SC affirms company's right to impose preventive suspension on employee

The Supreme Court (SC) has affirmed the right of a company to suspend an employee who blocked the firm's access to the software he created for the firm.

- By REY G. PANALIGAN

In a decision, the SC said that under the Labor Code, an employer may preventively suspend an employee, without pay, for up to 30 days if the employee's presence poses a threat to the company or its property.

It said the preventive suspension is not a punishment but a precautionary measure, and the suspended employee is not entitled to receive salaries and benefits for the duration of the suspension period.