situation, i asked an employee if she has seen Miss A bring home food and she confirmed saying at times, Miss A brings a lot of cooked rice. In my anger & frustration, I texted her on that day since she's no longer around the workplace. I asked her if it's true that she's bringing home cooked rice more than her share. I told her she can either stop working or continue to work but no longer allowed to bring their meals home. She vehemently denied. We had a heated dispute thru text messages. Then she said she quits her job. She threatened to air her grievance thru a radio program. She texted my father that she will no longer work. My mother texted her to come to the workplace and face people concerned to explain her side. She didn't want to. She never came back for work. That night i checked our cctv footages and true enough she was bringing food everyday. At times, she would bring left over viands from a previous meal and too much cooked rice.
My father reasoned that she voluntarily resigned. In fact, she abandoned her work. On her claims of underpaid wage, she is compensated with payment and meals and insurance contributions. My father showed The DOLE officer a computation of her wage and monetary value of other benefits like meals and toiletries but the officer said it needs to be in writing or payslip form. The nature of her job is such that she only cooks the three meals furnished to all employees everyday. She doesn't work for 8 hours.
Is she entitled to claims for underpaid wages po?
Can she be charged with theft po?