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mst.daydesk@ gmail.com
Lawmaker
calls for flexible
48-hour
workweek
TO COMPLEMENT the recendy
enacted Telecomrnuting Law, a pro-
administration lawmaker on Monday
sought an amendment to the Labor
Code which seeks to allow employ-
ees to clock in a maximum of 48 work
hours per week at any time under .a
flexitle work schedule.
Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund
Mllafuede, principal author in the
House of the Teleconmuting Act;
said workers allowed to telecommute
by their employers would be able to
be productive dt any time of the day,
as long as they complete the required
number ofwork hours.
Villafuerte said he will refile in the,
incoming Congress his House Bill
9048 which, he said, w-ill protect the
well-being of employees by setting a
48-bour per week limit.
'With the recent enactment of Re'
public Act @A) No. 11165, or the
Telecommuting Act. which allows
workers to clock in hours tlrough par-,
tial or total subsritution of computers..
of telecommunication technologies;
it is this representation's hope that
this proposed bill adds to the intent
of the felecommuting act in Provid:
ing employees the opportrmity to be.
oroductive in the wotkforce no matter
ihe situation they may find themselves,
in," said Villafuerte.
bnder Article 83 ofthe Labor Code;'
the norrnal hours of work for any em'
olovee l'shall not exceed eighr hours a
it"u.- Vilafuene wants to amend this
pr6vision to conform to altemative
work arangements such as Elecom-
muting by adding a portion that €n-
ables work hours to be counted on a
per-week basis not exceeding 48 hours
per week.
Thus, with HB 9048, the normal
work hours of any employee shall not
exceed eight hours a day, "except when
the exigency of business operations
or national emergency requircs the
adoption of altemative wo* arrange-
- mdnts subject to conditiori! as may
be predetetmined by the Seffetary of
Labor and Employrnent in appropri-'
ate regulations ensuring that bours of
work shail not exceed forty-eight (48)
hours a week, and the rights, healtl
and well-being of the employees are
protected."
Mllafuerte said his ProPosal aims
to help ease the wories of employees
in commuting to work bY allowing
'9exible working anargements" that .
fit the needs ofboth the employers and
employees.
Such flexible work anangements, in
tum, will help "ease and decongest the
ffaffic situation in Greater Manila and
lessen the shess of both citizens and
the govemment," he added.
Marlcel V' Cruz
,\ pAq€ - A8 "