Regularization and probation (Philippines): what it is and what it means for you as a buyer

Regularization is the point at which a Philippine employee on probation becomes a regular employee. Under Article 296 of the Labor Code (formerly Article 281), probation may not exceed six months, and an employee allowed to keep working after it is regular.

What it means for you as a buyer

Your agent's first six months are when fit gets decided, so speak up early. During probation, the employer can end the job if the agent fails reasonable standards explained to them when they were hired. After regularization, it can dismiss only for a cause the Labor Code allows, through a set process. Tell the team lead in month one or two if tone, accuracy or speed is off, so it can be coached or written into the agent's standards. Regular status also gives the agent a reason to stay, which means fewer restarts and less retraining for you.

A worked example with numbers

A six-month probation runs about 26 weeks, or about 130 working days at five days a week, counted from the agent's first day of work. The milestones below are examples; each employer sets its own.

If an agent leaves in month four, the replacement starts a new probation on their own first day. That is one reason replacement terms matter: the provider replaces a leaver free, in 3–5 working days on average, for as long as you are a client, and you are not billed for the empty seat while you wait.

Where this appears in our pricing or process

Probation and regularization are the provider's job as employer, so they never appear on your invoice; they shape the terms instead. The terms section of the pricing page sets out billing, notice and the replacement promise, and the onboarding steps on the how-it-works page show a new agent's first two weeks. Legal pay such as 13th-month pay is owed from the first month, probation or not, and sits inside the hourly rate.