Ka Leody: Keep work from home setup, protect employees' rights

Presidential candidate and labor leader Leody de Guzman on Tuesday said work from home arrangements should be allowed despite the shift to Alert Level 1 by Metro Manila and 38 other areas.

“Hangga’t hindi pa naaayos ang mga sistema't patakaran para proteksyunan ang taumbayan gaya ng universal access sa bakuna, contact tracing, at isolation and treatment facilities, mas mainam kung ilalatag ang mga kondisyon para mabawasan ang paglalabas ng mga tao. Bigyan ng ayuda ang mga hindi makapagtrabaho,” De Guzman said in a statement.

(As the system and policies are not yet in place to protect the people such as universal access to vaccines, contact tracing, and isolation and treatment facilities, it would be better to lay down conditions and guidelines to prevent people from going out. Give assistance to those who cannot work.)

“Hikayatin ang work from home sa mga klase ng trabahong kayang gawin sa mga kabahayan, nang hindi naisasakripisyo ang kanilang mga karapatan," he added.

(Encourage work from home arrangement for jobs that can be done at home without sacrificing workers' rights.)

De Guzman issued the statement after Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said the government is “encouraging” onsite work to spur economic activities as Metro Manila and several areas are deescalated to the loosest Alert Level 1.

The labor leader also urged the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to ensure that basic labor standards are followed for work from home employees, adding reports that a number are working more than eight hours without overtime pay and benefits.

He said the government must also work with the telecommunications companies in improving internet connectivity to make employees working from home more efficient.

"Malaki ang potensyal ng ating labor force para makuha ang mga trabaho mula sa abroad kung aayusin lamang ang ating koneksyon sa internet,” he added.

(Our labor force has great potential to get jobs from abroad if we will just fix our internet connection.)—LDF, GMA News