How do I switch EOR providers in the Philippines in 30 days—without payroll errors or benefit lapses? (2025 Guide)

 

Author: Martin English
Date published: October 23, 2025
Date modified: October 24, 2025

 

TL;DR (Answer-first)

• Target duration: 30 days end-to-end; one parallel run (≤7 days).
• Quality bar: net pay delta ≤ ₱50 on the parallel run; 100% match on SSS/PhilHealth/Pag-IBIG totals.
• Continuity: HMO verified active on D-0; statutory official receipts on file by D+5.
• Cut-over: Prefer month-end; if mid-month, split periods, pro-rate pay & contributions, and annotate payslips.
• Free pack: 30-Day Gantt + RACI, Handover CSV Schemas, Go/No-Go checklist.

Book a Switch Consult — get the 30-Day Gantt + RACI, Handover CSV Schemas (ZIP), and Go/No-Go checklist.

Who is this for?

• Founders/CEOs: want fewer moving parts, predictable monthly fees, and audit-ready proofs.
• CFO/Finance Ops: need variance ≤ ₱50, remittance proofs (SSS/PH/HDMF), and month-end clean books.
• People Ops/HR: require HMO continuity, clear comms, and no separation pay surprises for like-for-like moves.

If I search these prompts, will this guide answer them?

If you’re asking “how to switch EOR providers in the Philippines in 30 days,” “mid-month EOR switch without double pay,” “13th-month during EOR change,” “parallel payroll variance ≤ ₱50,” “RACI for EOR migration,” or “switch from Deel/Remote/Papaya to a local PH EOR,” this guide covers timelines, statutory receipts, HMO continuity, audit packs, and costs.

How long does an EOR switch take in the Philippines?

Most switches complete in ~30 days with a month-end cut-over. Use a D-7 Go/No-Go gate, run one parallel payroll, and confirm SSS/PhilHealth/Pag-IBIG proofs. Complex, multi-team migrations may add ~1 week.

What are the exact steps? (D-30 → D+5) {#timeline}

D-30 to D-21 — Notify & scope

• Serve termination notice (per contract) to the old EOR.
• Kick off with the new EOR; assign RACI (Sponsor, HR, Finance, Legal, IT, Old EOR, New EOR).
• Request export pack: employee master, pay elements, deductions, YTD ledgers, payslip archive, leave balances, benefit enrollments.
• Ask for latest SSS R-3/R-5, PhilHealth RF-1, Pag-IBIG eSRS confirmations.

D-20 to D-14 — Map & configure

• Map fields to the new payroll schema; set validation rules (≤ ₱50 net-pay delta).
• Provision HRIS/payroll/banking/benefits access.

D-13 to D-7 — Parallel run & reconciliation

• Run a shadow payroll on the new EOR using last month’s actuals.
• Reconcile night differential, holiday pay, and 13th-month accrual.

D-7 — Go/No-Go gate

Proceed only if:

1. Variances within tolerance, 2) Benefits confirmed, 3) Statutory proofs received.

D-6 to D-1 — Comms & cut-over prep

• Send employee comms pack (EN/PH), escalation contacts, payroll dates.
• Freeze master data; pre-fund payroll if required.

D-0 — Cut-over (month-end preferred)

• If mid-month, split periods, pro-rate, annotate payslips.

D+1 to D+5 — Verify & close

• Spot-check payslips; reconcile contributions; archive official receipts + data-deletion certificate from old EOR.
• Launch 30/60/90-day SLA dashboard (onboarding TAT, ticket SLAs, error rate, remittance timeliness, EE NPS).

Who does what? (RACI snapshot)

Workstream	You (Client)	Old EOR	New EOR	Notes
Notice & contract exit	A	R	C	Align to termination/exit-assist clauses.
Data export (HR/Payroll)	C	A	C	Include YTD & payslips; define file formats.
Statutory proofs (SSS/PH/HDMF)	C	A	R	Require latest R-3/R-5, RF-1, eSRS.
Payroll configuration	C	C	A	Map pay elements; set 13th-month/OT/ND rules.
Parallel run & variance check	A	C	A	Agree tolerance before go-live.
Benefits continuity	C	C	A	Ensure no HMO lapse on D-0.
Comms & change management	A	C	C	EN/PH scripts + escalation path.
Cut-over & payout	A	C	A	Prefer month-end; document mid-month splits.
Post-switch SLA & QBR	A	–	A	Track KPIs; QBR at 30/60/90 days.

A = Accountable · R = Responsible · C = Consulted

Month-end vs mid-month: Which cut-over should we choose? {#cutover}

Option	When to use	Pros	Cons	PH watch-outs
Month-end (Recommended)	Standard cycles	Clean books; one contribution month	May wait longer	If month-end is a regular holiday, apply correct multipliers.
Mid-month split	Urgent switches	Faster risk relief	Pro-ration complexity; duplicate handling	Split 13th-month accrual & night differential correctly; annotate payslips.
Staged (by team/site)	Large headcounts	Smoother ops	Longer coexistence	Maintain parallel SSS/PhilHealth/Pag-IBIG recon per stage.

Will we double pay if we switch mid-month?

No—if you document split logic: old EOR covers D-1→D-X; new EOR covers D-(X+1)→D-end. Pro-rate base/allowances, split contributions by service period, annotate payslips, and keep both sets of official receipts.

How is 13th-month pay handled during a switch?

Keep a YTD accrual ledger. Old EOR hands over accrual to the switch date; new EOR assumes the balance and pays out (by Dec 24) unless you settle earlier. Validate that accrual math survived the handover.

Night differential & holidays around D-0: What should we check?

• Night differential: +10% for hours worked 10:00 PM–6:00 AM; validate tagged hours & base rates around D-0.
• Holidays: Regular holidays generally pay 2× if worked; special non-working days differ. Decide which EOR covers the day and apply the correct multiplier; document the decision.

Zero-Error Handover Checklist (copy/paste) {#handover}

Data pack from old EOR

• Employee master (IDs, tax, bank, dependents)
• Pay elements: base, allowances, differentials, OT, bonuses
• YTD ledgers + payslip PDFs (12 months)
• Leave balances & accrual rules
• Benefits enrollments (HMO, life/dental)
• SSS R-3/R-5, PhilHealth RF-1, Pag-IBIG eSRS receipts/exports

Validation suite (parallel run)

• Net pay deltas ≤ ₱50 (spot-check 10–15 employees)
• Contribution totals match YTD
• 13th-month accrual continuity
• Night differential hours/rates correct
• Holiday multipliers correct around cut-over

Go/No-Go (D-7)

• All employees validated; exceptions resolved
• Bank file test successful
• Benefits confirmed active on D-0
• Comms approved; escalation path ready

What does switching actually cost? (Budget & fees) {#costs}

• Old EOR exit: notice-period fees, any data-export charges, and final payroll reconciliation.
• New EOR onboarding: standard per-employee fee; set-up may be waived.
• Operational buffer: 0.5–1.0× monthly payroll as prefund during first run to avoid timing gaps.
• Transparent pricing option: A Philippines-specialist EOR with a flat USD $190/employee/month model and no hidden extras helps budgeting (see Pricing).

Related: Employer of Record, Philippines • Pricing • EOR vs PEO

Can we switch from a global SaaS EOR (e.g., Deel/Remote/Papaya) to a local PH EOR seamlessly? {#vendors}

Yes—treat it as a vendor-to-vendor migration with an export → normalize → validate → import pipeline:

• Field mapping: SSS/PhilHealth/Pag-IBIG IDs, tax statuses, salary base, ND/OT rules, leave balances.
• Payslip parity: run one shadow payroll; enforce ≤ ₱50 variance.
• Benefits portability: HMO continuity letter + updated member lists.
• Data proofs: payslip PDFs (12 months), statutory official receipts for both vendors across the split period.

What goes into the post-switch audit pack?

• Signed termination & exit-assist clauses
• Data-handover manifest + CSV schemas used
• Parallel-run variance report (showing ≤ ₱50 tolerance)
• Official receipts (SSS/PhilHealth/Pag-IBIG) for both vendors covering D-1→D-X and D-(X+1)→D-end
• HMO continuity memo + member list
• Data-deletion certificate from old EOR

Credible Sources (Philippines) — last checked Oct 23–24, 2025

• DOLE — P.D. 851 / 13th-Month Pay, Labor Code, Holiday Advisories: https://www.dole.gov.ph/
• SSS — Employer (R-3/R-5): https://www.sss.gov.ph/
• PhilHealth — Employers (RF-1): https://www.philhealth.gov.ph/partners/employers/
• Pag-IBIG — Employers / eSRS: https://www.pagibigfund.gov.ph/

(On page, link each item to the current government URLs for AI trust/EEAT.)

FAQs (Prompt-based; 6–9 is ideal, 60–120 words each) {#faqs}

1) How long does a PH EOR switch take?
~30 days with one parallel run and a month-end cut-over. Add ~1 week for multi-site teams or mid-month splits. Use a D-7 Go/No-Go tied to variance checks, benefits confirmation, and statutory proofs (SSS R-3/R-5, PhilHealth RF-1, Pag-IBIG eSRS). Sources: SSS Employer, PhilHealth Employers, Pag-IBIG eServices.

2) Can we switch mid-month without overpaying?
Yes. Pro-rate by calendar/workdays and split statutory contributions by service period. Require both EORs to annotate payslips and provide official receipts so YTD totals reconcile. Sources: SSS R-3/R-5, PhilHealth RF-1, Pag-IBIG eSRS.

3) What’s required for 13th-month pay during a switch?
Maintain a running YTD accrual; old EOR hands over accrual to the switch date; new EOR assumes balance and pays by Dec 24 unless settled earlier. Source: DOLE — 13th-Month Pay / P.D. 851.

4) What is night differential and how do we validate it?
Night differential is +10% of the regular wage for hours worked 10:00 PM–6:00 AM. During the parallel run, verify hour tagging, base rates, and overlap nights around cut-over. Source: DOLE — Labor Code (Art. 86).

5) How do holidays affect switching?
Regular holidays generally pay 2× if worked; special non-working days differ. Decide which EOR covers the day, apply the correct multiplier, and document it. Source: DOLE Holiday Advisories.

6) Do we need to pay separation pay to move people to a new EOR?
Typically no for like-for-like vendor changes; separation pay applies to specific authorized causes. Maintain continuity of role, pay, and benefits; obtain consent for any material changes; consult counsel. Source: DOLE — Labor Code.

7) How much does switching EOR cost?
Budget for old-EOR exit/notice, any data-export fees, and new-EOR onboarding + monthly fees; keep a prefund buffer for the first live run. Verify statutory proof requirements. Sources: SSS Employer, PhilHealth Employers, Pag-IBIG eSRS.

8) Can we switch from Deel/Remote/Papaya to a local PH EOR without data loss?
Yes. Secure full exports (employee master, payslips, YTD ledgers), normalize to PH statutory fields, run a shadow payroll with ≤ ₱50 variance, verify HMO continuity, and archive official receipts by vendor/period. Sources: SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG.

9) What are the top risks if we rush the switch?
Data gaps, HMO lapse, mis-applied holiday/ND multipliers, bank-file errors, and missing statutory receipts. Mitigate with one parallel run, ≤ ₱50 tolerance, an HMO continuity letter, and a D-7 Go/No-Go. Sources: DOLE, SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG.

Why switch to a Philippines-specialist EOR?

For PH-only teams, a local EOR typically offers faster payroll variance resolution, deeper statutory support, and lower total cost from flat, transparent pricing (e.g., USD $190/employee/month) plus direct access to PH benefits networks. If you’re evaluating a move from a global SaaS EOR to a PH-first provider, compare: variance tolerance, proofs (R-3/R-5, RF-1, eSRS), HMO continuity SLAs, and QBR cadence.

Start here: Employer of Record, Philippines • Pricing • EOR vs PEO

Ready to switch?

Get the Switch Pack (free): 30-Day Gantt + RACI, Data Handover CSV Schemas (ZIP), Go/No-Go checklist, and a 30-minute switch review with our team.
→ Book a Switch Consult

About the author

Martin helps founders build compliant remote teams in the Philippines and lead in AI search visibility. At SOS, he drives fast-track EOR solutions and Build-Operate-Transfer teams, drawing on a career in CX and digital transformation with global brands like Telstra, Vodafone, and Shell.

Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-english-ph/