‘Flexi-time’ work sked for Capitol sought

EFFECTIVE on March 1, all Capitol employees and officials will work under a so-called “gliding flexible working time” starting at 7 a.m at the earliest and ending at 6 p.m. at the latest if a proposed resolution by Provincial Board (PB) Member Arleigh Sitoy gets approved.

The proposed “flexi-time” schedule will be deliberated by the PB in its regular session this Monday.

Under the working scheme, employees and officials are required to report between 7 a.m to 9 a.m. and end between 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The employee may opt to start at a time convenient to him or her within the given schedule.

If on a certain day, an employee arrives at 7:01 am , he /she can leave the office at 4:01 pm.

If he/she reports at 8:25 a.m, he/she can leave at 5:25 pm or 6 p.m.

An employee must render at least eight working hours each day from Monday to Friday so the public can be assured of prompt, efficient and continuing delivery of service from 8 a.m to 5 p.m., Sitoy’s resolution read.

On Mondays, all officials and employees shall attend the flag-raising ceremony which means that the flexible time period shall only be between 7 am and 8 a.m.

Employees who start work later than 8 a.m. that day shall be considered tardy.

Sitoy said the period of compulsory attendance, referred to as the core time, is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., exclusive of one hour lunch break from 12 noon to 1 p.m.

Thus employees who report at 9:01 am or later, shall automatically be considered tardy.

Those who leave the office with less than eight hours service rendered during the day shall be considered under time, Sitoy said.

He said employees cannot offset their tardy or under time work by working an equivalent number of minutes or hours tardy or under time. Sitoy said at least 10 percent of the total work force is required to be present from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sitoy said this can be done on rotation basis, or other arrangement as agreed upon by the department heads and subordinates concerned.

Availing of early working hours is voluntary for the Capitol employees, Sitoy said.

Sitoy cited a Civil Service Commission circular which authorizes all department heads, agencies, bureaus and offices of the national government, government corporations and schools to set their own rules on attendance and punctuality.

Some employees disagreed to the proposal. “What happens is that people will rely on punching in for work at 8:30 a.m. This will disrupt the work flow. A lot of people report late for work as it is,” said one employee who requested anonymity.

But Senior Administrative Officer Jessielito Martinito, who is wheelchair bound, said he can live with the new schedule.

“For those of us who are disabled it can be advantageous for us because we have a hard time reporting for work on time due to our condition,” he said.