CSC says absences due to COVID-19 vaccination, adverse effects may be excused

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) announced on Wednesday absences of government workers due to COVID-19 vaccination or adverse effects may be considered as excused.

The CSC said this is stated in the Memorandum Circular No. 16, s. 2021 or the “Interim Guidelines on Absences of Government Officials and Employees Due to COVID-19 Vaccination and/or Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI) of COVID-19 Vaccine.”

Under the guidelines, AEFI is defined as “any untoward medical occurrence which follows immunization and which does not necessarily have a causal relationship with the usage of vaccine.”

“The issuance provides for the treatment of absences incurred by government officials and employees during the day of the inoculation of COVID-19 vaccine and/or the required treatment or recuperation period from any AEFI of COVID-19 vaccine,” CSC said in a statement.

“The guidelines remind all government workers of their responsibility to adopt necessary measures to prevent COVID-19 transmission in the public sector workplaces,” it added.

Meanwhile, the CSC noted that absences due to AEFI of COVID-19 vaccine may be charged against the employee’s sick leave credits when the period of treatment or recuperation exceeds the maximum allowable period of absences for the stated conditions.

“If the employee has exhausted his/her sick leave credits, Section 56 of the Omnibus Rules on Leave allows for the use of vacation leave credits in lieu of sick leave credits. In case the vacation leave credits have been exhausted, the employee may apply for sick leave of absence without pay,” the commission stated.

The CSC added that government workers who have incurred absences due to COVID-19 vaccination and/or have undergone treatment from AEFI prior to the issuance of CSC MC No. 16, s. 2021 may request for the restoration of the deducted leave credits through their agency’s human resource personnel.—Richa Alyssa Noriega/AOL, GMA News