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Compressed work week receives House's final approval


The House of Representatives approved on third and final reading a bill which will institutionalize the compressed work week scheme, which was said to promote business competitiveness, work efficiency, and labor productivity.

House Bill No. 6152, which would increases the normal work hours per day, amended Articles 83, 87 and 91 of Presidential Decree No, 442, otherwise known as the Labor Code of the Philippines.

“Art. 83. Normal hours of work. – The normal hours of work of any employee shall not exceed eight hours a day except in cases where the enterprise adopts a compressed work week scheme, but shall not exceed 48 hours a week. This is without prejudice to firms whose normal work week is five days, or a total of 40 hours based on the normal work day of eight hours," the amendment read.

“Employees shall be permitted to complete their working hours on a compressed work week scheme whereby the normal work week is reduced to less than six days but the total number of normal work hours per week shall remain at 48 hours," it added.

“Health personnel in cities and municipalities with a population of at least  one million or in hospitals and clinics with a bed capacity of at least one hundred shall hold regular office hours for eight hours a day, for five days a week, exclusive of time for meals, except where the exigencies of the service require that such personnel work for six days or 48 hours, in which case, they shall be entitled to an additional compensation of at least 30 percent of their regular wage for work on the sixth day," it said.

Bill author and Baguio City Representative Mark Go, explained that, at present, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) allowed companies to use compressed work weeks.

“These arrangements give employers and employees flexibility in fixing hours of work compatible with business requirements and the employees’ need for a balanced work-life,” Go said in a press release.

Meanwhile, for overtime work, employees may perform their work beyond eight hours a day or 48 hours a week provided that the employee is paid for the overtime work, an additional compensation equivalent to the regular wage plus at least 25 percent thereof.

"Work performed beyond eight hours or number of hours under a compressed work week scheme on a holiday or rest day shall be paid an additional compensation equivalent to the rate of the first eight hours or a number of hours under a compressed work seek scheme on a holiday or rest day plus 30 percent thereof," it said.

Also, employees were given the right to have a rest day every week.

"It shall be the duty of every employer, whether operating for profit or not, to provide each of the employees a rest period of not less than 24 consecutive hours after every six consecutive normal work days. In the case of a compressed work week scheme, a rest period of not less than 48 hours but not more than 72 hours, as the case may be, shall be provided to the employees," the amendment read. — Anna Felicia Bajo/DVM, GMA News

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