Garmin Forerunner 255. Yes, this person hated my smart watch. Back in 2023 , I finally ditched my Fitbit. That little tracker had made my life miserable during training and the Aquaman Aquathlon —yet Fitbit had the nerve to tag the whole fiasco as “sports” (hahaha, sure). I needed structure  and a watch that could actually accommodate my routine, including swimming. Sure, there’s the Garmin Vivoactive , but it didn’t track swimming properly. So I went for the Garmin Forerunne

Social media post in English and Filipino, questioning job seekers' patience, when it is her fault in the first place. Recently, a thread caught my attention. An HR Manager complained about candidate leaves the interview — while ironically, she was late on the hour she had set up (the interview). Jonathan Yabut even picked it up; I saw it in Twitter and now in the news. Talk about HR irony! It made me reflect on a fundamental lesson in recruitment: HR is the company’s first a

How would you feel if there is no food left for you? Inform HR? Year-end parties are meant to celebrate the team — food, drinks, and a little fun. But sometimes, even the simplest gesture, like ordering free food, reveals the true culture  of a workplace. This is one of those unforgettable moments I lived as an HRBP, where entitlement and “patay gutom” behavior turned a buffet into chaos. Before the actual party in the evening, at a BPO company somewhere in Metro Manila (if y

When compliance, compassion, and HR collide — the story behind a disease-related separation no one sees. A patient at the hospital room I saw this thread today at a Facebook HR Group Forum: “Silent reader po ako rito. Marami rami rin ako natututunan. May question po ako, may employee kami na halos 1 cut-off ng absent, hindi pa rin siya ini-issue-han ng fit to work kasi hindi pa rin siya magaling. Gusto na siyang tanggalin ng head niya kaso sabi ko bawal yun kasi health-relat

What will HR do if you found out that the new hire is pregnant? Every few months, this question resurfaces in HR Facebook group/circles: “ Employee didn’t disclose she was pregnant. She’s almost due. Can we terminate her for deception?” Short answer? No. Longer answer? Also, no — and doing so may expose the company to serious legal risk. Let’s unpack this properly. Women Are Protected Under the Labor Code Even before the Magna Carta of Women or the Expanded Maternity Leave La

Cash Advance Form Handling employee cash advances may seem simple, but without clear rules, it can quickly become a source of stress for HR and management. While the intention is to help employees in need, ad-hoc requests—especially after hours—can disrupt operations and create inconsistencies. Here’s a scenario many HR professionals face: In our company, there was no cash advance policy at all —everything was previously settled during payroll. Recently, one employee approac

Some “experts” online twist laws, pretend employees can skip SSS/PhilHealth/Pag-IBIG, and bully HR pros for giving the truth—if you want real answers, talk to someone who’s actually been there: it’s me.

You think being in HR is just recruitment, payroll, and handling the occasional office drama? Hala, think again. Welcome to the world where HR suddenly becomes the default Data Privacy Officer (DPO) — walang cape, walang fanfare, pero lahat ng personal info ng employees at applicants ay nasa kamay mo.

Subtle but clear: a resignation delivered to HR, marking the start of a smooth transition. Resignations are more than just a paperwork exercise—they are moments of transition, reflection, and strategy. In a Filipino office, resigning carries a unique rhythm: a balance of tact, relationships, timing, and legality. Here’s how it often unfolds, with lessons for HR professionals, management, and employees alike. The Subtle Hint Filipino employees rarely announce their departure a

We in HR have those days - as in seriously. Flashback to 2023. One of those moments in HR where you pause mid–coffee sip and think: “Okay… this is really happening.” Funny now. Mildly traumatic then. It started when several employees came to HR—not to escalate conflict, not to demand disciplinary action—but to ask for balance. Their concern? A colleague who sang during work hours. Loudly. Enthusiastically. Frequently. And… not exactly on key. This mattered because the office