By Chino S. Leyco
Government contractual and job order employees will continue receiving their salaries and wages despite the monthlong enhanced community quarantine, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said yesterday.
In a statement, DBM said that the agency and the Commission on Audit (COA) released an interim guidelines allowing government agencies to pay their contract of service (COS) and job order (JO) workers for the duration of the Luzon-wide quarantine period.
DBM also said that COS and JO employees in areas outside Luzon will also receive compensation following President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s declaration of state of calamity in country.
The DBM and COA joint circular No. 1, s. 2020, entitled “Interim Guidelines Governing Contract of Service (COS) and Job Order (JO) Workers in the Government for the Duration of the State of Calamity and Community Quarantine Due to the Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19),” was dated March 19, 2020.
“Among others, JC No. 1, s. 2020 provides that COS and JO workers who will be required to work from home shall be paid their corresponding salaries/wages during the community quarantine period,” DBM said.
“Further, COS and JO workers who will not be required to report for work due to work suspension and those who are not part of the agency skeletal workforce shall be paid their corresponding salaries/wages during the community quarantine period,” the department added.
DBM, however, clarified that the exception to the “no work, no pay” principle is only for the duration of the community quarantine period due to the COVID-19.
“Appropriate additional benefits may also be granted to COS and JO workers who will be part of the agency skeletal workforce and will be able to physically report for work during the quarantine period, as may be authorized by the Office of the President,” DBM said.