by Bilyonaryo, 23 Jul 2020
Business owners, particularly small-scale businesses, can not afford to provide rapid testing for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) among their employees every two weeks amid the challenging business environment due to the pandemic.
The Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) issued a statement Wednesday following Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire’s interview with ABS-CBN News Channel urging businesses to randomly test their employees every 14 days using rapid test kits (RTKs).
Vergeire said RTKs only detect the presence of antibodies that only appear between the fifth and seventh day of illness.
“The Employers Confederation of the Philippines expresses its deep concern over the statement of the Department of Health (DOH) urging business owners to conduct random Covid-19 testing for their employees through rapid tests every two weeks,” the group said.
“However, employers should not and cannot be held responsible to pay for the Covid-19 testing of its employees,” it added.
The ECOP said large companies have been voluntarily testing their employees using RTKs as part of their corporate social responsibility. However, requiring businesses to test the employees every two weeks will not be viable.
“ECOP would like to emphasize that around 99.6 percent of registered establishments in the Philippines belong to the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) which are typically faced with budget constraints,” the group said.
It cited recent data that businesses are shutting down their operations either temporarily or permanently that also leads to laying off their workers.
“For this reason, to require business owners to conduct random Covid-19 rapid tests for their employees and repeating it every two weeks will add to the cost of doing business and drive those still operating to eventual closure,” ECOP added. (PNA)
September 18 –
International Equal Pay Day
“Increase wages now,
more than other cost items.
For widespread, practical equality!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the recommendations of the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry
against serious violations of protocols of
Forced Labour and Freedom of Association.
Accept the National Unity Government (NUG)
of Myanmar. Reject Military!
#WearMask #WashHands
#Report Corruption #SearchPosts #TakePicturesVideos
September –
5 Sept – Intl Day of Charity
7 Sept – Intl Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies
8 Sept – International Literacy Day
12 Sept – United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation
15 Sept – International Day of Democracy
16 Sept – International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer
17 Sept – World Patient Safety Day
18 Sept – International Equal Pay Day
21 Sept – International Day of Peace
26 Sept – International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
27 Sept – World Tourism Day
28 Sept – International Day for Universal Access to Information
29 Sept – International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste
30 Sept – World Maritime Day
Monthly Observances:
Health, Safety and Sanitation Month
National Clean-up Month
Civil Service Month
National Peace Consciousness Month
Social Security Month
Rule of Law Month
National Teachers’ Month (Sept 5-Oct 4)
Weekly Observances:
Sept 17 – 23:
World Clean and Green Week
Week 2: Education Week
Week 4: Medicine Week
Last Week: National Family Week
Daily Observances:
Third Saturday:
International Coastal Clean-up Day
Third Monday: World Health Day
Last Friday: National Maritime Day
Sept 8: National Literacy Day
Sept 15: Philippine Medicine Day
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