(Eagle News) — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said that workers can talk with their employers regarding the “work from home” scheme amid the rising coronavirus cases in the country.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said that the “work from home” arrangement is a valid option since this is already contained in Republic Act 11165 of 2018, also known as the “Act Instituting Telecommuting as an Alternative Work Arrangement for Employees in the Private Sector” which was signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte in December 2019.
The labor department already issued the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for the “Telecommuting Act” on March 26, 2019 through Department Order No. 202 series of 2019.
But Bello stressed that the “work from home” scheme is not mandatory.
“Telecommuting Agreement refers to the mutual consent of the employer and the employee in the implementation of a telecommuting work arrangemnet based on the telecommuting program of the company, Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) if any, and other company rules and regulations,” the IRR said.
“Isa ito sa mga arrangement na maaaring gawin dahil sa COVID-19. Maaaring nag-uusap na ngayon ang mga manggagawa at mga employer na tutuparin na ang mga probisyon ng Telecommuting Act,” he said in an interview with Eagle News Service.
Bello said that, for now, he sees no need for suspension of work in offices and factories.
DOLE is set to talk with various groups of employers and manegement groups to discuss ways on how to protect workers and employees amid the confirmed local transmission of the coronavirus infections.
The Philippines has reported 10 confirmed cases of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19), and raised the Code Red alert sub-level 1 status for COVID-19.
On Sunday, March 8, President Duterte already signed Proclamation No. 922 declaring a “state of public health emergency throughout the country” amid the confirmed local transmission of the highly infectious disease.
(Eagle News Service)
