Ombudsman: Government team building no time for bingeing

An exercise during the annual team building of the Bureau of Agricultural Research employees held at a resort in Nasugbu, Batangas. Photo by DON LEJANO/INQUIRER.net

Team-building exercises of government employees are for staff development, not for bingeing on alcohol, the Office of the Ombudsman said Thursday.

The office called on the employees to report activities during team-building exercises that do not contribute to staff development or conform to the objectives of the activity, such as drinking sprees.

Violators will be slapped administrative charges, the Ombudsman’s office said in a statement.

Team-building activities are allowed under the human resource development programs of government agencies and are covered by regulations, lawyer Christian Molina of the Civil Service Commission said.

Molina spoke recently on the Office of the Ombudsman’s radio program aired over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.

Team-building activities are usually held in out of town resorts in the summer and are intended to strengthen relations, improve communication and foster goodwill among a government agency’s employees.

According to Molina, team-building exercises should follow a human resource program and have objectives and a schedule of activities.

Funds for the activities are provided under the training and scholarship component of an agency’s maintenance and other operating expenses.

This is regulated by the Department of Budget and Management, while the expenses are scrutinized by the Commission on Audit, Molina said. Leila B. Salaverria