MANILA - The Department of Labor and Employment on Wednesday urged employers to give their COVID-stricken workers more paid leave credits.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello made the appeal as some 11,500 workers were displaced after Metro Manila was escalated to Alert Level 3 until the end of the month to curb virus infections.

Some 20,000 other workers are earning less because of shortened work hours or arrangements to lessen working days, Bello added.

"Pakiusap, (we're) urging them to be more compassionate and give their workers additional paid leaves," he told ANC's Headstart.

"Our labor advisory is only urging employers to give their workers additional paid leaves. Di namin sila inuutusan (we did not order them)."

The labor chief reiterated that employers cannot terminate workers who refuse to get vaccinated.

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"There’s no legal basis," he said.

The Philippines has so far fully vaccinated 55.6 million individuals, while 59 million have received an initial dose and 5.13 million booster shots have been administered as of Monday, according to Department of Health data.

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