Puerto Rico Labor Dept. exempts hundreds of employers from paying Christmas bonus
SAN JUAN – Puerto Rico Labor Secretary Carlos Saavedra said Friday that, so far, 366 employers have had there applications requesting an exemption from having to pay the statutory, year-end bonus to employees, have been accepted.
Another 40 companies submitted applications to disburse 15% of what the employees were entitled to, he said in a written statement. Thursday was the last day for private sector employers who sustained losses or had decreased revenue in their business operations to request an exemption from paying the so-called Christmas bonus.
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However, because employers can send applications by mail, it is possible the final number of exempt businesses is greater.
“Hurricanes Irma and María hit the Puerto Rican economy very hard, so we are going to carry out a conscientious, sensible and thorough evaluation to quantify the impact on the operations of each applicant employer,” Saavedra said.
So far, 33 applications have been denied after the agency’s evaluation process. The Labor Department approved exemptions for 791 employers last year.
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