DoLE pushes flexible work arrangement

AMID dangerous spikes in heat index across the country, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) is pushing for a flexible work arrangement to protect workers' health.

Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said on Monday that flexible work arrangements can be part of precautionary measures to protect workers from heat-related illnesses.

«Employers and employees could agree on a flexible work arrangement until such time that the weather condition has improved, while maintaining the total number of work hours,» added Laguesma.

He also called on employers to provide free supply of adequate drinking water near workstations, and effective ventilation and heat insulation in all areas with workers to eliminate heat and humidity in workplaces.

«Establishments must develop awareness on how to address heat stress at the workplace, its effect, how to recognize heat-related symptoms, and how to prevent heat-induced illnesses,» the Labor chief said.

Big labor groups such as the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) and the Federation of Free Workers (FFW), among others, expressed their support for the DoLE's move, reminding employers of Labor Advisory 8, Series of 2023, which directs all employers to conduct health risk assessment due to extreme heat and provide corresponding measures to mitigate its effects.

The TUCP called on all workplaces to double precautionary measures to protect the health and well-being of workers through a Comprehensive Heat Risk Action Plan.

In a statement, the TUCP said workers and employers should hold dialogues through the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Committee in every workplace, as mandated by Republic Act 1105, known as the OSH Law, to prioritize measures that should be part and parcel of their Heat Risk Action Pla

It proposed a «heat break,» especially for outdoor workers, during the hottest part of the day (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.), which can be facilitated through flexible work time arrangements, and a proactive monitoring system for workers to check on each other's well-being through the so-called buddy system.

Workplace safety officers, TUCP pointed out, should regularly issue hydration reminders to remind workers