Nearly 250 employees will now have the chance to be fully protected from the hazards of abrupt loss of income due to sickness, death, maternity or involuntary separation from work as the state-run Social Security System (SSS) on Tuesday held its fifth simultaneous Run Against Contribution Evaders (RACE) campaign in three key cities in Luzon.
The SSS RACE team visited 28 employers from San Pablo City in Laguna, Tuguegarao City in Cagayan, and Legazpi City in Albay to further instill awareness on their obligations under Republic Act 11199 or the Social Security Act of 2018, and to ensure that their employees will be protected in times of contingencies.
“We have been conducting simultaneous RACE operations nationwide for more than two months now. This campaign is for all employees whose lives were put in danger by their employers who failed to report them and remit their SS monthly premiums on time. We’re hoping that these show cause orders will serve as a warning to employers to abide by the SSS law,” SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Aurora C. Ignacio said.
The SSS RACE team posted show cause orders to establishments that have willfully neglected their duties as employers under the SS Act of 2018 through non-registration of their businesses with SSS, non-reporting of their employees within 30 days from the first day of their work, non-submission of records to SSS and non-payment of monthly premiums of their employees.
Of the 28 employers subjected to the RACE campaign, 12 were from Tuguegarao in Cagayan, six from San Pablo City in Laguna and 10 from Legazpi City in Albay. These employers failed to remit their workers’ SSS premiums, register their businesses with SSS, and produce employment records of their workers.
All employers who were subjected to the RACE operations are required to respond to the show cause order within a non-extendable period of 15 days from posting to be submitted to the nearest SSS branch and explain why no legal action should be taken against them.
Employers who will fail to respond to the show cause order within the given period and continue to neglect their duties under the law will face criminal charges. They could be sentenced to a maximum of 12 years imprisonment and be required to pay a fine ranging from P5,000 to P20,000.
“We are urging private-sector workers, even those working in small businesses, to be vigilant and regularly check their contributions record to ensure that their employers are remitting their contributions to SSS. They should know their rights and their records. They can now conveniently check their SSS records either through SSS Mobile App, My.SSS on the SSS website or Text-SSS,” Ignacio said.
“We are appealing to employers to be considerate and humane to their employees by reporting them to SSS and remitting their contributions. These employees are working and helping them to build and grow their businesses, so it is rightful to give them the protection they deserve,” she added.
Moreover, Ignacio encouraged non-compliant employers to avail of the ongoing Contribution Penalty Condonation Program (CPCP) to conveniently settle their unpaid SSS premiums without paying the accumulated penalties. Employers have the option to pay their delinquencies either in full or installment basis. The program will only run until September 6, 2019.
In a span of two months, the SSS simultaneously held RACE campaigns and visited nearly 130 establishments in Metro Manila, Pampanga, Cebu, Zamboanga del Norte, Nueva Ecija, Negros Oriental, Lanao del Norte, Batangas, South Cotabato, Leyte, La Union, Davao del Sur, Cagayan, Laguna, and Albay. (H. Consignado)
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