ILOILO – The provincial capitol is now observing a four-hour workweek – an alternative working arrangement suggested by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) for the duration of the state of public health emergency declaration of President Rodrigo Duterte due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
In a memorandum issued on March 16, Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. issued the following guidelines:
* all employees will render 10-hour service per day for four days a week, meeting the required total number of 40 hours per week
* contract of services and job orders rendering administrative support services shall adopt the same work schedule
* the interim daily work schedule shall be from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. inclusive of one hour lunch break, Monday to Friday
* employees may adopt a sliding flexi work schedule not earlier 7 a.m. and not beyond 7 p.m.
* biometrics shall still be used to monitor attendance; observe proper hygiene and sanitation when using biometrics
* one day leave of absence is equivalent to 10-hour deduction in the leave credits
* on April 6-10, 2020, employees shall adopt the regular working hours of 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the observance of Holy Week
This four-day work week schedule is effective this week until April 14, 2020 or unless sooner revoked.
Overtime services are discouraged unless in extreme necessity and shall be granted compensatory overtime credits.
The Association of Iloilo Provincial Government Employees (AIPGE) requested for the four-day workweek on March 12 “as part of the preventive measures to combat the threat of COVID-19 and to promote the concept of social distancing to limit the possible spread of the virus…”/PN
