The Department of Labor and Employment XI (DOLE XI) is now on four-day workweek.
The regional office has complied with Administrative Order No. 99 Series of 2020 issued by DOLE-Central Office that orders all DOLE offices–central, regional and attached agencies–to implement a four-day workweek.
The said administrative order was released on March 12.
Atty. Connie Torralba, mediator-arbitrator of DOLE’s Mediation-Arbitration and Legal Service Unit (MALSU), told reporters during the iSpeak media forum on Thursday the administrative order is a preventive measure against Covid-19 in the country.
Torralba said the order is also in pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 922, declaring a state of public health emergency throughout the country to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Under the administrative order, all concerned DOLE offices/agencies will observe a four-day workweek – from Mondays to Thursdays, instead of working for five days a week, and work schedule shall be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The said order has also set some guidelines to follow:
Friday shall be the day-off of all employees;
Employees must render not less than 10 hours of work a day, exclusive of meal periods. They may report for work anytime from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. and may end work anytime between 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. after completing the 10-hour workday;
Employees who report for work beyond 8 a.m. shall be considered tardy.
Those who do not complete 10 hours in one workday shall be considered undertime. Off-setting of tardiness or undertime shall not be allowed;
The official lunch break shall be maintained at 12 noon to 1pm regardless of the time of the employee reports for work;
One day absence shall be considered as a 10-hour absence and shall be deducted proportionately from the employee’s leave credits;
Employees who are required to report for work on their scheduled day-off shall be entitled to 1.5 days compensatory time-off.
Torralba encouraged the public to, as much as possible, do their transactions online.
“We have online services, you can reach us through our telephones, hotline numbers, Facebook accounts, the DOLE websites, and our official social media accounts,” she said, adding that transactions in offices may cause a crowd, therefore, exposure to different individual.
“No hearings or work will be conducted during Fridays. That is according to the order,” she added.
She assured that they are also in compliance of the Department of Health’s advisory in preventing the disease from entering one’s system.
“We have also practiced constant sanitation in all places for the employees and clients also,” she said.
According to its official website, the DOLE attached and line agencies include Bureau of Local Employment (BLE), Bureau of Labor Relations (BLR), Bureau of Working Conditions (BWC), Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns (BWSC), International Labor Affairs Bureau (ILAB), National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO), Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC), Institute for Labor Studies (ILS), National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB), National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC), National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP), National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC), Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
