No leaves in December for City Hall employees

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City government’s Human Resource and Development Office (HRDO) has issued a memorandum disallowing the use of leave credits to all City Hall employees for the month of December.

HRDO Chief Dominic Diño said that it has been a policy for two years already not to allow City Hall employees to use their leave credits for the month of December so as not to hamper the city’s transactions and operations.

The memorandum though exempts paternal, maternal, and sick leaves. Diño said that HRDO will also consider urgent cases.

“All Department heads have agreed in a meeting to keep that policy para dili ma-hamper ang mga urgent activities and transactions kay naay mga transactions nga dili unya mabayran, unya molapas na sa calendar year, so ma-delay ang mga payments,” he said.

Diño said that every office has its own procurement responsibilities that have corresponding payables and vouchers, adding that it must be processed because the accounting office has cutoff dates.

Before the policy was implemented, he said that it was observed that many of the employees applied for a leave for a Christmas vacation.

“But, understandable man gyod na nako nga atong i-schedule atong vacation sa Christmas gyod kay bonding man gyod na sa family nga time but public service mani,” he said.

Those who will fail to follow the memorandum dated November 10 would be sanctioned and will be considered absent without official leave.

He said that there is a regulation that would deprive giving some benefits to an employee who has a recorded number of AWOLs.

The city government needs the help of all employees for its month-long Christmas project activities, he said.

City Hall employees will enjoy their five-day vacation from December 24 to 28.

Diño said that HRDO is considering on formulating a skeletal force in certain offices. (FREEMAN)