Now that you have hired a Filipino virtual assistant, you’re probably wondering how to deal with Philippine holidays. What about paid time off? What would be the best way to approach this?

Well, that mostly depends on your outsourcing arrangement. It’s best to address these issues of paid time off and holidays early to avoid interrupting your operations.

What You Need To Know About Paid Time Off (PTO)

Most Filipino workers and businesses in the Philippines recognize the types of paid leaves listed below.

Do these leaves apply to your Online Filipino Specialist (OFS)?

Not necessarily. Since your OFS are considered independent contractors, you’re not required to provide the PTOs listed below. However, the paid leave you offer will depend on your work arrangement with your Filipino VA. You can use the list below as a guideline for the types of PTO you might consider offering.

1. Sick Leave: Most businesses offer up to 15 sick leaves per year, which can be filed on the day of absence. Typically, this benefit is provided once the employee has completed training or been with the company for at least six months.
2. Vacation Leave: The number of vacation days varies but generally ranges from 5 to 15 days per calendar year. This type of leave is optional and depends on company policy.
3. Service Incentive Leave: This is offered when an employee doesn’t use all their leave credits. They can either receive the cash equivalent for unused leaves or take an extended leave to use up the paid time off.
4. Maternity Leave: Women are eligible for 105 days of leave for childbirth, miscarriage, or emergency termination of pregnancy. During this time, the employer is not required to pay the salary. Instead, the Philippine Social Security System (SSS) covers the pay if the employee has made at least 36 contributions (3 years) to the social security fund.
5. Paternity Leave: Fathers are entitled to up to seven days of paid leave within a month of their child’s birth, as mandated by Philippine law.
6. Parental Leave: Single parents with sole custody of their children are eligible for an additional 7 days of paid leave per year.
7. Rehabilitation Leave: This leave is provided to employees recovering from an injury or illness. The duration depends on the doctor’s recommendation and the company’s policy.

How is PTO applied to Filipino VAs?

Let’s examine the common outsourcing scenarios to see if and how paid leave applies.

VAs Paid By The Hour

Holidays: If you hire VAs on an hourly basis and don’t require them to work on holidays, you’re not obligated to provide paid time off.

However, if you do need them to work during holidays, you might consider offering additional incentives. One option is to increase their hourly rate for holiday work.

Paid Leaves: If you’d like to be generous, you can offer paid leaves from the list above, but it’s not typically required for hourly workers.

VAs Paid Per Project

Holidays: If a holiday occurs during the project timeline, you’re not obligated to provide paid time off. When paying per project, compensation is based on the output, not specific workdays.

However, if you need your VA to work over the holidays to meet a tight deadline, offering a bonus for early project completion would be a fair incentive.

Paid Leaves: Similar to hourly workers, it’s entirely up to you whether to offer paid leaves or additional incentives for project-based VAs.

Part-time and Full-time VAs Paid Per Month/Week (The Onlinejobs.ph Way)

Holidays: When hiring Filipino VAs on a part-time or full-time basis, there are several ways to handle holidays.

Since Filipino VAs are considered independent contractors, they are not covered by the Philippines’ Department of Labor’s guidelines for holiday pay. However, you can choose to offer additional compensation if you require them to work on holidays.

At OnlineJobs.ph, we take a straightforward approach: we pay our VAs the same salary regardless of the number of holidays in a month. They have the freedom to either work or take the day off on holidays, without any adjustments to their pay. This eliminates the need to calculate additional holiday pay.

Paid Leaves: We strongly recommend offering paid leaves that are reasonable for your business. Most companies provide paid leaves after six months of employment. In the Philippines, it’s common to offer 1 sick leave and 1 vacation leave per month once an employee completes their probationary period.

At OnlineJobs.ph, we take a more flexible approach. We allow our VAs to take as much paid leave as they need, as long as they inform us in advance. Our policy is simple: take the time off you need—just let us know when.

What About Holidays?

It’s best to discuss holiday policies with your VA as soon as you hire them.

Filipinos are very family-oriented and often plan trips or celebrations around long holidays. Some even choose to forgo certain holidays to “save up” leave days for extended vacations. Addressing holiday expectations early on helps avoid scheduling conflicts down the road.

There are two types of holidays in the Philippines: Regular Holidays and Special Holidays.

Regular Holidays are the major holidays most Filipinos observe. These are typically non-working days with fixed dates, such as New Year’s Day and Christmas. However, some holidays, like National Heroes Day and religious observances (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Eid’l Fitr, and Eidul Adha), vary in date each year.

For employees of registered businesses, regular holidays usually come with paid time off. If required to work, they are entitled to double their regular pay. However, this does not apply to independent contractors, such as your virtual assistant.

Special Holidays can be working or non-working days, depending on government proclamation. The “no work, no pay” rule generally applies, meaning employees won’t be paid if they take the day off. Again, this doesn’t apply to independent contractors like your VA.

Filipino virtual assistants understand that some holidays will require them to work. If you need them to do so, having a clear and respectful conversation about it doesn’t have to be awkward.

1. Check out the Philippine Holiday Calendar

Below is the 2025 Philippine Holiday Calendar, which we update annually as soon as the Philippine government releases the official list of holidays.

If you prefer a more integrated option, you can subscribe to our Philippine Holidays Google Calendar to automatically add these dates to your schedule.

2. Create Your Own Holiday Calendar.

Now that you have the list of Philippine holidays, it’s time to compare them with your own holiday schedule. Combine them into one comprehensive calendar. On this calendar, clearly mark:

• Holidays your VA is required to work
• Holidays that are negotiable
• Holidays your VA can take off

We recommend updating this calendar every year.

Planning ahead allows your virtual assistant to organize their schedule accordingly. It also helps you budget for any holiday pay if you require them to work during these dates..

3. Lay out your policies on paid and unpaid time off

Once you’ve determined which holidays your VA can take off, it’s essential to establish a clear process for filing leaves and vacation days.

Consider the following questions:

• How should your virtual assistant request time off? Should they email you, call you, or use a specific platform?
• Do you require them to fill out a leave form? If so, how should they access and submit it?
• How much notice is needed? How many days in advance should they inform you about their leave?

Every business operates differently, so your system for managing time off will depend on your team’s needs. Leverage your own experience or consult with your staff to create a policy that works best for everyone.

4. Include the Holiday Schedule and PTO Policy in Your Onboarding Process.

Introducing your holiday schedule and paid time off (PTO) policy during the onboarding process is not just good practice—it also prevents misunderstandings when holidays roll around.

When VAs are informed right from the start, they’ll know:

• When they can start earning leave credits
• Which holidays they are required to work
• Which holidays they have off with pay
• How much their holiday pay will be
• How to file for leaves

With this clarity, your virtual assistant can get to work without uncertainty, and you won’t have to worry about last-minute surprises. A well-defined system helps make outsourcing a smoother, less stressful experience.

Tips When Establishing Holiday and PTO Policies

Once you hire a virtual assistant, it’s essential to establish clear policies on holidays and paid time off (PTO).

A well-defined policy helps you avoid unexpected surprises, like multiple employees taking leave at the same time or being unprepared for holiday overtime pay.

Put It in Writing.

Include your holiday and PTO policies in a formal document, such as a contract, company policy, or internal wiki.

Even if you initially discussed these policies through email or messaging, having a shared, written document ensures that both you and your VA are on the same page. This documented policy will also serve as a reference when hiring more VAs or if any issues arise in the future.

Communicate Early About Holiday Expectations

In an ideal world, everyone could take time off during the holidays.

However, the reality is that business doesn’t always stop just because it’s a holiday. And let’s face it—nobody wants to do more work than absolutely necessary during this time.

To make things easier for everyone, be clear about the tasks that absolutely need to be done over the holidays. Avoid assigning non-essential work, and whenever possible, postpone those tasks until after the holidays. By then, your team will be rested and more prepared to take on additional responsibilities.

Prepare shift schedules ahead of time.

Sharing the workload is one way to make working over the holidays more manageable.

By planning and distributing holiday shifts well in advance, you allow your VAs to organize their schedules, making it easier for them to balance work and holiday celebrations.

Show some appreciation.

One way to make working during the holidays more bearable is to show your appreciation. A simple thank-you email can go a long way in boosting team morale.

If your budget allows, consider offering a 13th Month Pay bonus. It’s a meaningful gesture that shows your gratitude and makes the holiday season a bit brighter for your team.

Pay them early!

The holiday season is one of the most challenging times to send money to the Philippines. With more overseas workers sending remittances and back-to-back banking holidays, delays and bottlenecks are common.

To avoid these issues, send salaries and bonuses earlier than usual.

Planning ahead prevents last-minute headaches and ensures your VA gets paid on time. Keep in mind that many Filipinos feel uncomfortable discussing payment concerns, so it’s best to take the initiative. By addressing this early, you can keep your VA happy and focused, allowing you to continue growing your business.

Want more tips on improving your outsourcing experience?
Check out our case studies or take our 7-day challenge at OneVAAway.com.

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About Julia Jasmine M. Sta Romana
Julia has been working for OnlineJobs.ph since 2012, first as a writer and now as its social media manager and content development specialist. She also founded the Davao Virtual Assistants Association, the biggest VA association in Davao City.

She’s a full-time wife and mom and volunteers her time as an internet rights advocate.