DBM, COA assure: COS, JOs to get wages during Luzon-wide quarantine

MANILA, Philippines — Contractual workers in government agencies, such as those categorized as either job order (JO) or contract of service (COS), will still continue to receive their wages during the duration of the enhanced community quarantine that is now being enforced in Luzon.

“COS and JO workers who will be required to report to work from home shall be paid their corresponding salaries or wages during community quarantine period,” read a joint circular from the Commission on Audit (COA) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

Likewise, COS and JO workers who will not be required to work due to work suspension and those who are not part of the agency skeleton staff shall be paid their corresponding salaries during the quarantine period “as an exception to the ‘no work, no pay’ principle for this occasion only,” the joint circular added.

A copy of the document was shared with reporters on Friday by Senator Joel Villanueva, chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment, and Human Resources.

According to the circular, COS and JO workers, whose services are engaged by government agencies located in Luzon may be considered for work from home, and well as skeleton staff for the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Coast Guard, emergency frontline services, border control, and other critical services in the government.

Meanwhile, COS and JO workers, whose services are engaged by agencies located in the Visayas and in Mindanao under the general community quarantine, may be considered for the following work arrangements: skeleton staff, work from home, compressed workweek, and staggered working hours.

The circular also noted that contractual workers who will be part of the agency skeleton staff and will be able to physically report for work during the quarantine period may be granted appropriate additional benefit, as may be authorized by the Office of the President.

All guidelines of the joint circular will cover all COS and JO workers whose services are directly engaged by departments, bureaus, offices, and agencies of the national government, including constitutional offices, state universities and colleges, government-owned and controlled corporations, and local water districts, for the duration of the state of calamity and community quarantine.

LGUs are encouraged to adopt this joint circular, read the document.

But it also stated that “institutional COS workers assigned in government agencies to provide services such as janitorial, security, consultancy, and other support services are excluded from the coverage of the circular.”

The implementation of the provisions of the circular shall be retroactive to March 15 or the date of the beginning of the duration of the community quarantine period. The joint circular shall also take effect immediately, read the document.

The national government has placed the entire Luzon under enhanced community quarantine, which includes the suspension of public transport operations, to help curb the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019. The quarantine period started on March 17 and will end at midnight on April 13.

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