Global Management has been increasingly challenged with cultural differences, communication barriers and expectation management failures. This guide helps those working with teams based in Philippines to become more aware and educated towards ultimate success.

1. www.eliteprecisionconsulting.com
Guide to
Successful
Outsourcing
Philippines

2. Common
Terms
'Sir', 'Maam' 'Madam' and 'Boss'
are all terms that a Filipino
worker will use when
addressing their superior. This
is comparative to Mr. or Ms. in
the US.
However, what differs is the
usage. In the US we are
comfortable calling someone
by their first name as in 'John'
for our boss John Doe. In the
Philippines they are not. Do
not pressure your worker to call
you by your first name. It is out
of respect that they don't.
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Cultural Understanding
Holidays
Holidays are very common and
occur often in the Philippines. In
contrast to our normal 6 or so
US holidays, they range to
roughly 25 holidays observed
and the types vary.
Regular- Defined meaning the
date of the holiday is static such
as Christmas. Workers are
usually off and if required to
work are typically paid 200% of
regular rate
Special Non Working- Not paid
if they do not work. If they work,
typically paid an additional 30%
of their regular rate.
Special Working- Employee is
paid normal rate if worked
Sick Leave
In the Philippines there are
many common illness that
occur. However when your
worker discusses such, it may
sound minor to a US executive.
Fever- Means that they are
running a fever but also means
that they will typically not
report to work at all until
completely resolved.
Dengue- Very serious virus that
is caused by mosquitoes in bad
areas. Can cause worker to be
hospitalized or on medical
watch for multiple days
Sore Eyes- similar to a
conjunctivitis but many
attribute it to staring at
computer too long thus will
miss work for multiple days
Good to
Know...
Additional things that are helpful
include:
Family- family is very important
to Philippine culture as is
acceptance from their family
Comfort Room- This is the
bathroom aka CR
Rest Day- This is what they
consider their day off. If you want
your worker to have a day off,
you say 'Have a rest day
tomorrow.'
Extend- This means overtime. If
you need to have your worker
stay late, then ask them to
extend.
Wifi Stick- This is how they have
internet at their home since
many places charge to use their
Wifi

3. Non-Verbals
Often working with your
worker, you will have a large
amount of emails or Skype
conversations. Seeing terms
like 'hehe' means that they are
amused but not in a way that
means what you are saying is
funny. Rather it is more of a
way to show smiling or a light
giggle. Do not take offense or
question what it means. It can
sometimes be construed as a
nervous laugh if they have not
delivered on something you've
asked and they state that 'they
had to run to CR and that is
why it's late.. hehe.'
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Seek First to Understand
Verbals
At times you will hear the term 'It's
okay' when you ask a question. This is
often misunderstood by US
executives as it can mean 'No' or 'Yes'
to us. However, this is 95% construed
as a 'Yes' to your Filipino worker.
Example:
US: 'Do you think your workload is
too much?'
Worker: 'Hmmm it's okay.'
This means that they may feel that
they can handle it but additional
questioning is needed.
US: 'I want to take a few things off
your duties. What do you think we
can take off your list so you're not
overworked?'
Introduction
This is not an introduction as in
meeting someone for the first
time. This is when your worker
may allude that they will be
dealing with something that
requires time off. An example
would be stating that their
sister-in-law is sick and may
need to be admitted to the
hospital. That is their
introduction to you to inform
you that they may not report
to work to be with their family.
The best way to address is by
sympathizing and questioning.,
'I am so sorry to hear that. I
hope she will be okay. Do you
need to be with her tomorrow
or will she have your family
there to help her?'
Pause.Pause.
Pause
Overwhelming your worker
with information, like many
people, is a BAD idea. Give
your instructions in small
chunks to allow time for
questions and understanding.
It is common for your worker
to be shy and not ask you
questions. Therefore, as you
ask open ended questions to
gauge their understanding,
PAUSE and wait for them to
completely say what they are
trying. There is no time-frame
for your pause but if you find
yourself wanting to speak, stay
silent.

4. Millennials
Whether you believe in the
global terms millennials or not,
there are some similarities
amongst the younger working
generation. Rather than using
that as a bias or way to manage
them based on age alone,
internalize it and put yourself
in their shoes. Growing up in an
age where there are alot of
possibilities, technology and
access to whatever they want
through the internet is very
different than many US
executives when they were 19-
24 years old. Embrace It and
don't Judge.
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Power of the Audience
Experienced
Workers
Many Filipino Managers and even
tenured workers (greater than 3 years
in workplace) are familiar with BPO
(Business Process Outsourcing). To a
US executive, that means sending the
work to a foreign company. But to a
Filipino BPO worker, it means strict
adherence to policies, well
documented protocols and an
answer for every situation. Therefore
when working with someone who has
previous BPO experience, remember
that they can be critical thinkers,
innovative and creative however they
are not used to practicing those
attributes in their work. Give clear
guidance.. clear answers and don't
expect a mind blowing resolution to
your problems.
Management
Working with Filipino Managers on
paper may appear to be a gem!
Masters in Business
Administration... 7 years of
Management experience... End to
End Processes...Large Team. Who
wouldn't want that type of
Manager on your team?
However, understanding the
difference of US and Philippines, a
US Manager is used to being very
proactive while reactive. Doing
what needs to be done and
understanding that the client is
first. For Filipino Managers, they
are more skilled at managing the
people rather than juggling many
things at once effectively.
Job
Description
Having a sense of entitlement
is seen in both US and Filipino
workers. However one area of
focus is the job description.
When hiring a worker, be sure
the job description is clear,
unambiguous and not a simple
template from online.
The JD can often be used
negatively when workers feel
they are being asked more
than what they signed up for.
This perspective causes the
worker to feel overworked and
not well compensated thus
resulting in leaving the job
altogether.

5. Incentives
One way to continue to engage
your worker is through
measurable incentives. This
can be pay per performance or
other types of incentives.
However, when you incentivize
the worker, be sure they
understand at the very
beginning what they can
expect, the likelihood of
obtaining and when they can
expect a payout.
Incentives can be monetary or
can be additional rest day, gift
cards, free lunch, company
gear or even a memorabilia
that can be showcased to their
family.
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Money Talks... But So Does Recognition
Certificates
Having various learning modules and
ways in which they can gain more
knowledge, training or experience is
vital. In addition is the
acknowledgment of such. Creating
company branded certificates, awards
or recognition that is signed by
Owner/CEO and other executive
members can go a long way.
In addition, having focused training
that can help them advance their skills
and showing proof of completion too
can be invaluable.
This can be internal training, external
from reputable organizations or even
on the job training on common
applications.
Health Fund
As a Virtual Assistant, the
worker is not expected to be
covered by medical, dental or
vision insurance that is
commonly offered to full time
employees. Therefore, having
creative ways to cover their
expenses is important. One
way is by having a 'health fund'.
This can be used by the worker
if they are in need of medical
attention. It can be a quarterly
payout as a bonus or used
throughout the month towards
medical expenses. The key
here to promoting good health
but giving sense of security
that their bills can be covered
in the event something
happens.
Currency
Converter
The best way to quickly
estimate expenses for your
Filipino worker is to think 50:1
ratio. Although the currency
changes often, it is usually
between 47-51 PHP (Philippine
Pesos).
A Virtual Assistant is usually
expecting a monthly salary of
15,000 PHP or roughly
$300.00 USD. Therefore,
having a 'Thanks for your Hard
Work' bonus of 1000 PHP
($20 USD) can go a long way
in that geographic.

6. Quarter 1
January 1- New Year's Day
(Regular)
January 25- Chinese Lunar
New Year's Day (Special Non-
Working Holiday)
March 22- Lailatul Isra Wal Mi
Raj (Local Holiday)
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2020 Philippine Holidays
Quarter 2
April 5- 11-Holy Week (very
important to workers and
should not to be overlooked)
April 9- Day of Valor/ Maundy
Thursday (Regular)
April 10- Good Friday (Regular)
April 11- Black Saturday
(Special Non-Working Holiday)
April 12- Easter (Observance)
May 1- Labor Day (Regular)
May 24- Eidul-Fitar (Regular)
June 12- Independence Day
(Regular)
Quarter 3
July 31- Eid al-Adha (Feast of the
Sacrifice) (Regular)
August 1- Eid al-Adha Day 2
(Local Holiday)
August 20- Amun Jadid (Muslim
Local Holiday)
August 21- Ninoy Aquino Day
(Special Non Working)
August 31- National Heroes Day
(Regular)
September 3- Yamashita
Surrender Day (Special Working)
September 8- Feast of the
Nativity of Mary (Special
Working)
Quarter 4
October 29- Maulid un-Nabi (Local
Holiday)
November 1- All Saints Day
(Special Non-Working Holiday)
November 2- All Souls Day
(Observance)
November 30- Bonifacio Day
(Regular)
December 24- Christmas Eve
(Observance)
December 25- Christmas Day
(Regular)
December 30- Rizal Day
(Regular)
December 31- New Year's Eve
(Special Non-Working Holiday)

7. www.eliteprecisionconsulting.com
When All Else
Fails
Call the
Experts
Phone: 800-674-3732
LinkedIn: Elite Precision Consulting
Email: info@eliteprecisionconsulting.com
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