is this allowed? legal?

[charmed_gal]

hi mga sis, need your opinion.

i've been working in my current company for more than five years, i love it here, masasabi ko talaga na dream job ko ito when i started and tumagal naman talaga ko dahil sa dami ko natutunan.

common contract lang naman napirmahan ko when i started, the usual benefits, rules, etc.

pero recently medyo di na ok palakad ng management and madami na din nagreresign, and nagpupunta sa competition.

may mga naririnig ako na magpapasign na "DAW" sa mga currently employed ng contract na pag nagresign bawal na mag work inline of same business for a year or else they'll sue the employee. 

naiintindihan ko naman ang company na gusto protektahan mga information inside against competitor pero allowed ba na kung kailan employed ka na tsaka sila magbibigay ng ganyang policy? ako sa totoo lang ayoko mag sign sa contract na yan. if ever mag resign ako para nila ako pinutulan ng kamay for a year dahil di pwede mag work sa same line of business. can i refuse to sign this contract? or pag nag refuse mag sign will it be a cause for termination?

thanks sa makakasagot 

 

[yellowminion]

I've read the same question from an fb group composed of HR practitioners. According to their vast knowledge, nilalagay lang daw yun sa pre-employment contract ng iba or in your case, papapirmahin ka pa lang but the thing is, hindi rin talaga siya legally binding since mas ire-recognize daw ng dole yung need ng employees to earn a living. So ok lang na mag-apply sa competitors kung wala ka ng work talaga.

[yellowminion]

True story:
4 years ago I was employed by a hiring agency which deploys personnel to multinational companies. Bale pumapasok kami sa MC na yun but there is no employer-employee relationship. Parang "agency" ang dating ganun. So our employer was the agency, and agency's customer was the Multinational Company.  It was stated in my employment contract that we are not allowed to work on their custome(MC) for a year after the contract ends or if ever we decided to resign from an agency. I resigned shortly thereafter for some reason but my friend na kasabay ko with the same restriction in her contract get absorbed by our MC as its regular employee when the 1yr contract with the agency ended. So there..

[charmed_gal]

^sayo kase sis from the start stated na you cannot work for their customer.

in my case, walang ganitong clause sa contract ko when i started here, pero ngayon gusto nila i pasign mga currently employed ng ganitong contract and ayoko pumirma....

[sarsingkit]

Hindi ako lawyer ha pero I think they can but they can not force you. However, not signing the contract may put you in a bad light. Not signing it signals the company that you have intent to actually move to a competitor. Another question is, if you did sign it, will they actually enforce it? Depende sa position mo sa company diba? Pwedeng director ka pala and you know trade secrets, etc. Pwede din mababa lang ang position mo but since bago ang non-compete agreement and kung ikaw ang unang lalabag nun eh the company might make you an example and actually sue you. Third question, if you did sign and you did move to a competitor and your employer chased you, eh pagtutuunan ba kayo ng pansin ng DOLE. Sis @Yellowminion is correct in the sense that DOLE would rather have you earn a living but than let go of your new job kaso most often that not, companies enforcing non-compete are not really after you losing your new job but will be seeking monetary damages. Well, depende yan sa non-compete clause na papipirmahan sa inyo. Good luck sis!

My sister is an HR but I am still waiting for her reply.

[charmed_gal]

^hi sis thanks for your input

re: trade secrets of the company,  not only do i know most of them,  i also made their trade secrets
kaya nga feeling ko talagang ienforce saken yan non compete na yan at ayoko talaga pumirma

 

[gucciboy]

With the last corporate job that I had in BGC, this was standard practice. It's like they have an MOU with ALL the companies similar to theirs. Very diplomatic strategy if you ask me. Huwag ka kukuha sa'kin and hindi ako kukuha sa inyo.

On my exit interview, they showed me a long list and read it to me of companies I cannot work with in a year. Buti na lang ibang sector na ako now, pero sa totoo lang, yung ganong kahabang list, how would you be able to transfer if same industry lang din.

Ang masasabi ko lang, that's capitalism for us! Sad but true.

[badw33d]

Here?s how i will do it:

1. I?ll sign that agreement but I should get atleast 50% raise effective immediately. Why? It?s like a sign in bonus. then, should I get fired or resign for whatever reason, I get half the months pay whatever the Non-compete duration is. So kung may non compete ako na 12mons, i get extra 6mons pay when they kick me out or i resigned.

2. I will not sign it. If it?s a must, it must be a two way street so negotiate for number 1.

[luckysiete]

I hope someone could help me.

Is it legal for a company not to use the government de minimis benefits?

FYI. The De Minimis benefits are those benefits of relatively small values given by employers to their employee on top of the compensation and these benefits are not subject to withholding (tax exempt)

We have allowances but tag as allowance only. That means,  our salary are all taxable. According to hr. They have to revise the contract first before using the said benefits. Sadly their are not taking any actions.

[ArfMeow0101]

Hi TS!  Anong update sayo dito sa issue na 'to? if i may, yes, pwede nilang i-enforce yung ganung policy/agreement to protect their business interest given yung situation na sabi mo nga eh andami nang nagreresign at lumilipat sa competitors nyo. Valid naman yung gagawin nila if ever kasi allowed yan sa law natin. Sorry medyo bakasyon pa utak ko kaya di ko maexplain ng maayos hehe  Pwede namang hindi ka magsign dun pero malamang i-hold/forfeit yung mga benefits and pay mo. Given your position, sabi mo nga isa ka pa sa author ng mga trade secrets nung present employer mo, they have the right to prohibit you from working in the same line of business within a reasonable period of time (one year naman is considered considerable). Kung ayaw mo sumunod, pwede ka nilang kasuhan and magpay ng damages if ever.

[charmed_gal]

^ wala pa naman pinapasign saken. pero if mag pa sign sila tatanong ko talaga anong mangyayare pag hindi ako mag sign. kung may magandang offer ba sila para mag sign ako sa non compete na yan? pero pag wala at ipilit yan bahala sila mag on the spot resign na lang ako.

[ArfMeow0101]

^if i were you sis, wag ka magresign. Kahit kasi magresign ka eh kung gagawin nilang company policy yun (may mga qualifiers pa 'to ha?) at malalaman nilang naviolate mo yun, mahahabol ka nila. Kung magkakasuhan naman kayo, napakatagal pang tatakbo nun. Sa employer mo walang issue yun, barya lang gagastusin nila dun eh ikaw ready ka na ba gumastos ng malaki? Di sila required magoffer sayo actually. Basta company policy, unless the same is against public policy, law, etc., pwede yun in consonance with their management prerogative. Titignan rin dyan kung pwede ka ba sa ibang industry muna for a while o baka naman wala ka talagang choice kundi sa same industry lang rin magwork.

[charmed_gal]

^ you mean na kahit hindi ako pumirma ng non compete kaya pa din nila ako habulin?  teka lang mag double check nga ko ng company policy baka biglang may dinagdag sila na hindi aware ang mga employee.

[ArfMeow0101]

^Yes. Sorry sobrang late reply.

[charmed_gal]

update mga sis

nag resign ako last december and last day ko jan 3.
at pinapa sign na ako sa non compete, kesyo hindi daw ibibigay clearance ko policy ek ek daw wala naman memo or nadagdag sa blue book namen na ganun. hindi ako pumirma. valid ba na hindi talaga ibibigay coe ko at clearance pag hindi ako pumirma sa non compete? kase kung kailan last day at nakapag turn over na ko tsaka lang sila nag papirma at biglang nagkaron ng ganung klaseng policy na feeling ko pananakot lang nila.