House tackles bill on 4-day work week

MANILA, Philippines - The measure that aims to institutionalize – both in private and government offices – an “optional four-day work week” as a means of maximizing and enhancing employees’ performance is now undergoing deliberations at the House of Representatives.

In a statement, the House’s public relations and information division reported that House Bill 6152 has been “approved on second reading,” which allows employers to go into compressed work week, provided workers comply with their required eight-hour work daily.

The proposed measure provides that the normal hours of work of any employee shall not exceed eight hours a day, except in cases where the enterprise adopts a compressed work week scheme, but shall not exceed 48 hours a week.

“This is without prejudice to firms whose normal work week is five days, or a total of 40 hours based on the normal work day of eight hours, the bill provides,” a portion of the House press statement read.

Last May, the House committee on labor approved the measure authored by Baguio Rep. Mark Go, seeking the amendment of Articles 83, 87 and 91 of the Labor Code, providing for the compressed work week scheme.

“This bill allows the employers to go into compressed work week, if they decide to go for a four-day work week, it is their option,” he told reporters in a chance interview.