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SYLLABUS FOR THE 2019 BAR EXAMINATIONS

LABOR LAW AND SOCIAL LEGISLATION

NOTE: This syllabus is an outline of the key topics that fall under the core subject “Labor Law and
Social Legislation”. Accordingly, all Bar candidates should be guided that only laws, rules, issuances, and
jurisprudence pertinent to these topics as of June 30, 2018 are examinable materials within the coverage
of the 2019 Bar Examinations.

Contents
I. GENERAL PROVISIONS ........................................................................................................................ 5
A. Basic policy on labor ............................................................................................................................. 6
B. Construction in favor of labor ............................................................................................................... 6
C. Constitutional and Civil Code provisions relating to Labor Law ........................................................... 6
1. Article II, Secs. 9, 10, 18, 20. ............................................................................................................. 6
2. Article III, Secs. 4, 8, 10, 16, 18(2). .................................................................................................... 6
3. Article XIII, Secs. 2, 3, 13, 14. ............................................................................................................ 6
4. Article 1700, Civil Code. .................................................................................................................... 7
5. Article 1701, Civil Code. .................................................................................................................... 7
6. Article 1702, Civil Code. .................................................................................................................... 7
7. Article 1703, Civil Code. .................................................................................................................... 7
II. PRE-EMPLOYMENT ............................................................................................................................. 7
A. Recruitment and placement of local and migrant workers (Labor Code and RA 8042, as amended
by RA 10022) 7
1. Illegal recruitment and other prohibited activities ........................................................................... 8
2. Liability of local recruitment agency and foreign employer ............................................................. 8
3. Termination of contract of migrant worker without just or valid cause .......................................... 9
4. Ban on direct hiring ........................................................................................................................... 9
B. Employment of non-resident aliens ..................................................................................................... 9
III. LABOR STANDARDS .......................................................................................................................... 9
A. Conditions of employment ................................................................................................................... 9
1. Coverage ........................................................................................................................................... 9
2. Hours of work.................................................................................................................................. 10
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3. Weekly rest periods ........................................................................................................................ 11

4. Holidays ........................................................................................................................................... 11
5. Service incentive leaves .................................................................................................................. 11
6. Service charges................................................................................................................................ 11
7. 13th month pay............................................................................................................................... 11
B. Wages ................................................................................................................................................. 12
1. Payment of wages ........................................................................................................................... 12
2. Prohibitions regarding wages ......................................................................................................... 12
3. Wage distortion; concept................................................................................................................ 12
4. Non-diminution of benefits............................................................................................................. 12
C. Leaves ................................................................................................................................................. 12
1. Service incentive leave .................................................................................................................... 13
2. Maternity leave ............................................................................................................................... 13
3. Paternity leave ................................................................................................................................ 13
4. Solo parent leave ............................................................................................................................ 13
5. Leave benefits for women workers under RA 9710 and RA 9262 .................................................. 13
D. Special groups of employees .............................................................................................................. 13
1. Women............................................................................................................................................ 14
2. Minors (RA 7610, as amended by RA 9231).................................................................................... 14
3. Kasambahay (RA 10361) ................................................................................................................. 15
4. Homeworkers .................................................................................................................................. 15
5. Night workers .................................................................................................................................. 15
6. Apprentices and learners ................................................................................................................ 15
7. Persons with Disabilities ................................................................................................................. 15
IV. SOCIAL WELFARE LEGISLATION ................................................................................................. 16
A. SSS Law (RA 8282)............................................................................................................................... 16
1. Coverage and exclusions ................................................................................................................. 16
2. Dependents and beneficiaries ........................................................................................................ 16
3. Benefits ........................................................................................................................................... 16
B. GSIS Law (RA 8291) ............................................................................................................................. 17
1. Coverage and exclusions ................................................................................................................. 17
2. Dependents and beneficiaries ........................................................................................................ 17
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3. Benefits ........................................................................................................................................... 17
C. Disability and death benefits .............................................................................................................. 17
1. Labor Code ...................................................................................................................................... 17
2. POEA-Standard Employment Contract ........................................................................................... 18
V. LABOR RELATIONS ........................................................................................................................... 18
A. Right to self-organization ................................................................................................................... 18
1. Coverage ......................................................................................................................................... 18
2. Ineligibility of managerial employees; right of supervisory employees ......................................... 18
3. Effect of inclusion as employees outside of the bargaining unit .................................................... 18
4. Non-abridgement ............................................................................................................................ 19
B. Bargaining unit .................................................................................................................................... 19
C. Bargaining representative................................................................................................................... 19
1. Determination of representation status ......................................................................................... 19
D. Rights of labor organizations .............................................................................................................. 19
1. Check off, assessments, and agency fees ....................................................................................... 19
2. Collective bargaining ....................................................................................................................... 19
E. Unfair Labor Practices ......................................................................................................................... 20
1. Nature, aspects ............................................................................................................................... 20
2. By employers................................................................................................................................... 20
3. By labor organizations..................................................................................................................... 20
F. Peaceful concerted activities .............................................................................................................. 21
1. Strikes .............................................................................................................................................. 21
2. Picketing .......................................................................................................................................... 21
3. Lockouts .......................................................................................................................................... 21
4. Assumption of jurisdiction by the DOLE Secretary ......................................................................... 21
5. Injunctions....................................................................................................................................... 22
VI. POST-EMPLOYMENT ....................................................................................................................... 22
A. Employer-employee relationship ....................................................................................................... 22
1. Tests to determine existence .......................................................................................................... 22
2. Kinds of employment ...................................................................................................................... 22
3. Legitimate subcontracting vs. labor-only contracting .................................................................... 24
B. Termination by employer ................................................................................................................... 25
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1. Just causes....................................................................................................................................... 25
2. Authorized causes ........................................................................................................................... 25
3. Due process ..................................................................................................................................... 25
1. Resignation versus constructive dismissal ...................................................................................... 26
D. Preventive Suspension........................................................................................................................ 26
E. Reliefs from illegal dismissal ............................................................................................................... 26
F. Money claims arising from employer-employee relationship ............................................................ 26
G. Retirement.......................................................................................................................................... 26
VII. MANAGEMENT PREROGATIVE ................................................................................................... 27
A. Discipline ............................................................................................................................................. 27
B. Transfer of employees ........................................................................................................................ 27
C. Productivity standard.......................................................................................................................... 27
D. Bonus .................................................................................................................................................. 27
E. Change of working hours .................................................................................................................... 27
F. Bona Fide Occupational Qualifications ............................................................................................... 27
G. Post-employment restrictions ............................................................................................................ 28
VIII. JURISDICTION AND RELIEFS ...................................................................................................... 28
A. Labor Arbiter ....................................................................................................................................... 28
1. Jurisdiction ...................................................................................................................................... 28
B. National Labor Relations Commission ................................................................................................ 28
1. Jurisdiction ...................................................................................................................................... 29
C. Judicial review of labor rulings............................................................................................................ 29
1. Court of Appeals.............................................................................................................................. 29
2. Supreme Court ................................................................................................................................ 29
D. Bureau of Labor Relations .................................................................................................................. 30
1. Jurisdiction ...................................................................................................................................... 30
E. National Conciliation and Mediation Board........................................................................................ 30
1. Conciliation versus mediation ......................................................................................................... 30
2. Preventive mediation ...................................................................................................................... 30
F. DOLE Regional Directors ..................................................................................................................... 30
1. Recovery/adjudicatory power......................................................................................................... 31
G. DOLE Secretary ................................................................................................................................... 31
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1. Visitorial and enforcement powers................................................................................................. 31

2. Power to suspend the effects of termination ................................................................................. 31
3. Remedies ......................................................................................................................................... 31
H. Grievance machinery .......................................................................................................................... 31
I. Voluntary arbitration ........................................................................................................................... 32
1. Jurisdiction ...................................................................................................................................... 32
J. Prescription of actions ......................................................................................................................... 32
1. Money claims .................................................................................................................................. 32
2. Illegal dismissal................................................................................................................................ 32
3. Unfair labor practice ....................................................................................................................... 32
4. Offenses under the Labor Code ...................................................................................................... 33
5. Illegal recruitment ........................................................................................................................... 33
- NOTHING FOLLOWS - .................................................................................................................... 33

I. GENERAL PROVISIONS
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A. Basic policy on labor

B. Construction in favor of labor

C. Constitutional and Civil Code provisions relating to Labor Law

1. Article II, Secs. 9, 10, 18, 20.

2. Article III, Secs. 4, 8, 10, 16, 18(2).

3. Article XIII, Secs. 2, 3, 13, 14.

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4. Article 1700, Civil Code.

5. Article 1701, Civil Code.

6. Article 1702, Civil Code.

7. Article 1703, Civil Code.

II. PRE-EMPLOYMENT

A. Recruitment and placement of local and migrant workers (Labor Code and RA
8042, as amended by RA 10022)
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1. Illegal recruitment and other prohibited activities

a. Elements

b. Types of illegal recruitment

c. Illegal recruitment vs. estafa

2. Liability of local recruitment agency and foreign employer

a. Solidary liability
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b. Theory of imputed knowledge

3. Termination of contract of migrant worker without just or valid cause

4. Ban on direct hiring

B. Employment of non-resident aliens

III. LABOR STANDARDS

A. Conditions of employment

1. Coverage
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2. Hours of work

a. Normal hours of work; hours worked

i. Compressed work week

ii. Power interruptions/brownout

b. Meal periods

c. Night-shift differential

d. Overtime work
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e. Computation of additional compensation (rates only);

facilities vs. Supplements

3. Weekly rest periods

4. Holidays

5. Service incentive leaves

6. Service charges

7. 13th month pay

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B. Wages

1. Payment of wages

2. Prohibitions regarding wages

3. Wage distortion; concept

4. Non-diminution of benefits

C. Leaves
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1. Service incentive leave

2. Maternity leave

3. Paternity leave

4. Solo parent leave

5. Leave benefits for women workers under RA 9710 and RA 9262

D. Special groups of employees

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1. Women

a. Discrimination

b. Stipulation against marriage

c. Prohibited acts

d. Sexual harassment (RA 7877)

2. Minors (RA 7610, as amended by RA 9231)

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3. Kasambahay (RA 10361)

4. Homeworkers

5. Night workers

6. Apprentices and learners

7. Persons with Disabilities

a. Discrimination
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b. Incentives for employers

IV. SOCIAL WELFARE LEGISLATION

A. SSS Law (RA 8282)

1. Coverage and exclusions

2. Dependents and beneficiaries

3. Benefits
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B. GSIS Law (RA 8291)

1. Coverage and exclusions

2. Dependents and beneficiaries

3. Benefits

C. Disability and death benefits

1. Labor Code
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2. POEA-Standard Employment Contract

V. LABOR RELATIONS

A. Right to self-organization

1. Coverage

2. Ineligibility of managerial employees; right of supervisory employees

3. Effect of inclusion as employees outside of the bargaining unit

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4. Non-abridgement

B. Bargaining unit

C. Bargaining representative

1. Determination of representation status

D. Rights of labor organizations

1. Check off, assessments, and agency fees

2. Collective bargaining
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a. Duty to bargain collectively

b. Collective Bargaining Agreement

i. Mandatory provisions of the CBA

E. Unfair Labor Practices

1. Nature, aspects

2. By employers

3. By labor organizations
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F. Peaceful concerted activities

1. Strikes

a. Valid versus illegal strikes

2. Picketing

3. Lockouts

4. Assumption of jurisdiction by the DOLE Secretary

a. Nature
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b. Effects of assumption of jurisdiction

5. Injunctions

VI. POST-EMPLOYMENT

A. Employer-employee relationship

1. Tests to determine existence

2. Kinds of employment
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a. Regular

b. Casual

c. Probationary

d. Project

e. Seasonal

f. Fixed-term
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g. Security guards

h. Floating status

3. Legitimate subcontracting vs. labor-only contracting

a. Elements

b. Trilateral relationship

c. Solidary liability
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B. Termination by employer

1. Just causes

2. Authorized causes

3. Due process

a. Twin-notice requirement

b. Hearing
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C. Termination by employee

1. Resignation versus constructive dismissal

D. Preventive Suspension

E. Reliefs from illegal dismissal

F. Money claims arising from employer-employee relationship

G. Retirement
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VII. MANAGEMENT PREROGATIVE

A. Discipline

B. Transfer of employees

C. Productivity standard

D. Bonus

E. Change of working hours

F. Bona Fide Occupational Qualifications

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G. Post-employment restrictions

VIII. JURISDICTION AND RELIEFS

A. Labor Arbiter

1. Jurisdiction

a. Labor Arbiter versus Regional Director

B. National Labor Relations Commission

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1. Jurisdiction

C. Judicial review of labor rulings

1. Court of Appeals

a. Appeal via Rule 65, Rules of Court

2. Supreme Court

b. Rule 45, Rules of Court

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D. Bureau of Labor Relations

1. Jurisdiction

E. National Conciliation and Mediation Board

1. Conciliation versus mediation

2. Preventive mediation

F. DOLE Regional Directors

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1. Recovery/adjudicatory power

G. DOLE Secretary

1. Visitorial and enforcement powers

2. Power to suspend the effects of termination

3. Remedies

H. Grievance machinery
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I. Voluntary arbitration

1. Jurisdiction

J. Prescription of actions

1. Money claims

2. Illegal dismissal

3. Unfair labor practice

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4. Offenses under the Labor Code

5. Illegal recruitment

- NOTHING FOLLOWS -