Episode 13 – Bonus over commitment: Is this unethical, or just practical?

Why are so many Filipinos quitting right after getting their 13th-month pay—is it a smart move or short-term thinking?

While job hopping promises quick wins, it can backfire, especially for minimum wage earners with limited options.

In this episode, we unpack the mindset behind holiday resignations, the trade-off between loyalty and opportunity, and the deeper cultural pressures faced by both local workers and OFWs.

This transcript is machine-generated, and we apologize for any errors.

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Philippe: Okay. Philippine resignation after 13th month. Oh, so article article and then I read about it and then I I don’t want to go through the article based on what we have experienced in the past decade is that December 13th month, resignation letter give and give and take. I don’t know what Christmas bonus I don’t get that type of mentality. Why does to others why do why does it work next year? If you think about it, disadvantage next year. Yeah, enjoy celebrate Christmas holidays and everything. By the time January comes after New [Music] Year and then so what’s going to happen? [Laughter] for a new job. They would probably get a job by end of January or Feb at the most March. Yes. I don’t get it. Well, what are they thinking? Is it is it like that? I mean, let’s let’s analyze this. It’s a I think they could they see it as job hopping season.

during the season sure if it’s actually a smart move or a dishonest move. So I think they do this they use pera. Okay. So once they resign they have this cushion okay they they could find better or a different kind of job opportunity or at the same time there’s a difference now. So it could be their loyalty versus their interests employee whether what would they actually want between those two and so yeah factors why this happens. What I don’t I don’t I would understand if you were like a skilled high-level type of

corporate guy okay but a lot a lot a lot of most of them are from Um um I would say minimum wage level. Imagine minimum wage that was at the end of the year. Why? Right. Minimum wages, you know, minimum wages are great because they’re the ones that that help our economy grow. They’re the ones that um give our population a chance, you know, to, you know, to earn and to get an income and to get benefits, right? tax. Okay. Um they get benefits. They also get the working population in in the minimum wage level is the biggest

population of all more than corporate, more than um government employees. But I what I don’t understand is that for less than a year, let’s [Music] say months. What what has embedded in their [Music] minds? I mean things number one, you know, um like me, I don’t get it. Is there you think there’s another reason? What you said is that it’s a good reason for someone who has who’s very skillful, you know. For example, let’s say you’re in demand whether you like it or not. But my point being is that they’re so skillful that they know

that they’re in demand. So they have the power they have the power to decide because they have better opportunities outside. The problem with with people in the minimum wage level is that they don’t think about that. What they think is about that and all that. I have the stats for that. You know we organize job fairs. So madame madaming the one reasons why we organize job fairs especially in the bur months is because they’re hiring for the bur months. Okay. And then why do we have job fairs like in the first

quarter? Forget project based project based. Yeah we get it for Bur months. Project base. Yes. after Burman project based fulltime regular employees they it’s just embedded in their heads okay after months what is the case there you know I I don’t know I don’t know what I don’t know what to say anymore uh it’s just following Oh, back to work. They have that sort of depression. Yeah. Right. Holidays and everything. They’re gaining more experience. They’re gaining [Music] more. They’re they’re gaining their

records in how long? Yeah. So if they let go or if they if they collect all that that experience and that um uh record now oh years years years for sure they have better opportunities after did you know if someone works for let’s say two years straight for There’s a minimum wage two years straight. Okay. Supervisor. Yeah. Nice. Perfect attendance and high performer opening within that that department. It’s just not everyone does that. I don’t know why. Imagine years. I know someone years he went up the

ranks and now he works in head office. So after years, I don’t know. Um that one he’s okay with delayed gratification cuz he he he waited years and he grew from that. Yeah. years from now. He’s now a manager from where he started. I think five times minimum rate at that time. I don’t manager I don’t know what department was a manager level. So what what are do you have other thoughts about it? Uh I’m really curious as to what are the stats for this resignation or for the first quarter or what for this kind of

um let’s let’s have a look. Okay. So, there’s a survey that was conducted August . Well, this this covered respondents from from from our country, but it’s these stats are very they’re not accurate. Okay. But they’re major stats. Okay. And I think this is still not accurate, but it shows that at a at a certain sector. The report found that % of employees believe that employers should help employees save for retirement and long-term. Sorry, wrong stats. Um, okay. So, year um I’ll read this. Okay. According to

the human capital employees sentiment study by global risk management insurance brokerage firm AON, % of survey respondents from the Philippines said they were either in the process of moving to another employer or might seek new employment in the next months. The survey was conducted August and covered respondents from the country. Okay. Stats that I just read is is really not. Okay. It’s a certain sector. The study was in a certain area, a certain sector and they did a study. I mean it’s

talking about respondent then that’s not enough that is not enough data but all I’m saying is that out of that small sector imagine and I don’t believe this was based on I think this is based on corporate corporate toy not everyone we talk to in the minimum level says I’m in the process to move to another employer that’s very low percentage what about seek new employment in the next months They’re always seeking new employee the next months because they don’t want to stick to their jobs. Next

year, right? Give it another year. Give it another three to four years as assistant manager and then manager and then eventually operations and what what so. So I’m trying to figure out what is it that makes everyone Is it our culture? Is it because Christmas and and New Year’s Eve at some point there were there were questions at some point cuz there’s this trend about this work culture in the Philippines. Now once you’re in that point in your life, you’re in that quarter that’s what you do. depw earn they earn , to , to

, outside and they’re away from their family and you know what for vacation chance employer but oh it’s Christmas it’s new I want to spend time with my family is it okay if I take a leave of absence for the uh holiday seasons most of you like no what are you talking about leave of absence in the in in uh peak season it’s not it’s not doable cuz number one that’s the most where you get sales hotels production it’s in demand [Music] right to spend family is it is it fair nothing is air. Yeah, I think it’s all about sacrifice

and it’s all about you know uh trying not to live in the moment. What about centers? Did you know [Music] that Christmas Christmas evening and then Christmas year, right? And then next year, what did they miss in Christmas? What do you think people miss at Christmas or in New Year? Did they miss anything? No. Family time, I think. Okay. Is it only in Christmas than my family time? No. Every day. My family time. You have to family day is every day, right? It doesn’t matter if it’s Christmas, Valentine’s, it’s every day.

And you have to what’s that term? You have to um sacrifice. Not only sacrifice you moment. Seize the moment. Yeah. Seize every moment when you go home. Right. Seize every moment that you see that uh your parents are alive, your kids are healthy. Yeah. Um it’s not sees the moment. Cherish the moment. Cherish the moment. Cherish not only in Christmas, not only in Valentine’s, not only in any occasion, but cherish the moment every time you go home and see your family and everyone’s okay. And cherish the time

that you’re alive, right? You don’t wait for Christmas so you can spend time with your family unless or you know you’ve been busy with other things unless it depends on your but basically in by default if you work at the mall if we work in the office if we work you have to cherish every moment of that thank you thank you thank you thank you lame Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. We’re so into um Yes. So, at some point with their families, they can spend their time with their their time

with their families anytime. And then for the OFWs, sacrifice a lot. Those who don’t go home for Christmas, even on their birthdays, even on special occasions. So I think what you said with sacrifice, it’s a mindset that has to be instilled in a lot of people’s mindset cuz it goes it goes along with other other things. The more they can sacrifice their their time so they can work, that’s that’s when they can pay more. when they sacrifice their their time now, you know, they keep working. Yeah. So, yeah, that’s what that’s what

they need. Uh, you know that I grew up in another country, right? I’ve met I’ve met a couple of people. Imagine years. years. My ads. I’m not sure if you you you watch his ads way back. So recognize fathers the the daughter didn’t know didn’t recognize the the father who came home and when he started talking the phone. Wow. That’s the sacrifice that uh they were trying to portray in uh PLDT’s uh commercial commercial. This is way back Skype season Skype is going to close down. Do you know? No.

Skype Microsoft had um announcement shut down Skype. Oh, okay. Yeah. Yeah. It’s not earning that many profits or anything like that, but I don’t want to get into that. So, yeah. Unless it doesn’t look good on your resume. Exactly. every seven. Yeah. [Music] Did you know? Did you know because I had a meeting earlier that March is uh women’s month? Yes. So see do Department of Labor and Employment. They have a month-long um job fairs. Month-long job. Month-long. I’m gonna I’m gonna month-long and

nationwide. Okay. So, let me show you this. Um March job fair alert. Okay. March nationwide job fair schedules. Okay. So, start March uh passes passing job fair. So March then peso makati simultaneously March location Manila Manila and uh I think Makatti so San Loren SM San Lorenzo Makati city hall simultaneous so this is up to March nationwide nationwide wait for this year or next year month start yeah it’s already starting so guys at the at the time that we recorded this podcast it’s it’s this month. So, it’s

March nationwide job fair schedule um organized by Department of Labor and Employment [Music] Pineapple. Wrong number. There’s region two. There’s region and it’s it’s there’s there’s a bunch. So imagine we keep offering because that’s why [Music] we’re reality check. It is what it is. So we can’t change everyone’s um mindset. immediate satisfaction, right? Always invest in delayed satisfaction. Work work. Yeah. Delayed gratification that works. That has a bigger [Music] rewardification. And then it’s bad

record CV. bad records career growth and you’re never going to know departments. Yes. Yeah. So, don’t resign. Okay. Let’s ask our let’s ask our listeners and let’s spend time with the family. Mhm. offer. Yeah. Okay. To end this topic. Oh, 13th month resignation.