Bill granting night shift differential pay to gov’t employees reaches Senate floor

MANILA, Philippines — A bill seeking to grant night shift differential pay to government employees including those in government-owned or controlled corporations has reached the Senate floor.

Senator Bong Revilla Jr., who chairs the Committee on Civil Service, Government Reorganization and Professional Regulation, sponsored Senate Bill 643, which was contained in Committee Report No. 13.

Under the bill, qualified government employees shall be paid night shift differential at a rate not exceeding 20 percent of the hourly basic rate for each hour of work performed between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. the following day.

However, public health workers who are already covered by Republic Act No. 7305 and government employees whose services are required, or are on call, 24 hours a day such as uniformed personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) are not covered.

“The granting of night shift differential pay is in recognition of the efforts of employees to work beyond their regular schedule despite the late hours of the day to serve our people,” Revilla said in his sponsorship speech Wednesday.

The committee report was signed by 20 senators.