Shorter work week not an answer

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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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