WFH mandate triggers resignations
The Philippine government’s 100% return-to-work (RTO) order in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) segment is clashing with the employees’ intention of continuing their work-from-home arrangements, leading to increasing resignation in the industry.
UP School of Labor and Industrial Relations Professor Emeritus Rene Ofreneo said that “work-from-home arrangements allow employees to have work-life balance and flexibility” which is very important.
He added that “the traffic already returned and is again a problem for workers. It also affects productivity.”
The government has advocated employees’ return to on-site work to support economic recovery. They stated that people tend to spend more outside their homes, which effectively sustains other businesses near offices.
The Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB) — which takes care of the tax incentives of companies —- also rejected a Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) proposal to extend an order allowing IT-BPO companies to continue their work-from-home arrangements while keeping their tax perks.
FIRB noted that the work-from-home arrangement is a “time-bound measure” and that workers should return to the office amid decreasing infections and the improved vaccination rate.
Meanwhile, a January survey by Sprout Solutions revealed that nine of 10 employees prefer a hybrid or remote work setup.
