Dole-7 suggests telecommuting to combat COVID-19 spread

CEBU CITY, Philippines –The Department of Labor and Employment in Central Visayas (DOLE-7) has suggested to companies to implement telecommuting or home-based work arrangement, as a measure to prevent the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the workplace.

DOLE-7 regional director Salome Siaton said that currently, some d 1,802 workers from 14 establishments in Cebu are now affected with the implementation of flexible working hours, rotation of workers and forced leaves.

Siaton said that most of these establishments are in the manufacturing, hotels, and garments sectors, who want to impose this kind of working arrangement to mitigate the losses they suffered in view of the temporary travel ban implemented by the government against countries with COVID-19 cases.

“In telecommuting you can do your work in your residence. Doon ka magtrabaho,” Siaton said.

Siaton said that the management may discuss this kind of working arrangement with their employees, including the type of work that fits it and the kind of output that they want to achieve.

She said that she already had a meeting with the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry and members of the Industrial Tripartite Council (ITC) wherein she suggested telecommuting as an alternative.

She also said that for companies who express their intent to implement the forced leave arrangement, they must make sure to first exhaust their employees’ leave credits before implementing the leave without pay scheme.

Aside from this, she said the period must also be stated in their request to avoid the displacement of workers, which should not go beyond six months.

Siaton added that currently, they have not yet received any reports about the displacement of workers. /rcg