Labor dep’t backs prompt approval of pending telecommuting measures

Published by rudy Date posted on September 21, 2018

by Gillian M. Cortez, BUsinessWorld, Sept 21, 2018

THE Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) is pushing for the immediate approval of legislation allowing more flexible work arrangements to take advantage of improving technology.

Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said in a statement on Thursday, “The DoLE is pushing for its immediate passage to ensure that notwithstanding the location of work, workers’ rights and welfare are protected, especially at the speed with which technological developments are taking shape.”

DoLE said that House Bill 7402 (the Telecommuting Act) and Senate Bill 1363 (the Telecommuting Act of 2017) both aim to “enhanc(e) the protection and promotion of (the rights and welfare of) workers engaged in telecommuting and other flexible work arrangements.”

The Telecommuting Act of 2017 defines “telecommuting” as “the partial or total substitution of computers or telecommunication technologies, or both, for the commute to work by employees.”

Similarly, the Telecommuting Act defines “Telecommuting” as a “flexible work arrangement that allows an employee in the private sector to work from an alternative workplace with the use of telecommunication and/or computer technologies.”

Employers from the private sector shall be allowed to offer telecommuting work arrangements to their employees as long as it is based on terms and conditions both parties agree on. The telecommuting program shall observe labor standards for compensation, benefits, and leave.

The measures hope to give telecommuting employees equal treatment with employees performing work at the employer’s premises.

The Telecommuting Act of 2017 was approved on third reading by the Senate while Telecommuting Act was also approved on second reading at the House of Representatives.

In both versions of the bill, DoLE is tasked with producing a “Telecommuting Pilot Program” which will be implemented in selected industries and run for not more than three years. DoLE’s role will be to perform “baselining, scoping and profiling research work prior to implementation, regular quarterly monitoring and evaluation.” DoLE is required to submit a report to Congress after the pilot program ends. —

July 2025

Nutrition Month
“Give us much more than P50 increase
for proper nutrition!”

Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry recommendations
against serious violations of
Forced Labour and Freedom of Association protocols.

Accept National Unity Government (NUG)
of Myanmar.  Reject Military!

#WearMask #WashHands #Distancing #TakePicturesVideosturesVideos

Time to support & empower survivors. Time to spark a global conversation. Time for #GenerationEquality to #orangetheworld!

July


3 July – International Day of Cooperatives
3 Ju
ly – International Plastic Bag Free Day
 
5 July –
World Youth Skills Day 
7 July – Global Forgiveness Day
11 July – World Population Day 
17 July – World Day for
International Justice
28 July – World Nature Conservation Day
30 July – World Day against Trafficking in Persons 


Monthly Observances:

Schools Safety Month

Nutrition Month
National Disaster Consciousness Month

Weekly Observances:

Week 2: Cultural Communities Week
Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise
Development Week
Week 3: National Science and
Technology Week
National Disability Prevention and
Rehabilitation Week
July 1-7:
National Culture Consciousness Week
July 13-19:
Philippines Business Week
Week ending last Saturday of July:
Arbor Week

 

Daily Observances:

First Saturday of July:
International Cooperative Day
in the Philippines

Categories

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.