BPO employees’ group asks for additional pay for onsite work

Information Technology and Business Process Management (IT-BPM) employees in the Philippines should be given additional compensation and benefits if they were forced to return to their offices, said BPO Industry Employees Network (BIEN).
According to BIEN Spokesperson Mylene Cabalona, the rising cost of goods and services makes it costly for BPO employees to travel to and from work.
As a suggestion, Cabalona said that the government should give outsourcing workers a tax holiday or standardize the industry’s salary from P13,000-P16,000 (US$226-US$278) for entry-level employees to P30,000 (US$522).
Cabalona’s statement comes as reports revealed that more BPO employees are resigning from companies that require them to return to work onsite.
Meanwhile, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) calls employers to look into the benefits of remote work and the Telecommuting Law.
DOLE Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said that remote work is helpful for both employees and investors as it ensures that operations are not disrupted, that employees can hand in their deliverables, and we improve their quality of life.