Division Director Alfred Pangelinan, in an interview, said there has been a number of cases when employers will tell applicants that the job vacancy announcements are for the renewal of current guest workers only.
Pangelinan said jobless U.S. citizens and permanent residents who registered with Labor get unfavorable and ambiguous responses like “position for renewal” or “not selected.”
There are even cases when local applicants are told that the business will soon shut down, which is usually not true, he said.
According to Pangelinan, employers should avoid saying that the announced vacancy is for renewal only when a local resident is applying for it.
He reiterated that whenever applicants register with Labor to apply for jobs, employers must send a response and schedule an interview.
The employers, he said, should conduct the interview, measure the applicant’s representation and job skills and make a sound decision based on the merit of the interview and skills evaluation.
Pangelinan said employers need to inform Labor about the action taken regarding an application and the status of the applicants.
He said the employment division will call the applicants to ask them what transpired during the application process.
“Don’t give Labor reasons that are misrepresented,” Pangelinan said.
Labor can either bar employers from renewing nonresident workers or bring the matter to an administrative hearing which may result in a possible fine of $1,500 to $5,000.
Labor, Pangelinan said, not only assists U.S. citizens and permanent residents in their job hunt but also train them on how to represent themselves during job interviews.
