Companies all over the world have started to offer “work from home” options to their employees ever since online tools have made it easier to work remotely (hello, Slack and Trello fans). And it may soon become even more common in the Philippines after the House of Representatives approved the Telecommuting Act on Monday.
Under House Bill 7402, employees in privately-owned companies will be given the option to work in venues outside the office by using computer technologies.
The bill protects employees who choose a work from home program by mandating that their salaries still need to meet the required minimum wage.
They must also receive the same benefits as other employees like a minimum number of work hours, overtime pay, rest days, leaves, and holidays.
Most importantly, those working remotely should be given the same amount of workload as those in offices.
Because “work from home” does not mean “work forever” or “work for free,” employers!
If enacted, the Department of Labor and Employment will be tasked to roll out a telecommuting pilot program in select industries for a period of not more than three years.
For Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte, the bill’s author, this is simply a step towards institutionalizing a growing trend.
“More and more employers have expanded the traditional mode of on-site work to the adoption of flexible working arrangements such as the compressed workweek and telecommuting, among others,” Villafuerte said.
Last May, the Philippine Senate approved its own version of the bill.
The House and the Senate will now need to reconcile their versions of the bill through a bicameral conference committee, before ratifying the reconciled version and finally passing it to President Rodrigo Duterte for signing.
Apart from benefitting employees, the bill is also seen as a solution for Manila’s worsening traffic situation.
In 2016, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, the agency in charge of the traffic situation, reported that there were 2.5 million vehicles in Metro Manila alone.
Some people end up stuck in traffic for up to 3 hours just to get to or from work, a serious waste of time.
Clearly, working from home isn’t just about holding meetings in your pajamas.
