Flexible work arrangement bill passes final reading
The Philippines’ Senate has approved, on a third and final reading, a bill recognizing alternative working arrangements. Senator Joel Villanueva, principal author and sponsor of Senate Bill No. 1571 or the Alternative Working Arrangement bill, said the measure aims to provide employers and employees with options to get work done in the most efficient manner. The chair of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment, and Human Resources Development explained that work arrangements, which include flexi-time, compressed work weeks, and shift flexibility are subject to the agreement between the workers and their employers. The senator said workers under the alternative working arrangements should continue to get minimum statutory benefits, overtime pay, and night differential pay, among others. He added that the bill “provides a guide and institutionalizes the policy on the adoption of alternative work arrangements.” Villanueva, citing a 2009 Institute of Labor Studies report, said employers are interested in flexible work arrangements to adjust to the demands of the labor market.
