The Department of Labor and Employment recently reminded employers that flexible work arrangements such as a four-day workweek, compressed workweek, or hybrid setup must comply with labor laws and should not result in reduced wages or benefits for workers.
DOLE Assistant Secretary Lennard Constantine Serrano noted that guidelines on flexible work arrangements have long existed, citing a DOLE advisory issued as early as 2004 that recognized the compressed workweek arrangement, including a four-day workweek setup.
Additional advisories were released in 2009 and 2010, while alternative work arrangements, such as work from home setups, are covered under the Telecommuting Act of 2018, later supplemented by DOLE Department Order 237 issued in 2022.
Under a compressed workweek arrangement, the usual 40-hour work schedule may be condensed into four days, which would extend work hours from eight to 10 hours.
Serrano emphasized that employers must consider the nature of the business and ensure that workers’ health and safety are protected when implementing longer daily working hours.
He added that agreements between employers and employees on flexible work setups must be reported to DOLE so the department can monitor compliance with labor regulations.
The official also underscored that telecommuting or hybrid work arrangements should ensure fair treatment among employees, including those working from home and those reporting physically to the workplace. “There should be no discrimination as to who can participate in the telecommuting program. Workers should receive fair treatment – the same work performed should have the same wages and benefits,” he said.
During times of crisis, such as the current one caused by the US-Israel war against Iran that has disrupted the supply of fuel, resulting in the cost of living suddenly and drastically shooting up, we have to help each other out, instead of taking advantage of the situation at the expense of others. In an ideal world, the DOLE reminder would not be necessary, in this disturbing new reality where world leaders have shown that they can blatantly prioritize their own selfish interests, it is one that is worth repeating.
Hopefully those who have the power to make lives easier or better for those that are dependent on them can prove that they are still decent human beings, in good times and in bad.*
