On Workers Rest Bill

Are you working beyond office hours? Do you realize you have no more private life because your supervisor keeps asking for reports even during weekends? Are you the type of boss who treats your employees at work like there is no tomorrow? Do you feel so much stress working under the new normal? If you answer yes to all these questions, this act is for you.

The pandemic has caused tremendous change in our life and work schedule. The so-called ‘new normal’ has infringed on employees’ personal life, family relation, and mental health. The main reason why many employees quit work and avail of early retirement is because of too many tasks beyond working hours.

At present, a bill is filed in the House of the Representatives prohibiting employers and supervisors from giving non-urgent work-related calls and messages to their employees during rest hours. The House Bill No. 10717 entitled, “An Act Promoting the Welfare of Employees by Defining Rest Hours, providing Penalties for any Violation Thereof, and for Other Purposes” or short “Workers’ Rest Law” is filed by Calamba City Representative Joaquin Chipeco Jr.

The act declares that it is “the policy of the State to protect and promote the health of the people and instill health consciousness among them. The State shall protect the rights of workers to privacy and personal time, and promote their welfare.”

Section 6 of the Act states that, unless the employee gives their consent, the employer, manager, supervisor, or any of their agents, is prohibited from:

1.) Requiring the employee to work;

2.) Requiring the employee to be on duty, to travel, or be at a prescribed place for work or work-related activities, such as attending seminars, meetings, team-building, and other similar activities; and,

3.) Contacting the employee for work and work-related purposes through e-mail, phone, message, and other means of communications, unless it is to notify the employee of the necessity of rendering emergency or urgent work as provided under Article 89 and Article 92 of the Labor Code of the Philippines. Employees may not be penalized by the employer for not opening or answering communications received during rest hours.

Any person violating the provision of the Act shall pay the employee ?1,000 per hour of work or a fraction thereof.

According to Congressman Chipeco, the author of the act, “Studies have shown that under the ‘new normal,’ many workers, particularly those who are on a work-from-home arrangement basis end up rendering work beyond the maximum hours of work provided under the law. This emerging trend does not augur well for the mental health of the employees, not to mention family solidarity,”

Hopefully, this bill will pass the 18th Congress before the recess in July. This measure will benefit many employees working beyond office hours, sacrificing family time compared to the bill granting ?1 million to elders reaching 101 years old. The unusual work-from-home setup causes an additional burden to many employees in pandemic times.