MANILA – In light of the public health emergency declared for the novel coronavirus, Sen. Joel Villanueva said it is high time to push for the passage of the telecommuting bill.
Villanueva said that not only does a telecommuting work arrangement save workers the need to leave their houses to do their jobs, it likewise minimizes the risk of getting infected with illnesses such as the deadly 2019 nCoV.
Villanueva also urged the Department of Labor and Employment to encourage the private sector to consider implementing telecommuting work arrangements for their employees as global health authorities grapple with containing the outbreak.
“We also expect our friends from the labor department to urge the private sector to adopt ‘telecommuting’ for workers whose tasks can be done remotely to minimize possible spread of the disease,” Villanueva said.
Villanueva also explained that telecommuting work arrangements maintain the productivity of workers while reducing their need to commute to get to their offices or workplaces, thereby lowering the risk of getting infected by the nCoV.
“Working at home will help disperse crowds, decrease the number of people on the streets, on the trains and other in public mass transport vehicles, which will ultimately help mitigate the spread of the infection,” said the senator.
He reiterated the obligations of employers to adhere to prevailing Occupational Health and Safety law, urging the Department of Labor and Employment to continue reminding their stakeholders that noncompliance to the law is punishable./PN
