Bill granting night shift differential pay to gov’t workers awaits Duterte signature

Healthcare workers remain busy at a dedicated facility of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH). A bill, if signed into law, will grant night shift differential pay to government workers. The night shift in the bill covers the hours from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. of the following day. (File photo by RICHARD A. REYES / Phillippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — A bill seeking to grant a night shift differential pay to government workers is now only awaiting the signature of President Rodrigo Duterte.

The Senate and House of Representatives separately ratified on Wednesday the bicameral conference committee report on the disagreeing provisions of Senate Bill No. 643 and House Bill No. 9458 — or the proposed “Act Granting Night Shift Differential Pay to Government Employees, including those in Government-Owned and -Controlled Corporations (GOCCs).”

Under the reconciled bill, government and GOCC employees, regardless of their nature of employment, are entitled to receive a night differential pay at a rate not exceeding 20 percent of their hourly basic, as determined by the head of their agency.

The night shift here is defined as the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m of the following day.

Under the bill, the night differential will be given on top of any other benefits and allowances currently being given to government employees.

The following government employees are not covered under the bill:

• Those whose schedule of office hours fall between 6 a.m to 6 p.m. In this case, services rendered beyond the regular eight-hour schedules are paid overtime pay in accordance with existing laws and rules and regulations.

• Those whose services are required, or are on call, 24 hours a day. They include uniformed personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, the Bureau of Fire Protection, and other similar agencies, as may be determined by the Civil Service Commission and the Department of Budget and Management.

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