The traffic congestion in Metro Manila grows by the day. To curb this problem, AKO BICOL party list representatives Rodel Batocabe, Alfredo Garbin Jr. and Christopher Co proposed House Bill 4291 (Work-at-Home Act of 2016) as a means to decongest the overcrowded roads of the city, as well as to provide employees convenience and save company costs on utilities for employees.
The proposed bill is intended for both government agencies and private companies.
“By providing at least a one-day respite from the stressful commute, this measure seeks to promote the welfare of workers who will have an extra time to stay at home while still doing some work-related activity,” Batocabe explained.
“If we allow at least 10 percent of these workers to have at least one day of the week spent working at home, it would help lessen traffic congestion by reducing the number of commuting and driving public on certain days of the week, especially those workers in Metro Manila who live in the suburbs. Employers will benefit from a work-at-home program because it will save the company on utility costs during days when many employees are working at home, using their own electricity and water utility,” he added.
According to him, there are approximately 4.7 million employees working in the Metro and the majority of them commute back and forth from their homes to their workplace.
Once the bill has been approved and passed, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will require companies to comply and adopt policies for the work-at-home programs within 6 months.
It requires both government and private offices, excluding “companies with less than 20 employees, or those whose jobs or business cannot be brought by employees at home as determined by the Secretary of Labor and Employment.”
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