No more holidays, contact centers plead

CONTACT centers want the government to strictly implement its calendar of non-working holidays to ease labor costs.

Contact Centers Association of the Philippines president Benedict Hernandez told reporters in a recent interview that the group hopes the government would strictly follow the 10 regular holidays and five special, non-working holidays it has earlier declared.

“Having just 15 holidays this year will significantly reduce our labor cost,” Hernandez said.

He added that last year’s 22 to 23 holidays had resulted to numerous double pays for contact centers that required their employees to report for work even on holidays. Contact centers are mostly serving international clients that follow a different set of holidays.

“Labor cost comprises bulk of our expenses,” he said.

Malacañang declared the following as regular holidays: New Year’s Day, Jan. 1; Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor), April 9 (Saturday); Maundy Thursday, April 21, and Good Friday, April 22; Labor Day, May 1 (Sunday); Independence Day, June 12 (Sunday); National Heroes Day, Aug. 29 (last Monday of August); Bonifacio Day, Nov. 30 (Wednesday); Christmas Day, Dec. 25 (Sunday); and Rizal Day, Dec. 30 (Friday).

Special non-working days include: Ninoy Aquino Day, Aug. 21 (Sunday); All Saint’s Day, Nov. 1 (Tuesday); and Last Day of the Year, Dec. 31 (Saturday).

Special holiday for all schools is the Edsa Revolution Anniversary on Feb. 25 which falls on a Friday.

Meanwhile, Hernandez said the group is strengthening its efforts to introduce the Philippine call center industry to the United Kingdom.

“They still don’t know much about the Philippines,” he said. “But we are trying to convince them that our country is a good outsourcing destination,” he added. –Jeremiah F. de Guzman, Manila Standard Today