Bill proposing flexible working hours up for plenary discussion

MANILA, Philippines — A bill proposing “flexible” working hours for employees has finally reached the Senate floor.

On Tuesday, Senator Joel Villanueva endorsed Senate Bill No. 1571 or the Alternative Working Arrangement bill for plenary discussion.

After the deliberations and proposed amendments, the Senators would vote for the approval of the measure on second, and third and final reading.

Villanueva, who chairs the Senate committee on labor, said he believes that a flexible working arrangement “is not just a fad but a necessity.”

“We strongly believe that every Filipino worker deserves that we recognize it under our laws,” he said during his sponsorship speech.

The measure, according to Villanueva, seeks to amend Article 83 of the Labor Code, which limits the normal working hours to eight hours a day for five days.

He said the bill would allow both employees and employers to adopt flexible working arrangements that would be beneficial and would work best for both parties.

“Now more than ever, companies allow non-traditional working arrangements like flexitime, four-day workweek, compressed workweek, working from home, shift flexibility, among others, to give their workers more independence and control over their work,” he said.

Villanueva noted that under the bill, alternative working hours shall not exceed 48 hours a week and there should be no reduction of existing benefits.

“Para po ito sa mga manggagawa sa pribadong sektor subalit kung magtatakda po ng parehong polisiya ang gobyerno, na nagpapatupad na rin naman ng ilang uri ng mga alternative working arrangement sa ngayon, tiyak na magiging katanggap-tanggap po ito para sa ating mga kawani,” the senator said.

(This is for workers in the private sector but if the same policy will be adopted by government agencies that are already implementing some form of alternative working arrangements, it will definitely be acceptable to employees.)

The Senator cited a research project funded by the Economic Social Research Council based at the University of Kent in England which showed that when “managers allow workers more discretion or more control over their work, they deliver better performance outcomes or better productivity.”

“Time indeed has come for flexible working schedule as a business strategy. It’s an answer to the changes in the labor market and in the nature of employment,” he added.

He also cited an industrial engineering company in Makati that has already adopted a “flextime” arrangement.

“Sabi ni Arlene (Ylagan), kahit anong oras pwedeng pumasok basta makumpleto ang 8-hour na trabaho kada araw. Hindi rin daw istrikto sa pagmo-monitor sa oras ang kumpanya dahil mas importante ang ‘output’ kesa sa oras na nilalagi ng empleyado sa opisina,” the senator narrated.

(According to one Arlene Ylagan, the employees can come in anytime as long as they complete eight hours of work every day. They are not also strict in monitoring employee time because the “output” is more important than the number of hours an employee spends at the office.)

However, Villanueva noted that there are certain types of work that are not yet suitable to flexible hours such as jobs in manufacturing.

“For instance, Arlene shared that ‘flexitime’ only applies to their administrative offices but not in factories and distribution centers of [the company],” he said.

“Her testimony is a validation of the position of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines that jobs in manufacturing, at least those in assembly lines, are not yet suitable to alternative work arrangements,” he added.

Moreover, the senator said that alternative working arrangements in the private sector has “massive benefits.” He said employees will be able to “deliver more and better results” and will be “happier” due to work-life balance.

“Recruitment and training will be less expense to employers because happier employees are less likely to quit or change jobs,” he said.

Villanueva also believes that a flexile working schedule “will be a domino of enormous benefit to our society.”

“There will certainly be huge savings resulting from the reduction of traffic congestion and the consequent reduction of pollution with the concomitant health benefits and less possibility of stress and road rage, lower demand and possibly lower oil prices, among others,” he said. /ee