Puerto Rico private co.’s have until Nov. 30 to file for Christmas bonus exemption
Puerto Rico’s private employers have until Nov. 30 to submit a request at the Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources to be exempted from paying the Christmas bonus for the year 2020, agency Secretary Carlos Rivera-Santiago said.
“Any private employer who intends to partially pay or not pay this compensation for any of the reasons covered in Act No. 148 of June 30, 1969, as amended, known as the ‘Private sector Christmas Bonus Act,’ has the obligation to notify the Labor Department on or before the date indicated by law,” he explained.
Nov. 30 is the deadline for employers to submit all of the required documents — postmarked by that date — to get an exemption, he said.
“Employers interested in requesting the exemption of the Christmas bonus payment for the year 2020 should make sure to send the required documents by mail in original form on or before Nov. 30, 2020. They must include the application delivery sheet that is available on our website, a profits and loss statement, signed and stamped in original by an Certified Public Accountant with the corresponding voucher, and other listed documents,” he said.
If the agency does not receive the application and documents by the deadline, the petition will be denied, Rivera-Santiago said.
The agency will not be accepting documents delivered in person, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So, he recommended that employers use the certified mail service, so they have evidence that the documentation was received at the agency.
The Christmas bonus is typically paid between Nov. 15 and Dec. 15 of the year. All employers must comply with the payment, unless they are eligible for exemptions under the Act.
