Employers should not force workers to sing, dance or perform in skits at office Christmas parties, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Central Visayas said, warning that such pressure can be considered bullying.
Roberto Cabardo, information officer of DOLE Region 7, made the reminder during a news forum. He urged employers not to push employees into dancing or doing anything else they do not want to do at holiday gatherings.
“Please avoid that, because it can be considered a form of bullying to our employees,” Cabardo said in Cebuano.
Cabardo said employees who choose to join in are a different matter. “But if the employees themselves want to dance and enjoy, then that’s fine. Just don’t force them. As long as there’s consent. Just don’t force it,” he added.
For many Filipino workers, the office Christmas party comes with an unspoken expectation to take the stage, and newer hires often feel it most. DOLE’s position is that being part of the team does not make a performance mandatory.
Atty. Myra Caroy said that attending a party, or taking part in its activities, should be voluntary. She advised employees who feel they were treated unfairly to start with their company’s grievance machinery, if there is one. If that doesn’t resolve the matter, they can then go to DOLE over discriminatory practices.
DOLE has also spoken about what workers can do when the pressure comes with a threat. Employees who face possible disciplinary action for refusing to take part may file a complaint before the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) and seek damages, the agency said earlier.
The agency added that coercion or harassment at such events may also fall under the Safe Spaces Act.
In practice, the guidance means a few things for you as a worker. You can decline to perform. You can raise the matter first through your company’s internal complaint process. And if you are threatened with punishment for saying no, the NLRC and DOLE are the next places to go.
