Would a four-day work week be beneficial for Metro Cebu?
The proposal is being given serious thought in the Palace for Metro Manila which suffers nightmarish traffic conditions.
But lawmakers across the country are looking into its possible applicaiton for government employees based on a Civil Service Commission circular outlining an alternative work scheme, again based on conditions of workers who find it very difficult to report to work on time because of monstrous one to two-hour traffic jams.
At least one Cebu City official, Vice Mayor Edgar Labella, is against the implementation of a four-day work week for City Hall.
Labella said the majority of city residents would actually be deprived of services or would suffer from reduced services and programs. The cutback may even result in a backlog of work.
It would take firm, no-nonsense management skills to adapt a four-day work schedule and guarantee full productivity.
It’s no secret that some government employees report to work late and leave early or worse, report only on paydays every 15th and 30th of the month.
A four-day work week would only encourage them to loiter more and rack up more idle hours.
The scheme isn’t a hot topic for Metro Cebu businesses and we anticpate owners and entrepreneurs would not be enthusiastic about it.
In past wage hearings, they were more worried about recouping losses they incurred as a result of last year’s twin disasters of the Oct. 15 earthquake and supertyphoon Yolanda.
The way they see it, only increased productivity from employees would help them return to profitability and a four-day work week would be a hindrance to that goal.
Traffic in Metro Cebu is approaching the horrors of Metro Manila, but because of the compact and smaller area to cover, the delays in reaching one’s destination are not as severe.
Stalled traffic occurs less frequently here than in the capital – until the next downpour and street floods.
A four-day work week is no guarantee for better quality work either.
That said, the government and private sector should continue to find ways not only to ensure productivity but also to help find more solutions to ease traffic without having to sacrifice public welfare.
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