DOLE-7 asks employers to report status of their workers online

DOLE-7 Director Salome Siaton is calling on employers to submit reports on the status of their operations to the agency so that they can make the right policies to address workers’ plight. | CDN Digital file photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment in Central Visayas (DOLE-7) has called on establishments to submit their reports on the status of their operations to help the agency arrive at fitting policies to address the plight of affected workers.

“We want to keep track of the notices of shutdowns, retrenchments, or the establishments implementing flexible work arrangements in Central Visayas,” DOLE-7 Director Salome Siaton said in a statement.

“We are now accepting establishment reports and collating data so that we will have a clearer picture of the extent of the impact of the ongoing pandemic not only to businesses but more importantly to the workers here in Region 7,” Siaton said.

Since Cebu City, where the Central Visayas field office of DOLE-7 is located, has been reverted to enhanced community quarantine, the agency has called on the establishments in its jurisdiction to file the documents electronically.

Siaton said they would need the data from the establishments so that DOLE-7 could come up with informed decisions and craft policy directions to aid in addressing the plight of affected workers.

According to the DOLE-7 advisory, companies that have temporarily closed due to the community quarantine but have already resumed operations may submit its Return to Work Establishment Report.

Employers that are utilizing flexible work arrangements, temporary closure, retrenchment, or permanent closure are also tasked to file their reports.

“We make the forms accessible by everyone. Just visit our website, ro7.dole.gov.ph and from there, one can download the editable versions of the establishment report forms. Instructions are also indicated to guide in the filling out of necessary fields,” Siaton added.

DOLE-7 has also urged employers anew to adopt alternative work arrangements that may help prevent outright closing of companies or termination of workers amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis.

Apart from the work from home set-up, the labor department said the companies might also resort to relocating their employees to other outlets, reassignment of the worker to other functions or position, reduction of work hours or workdays in a week, job rotation and “partial” closures where some departments in an establishment continue to operate./dbs