Casuals with one-year of service are regular employees

Dear PAO,

I was contracted as one of the nurses by a hospital to comprise its Health Service Team (HST). We were made to sign a uniform one-page Contract of Retainer which would last for eight months. In the course of our employment, we served an average of 30 hours a week; remained on call for any medical exigency; and we were not allowed to work for other companies. We were entitled to receive a yearly increase in our salaries, annual 13th month pay equivalent to our one-month salary and our annual performance-based bonuses. We were likewise required to attend meetings, participate in the formulation of new policies for the hospital and in its various gatherings and activities. After14 years of renewing our contracts, we were informed by the hospital management that our services will no longer be renewed for the following year (2022) since they decided to hire seven full-time nurses. We were told that we are merely casual employees who may be terminated at any time.