MALACANANG said Friday that it would be up to government agencies on whether to adopt or not the four-day workweek.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda made the statement after the Civil Service Commission (CSC) came out recently with a circular that allows government agencies in Metro Manila to implement this scheme.
"The particular agency would be in a better position to address this... While the Civil Service Commission (CSC) provides the guidelines, the particular implementing agency has to also look at the guidelines vis-à-vis their work activities and also their interaction with the public sector," he said in a press briefing.
The CSC Memorandum Circular 22 encourages government agencies in Metro Manila to carry out a four-day workweek scheme, which aims to reduce the volume of traffic as the Metro Manila Skyway project enters its third phase; increase employee efficiency and organizational performance; promote work-life balance among employees; and enhance employee engagement, morale and productivity.
Under the scheme, the normal workweek is reduced to four days – from Monday to Thursday or from Tuesday to Friday – but working hours are increased to 10 hours a day, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., with a one-hour lunch break.
"There are requirements in order for one to use the four-day workweek, that has not yet been discussed. Most likely, magkakaroon ng discussion diyan," said Lacierda.
Government agencies in Metro Manila can adopt the scheme provided their frontline services can be accessed by the public online; they have a one-stop shop; they have a functional call center/PABX telephone system that allows calls to be diverted to the Officers-of-the-Day; and they have baseline data on their overall performance, as well as on absenteeism, tardiness, state of health, and turnover of employees, and satisfaction of clients.
As for the Office of the President, Lacierda said one of the deputy executive secretaries is studying the scheme.
"It will be studied by the Office of the Executive Secretary first before we make any decision on the matter," he said. (SDR/Sunnex)