EVEN though the practice of endo (end of contract) remains in the manufacturing and service sectors despite its abolition by the government, social enterprise Gandang Kalikasan Inc. (GKI) continues to refrain from such temporary employment practice, and implements a “no firing” policy for all its regular employees.
The 433-strong company behind the Human Nature brand constantly hires people from the low-skilled, marginalized sectors to give dignified work and opportunities to those who need it most.
Human Nature Cofounder and President Anna Meloto-Wilk said most of the people they hired when the company opened its manufacturing facility in 2015 were contractual workers for years.
She cited, for instance, one of their experienced production workers was working under six-month contracts for 14 years.
“These are positions needed year-round and often require very technical skills and experience. Therefore, the temporary-employment contract model should not apply to these positions,” she said.
Based on the latest Decent Work Statistics released by the Philippine Statistics Authority, at least 22 percent of the total working population in the Philippines are contractual workers, who get employment for only five months.
With “endo,” the length of employment makes workers ineligible for the Labor Code provisions. Labor laws require regularization (with its corresponding security of tenure as well as monetary, non-monetary and social protection benefits) or termination of those employed after six months (with separation pay).
Claiming that “endo” is unconstitutional, President Duterte—in his first 100 days in office—abolished illegal contracting practices as he promised during his election campaign.
This came into effect when the Department of Labor and Employment signed the Department Order 174 early this year, which amends the Labor Code’s implementing rules on contractualization.
Meloto-Wilk lauded this initiative of the current administration, while hoping more businesses will pursue social good.
“Human Nature is just trying to show that it’s possible. We hope that soon, there will be hundreds and thousands of businesses, which will dignify the Filipino with the same opportunities and see it as their role to ensure that none of their workers are poor,” she said.
Beyond work security, the company also sets a good example of protecting the rights and uplifting the economic status of its people with the right benefits due to them.
The firm prioritizes to employ people who have lived in slums as a way of helping the realization of the government’s thrust of inclusive growth. At least 58 percent of Human Nature employees come from urban-poor communities.
“We gave them a real way out of poverty and into the middle class. These are the people who have built Human Nature,” said Dylan Wilk, cofounder and chairman of Human Nature.
Rank and file regularized employees in the National Capital Region (NCR) and in the provinces receive P750 to P825 basic pay per day. It’s more than 68 percent above the NCR minimum daily wage of P491.
Human Nature has family-friendly policies, including the shortening of work days to 7.5 hours instead of the conventional eight to nine hours so employees have more time with their loved ones, creating child-friendly spaces at its offices, and slowly eliminating the need for graveyard shifts at its manufacturing plant in Canlubang, Laguna.
“We continuously look for ways to improve everyone’s quality of life,” noted Human Resources Officer Michelle Lucido.
The firm also recognizes paternal support is crucial. While there is a government-mandated paternal leave of seven days, the company provides 14 days for fathers to take their time off from work and be with their families up to one month after the birth of his child or children.
Human Nature’s efforts keep on bearing fruit being the nation’s biggest genuinely natural personal care, cosmetics, and home-care brand. It has 32 branches across the country and its products are carried by several major retail chains nationwide.
What’s more, its direct selling arm has an 80,000 strong network of dealers. The brand has doubled its international business revenues as it expanded its reach to the United States, Singapore, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, and Canada.
At present, Human Nature has over 150 products on its roster, with new products launched every 8 weeks. Its stores also serve as a distribution channel for 19 social-enterprise brands.