Business establishments in the country were urged to adopt multiple and staggered work shifts to allow more employees to report for work as the country reopens the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello said with more Filipinos reporting for work, there will be more activities that can perk up commerce and trade.
“Through this measure, we also expect that congestion on our roads would spread out and demand for public transportation would ease,” Bello said.
The secretary said the latest strategy is stated in the first joint advisory issued by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Interior Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Labor and Employment.
Under the new policy, workers do not have to report for work all at the same time. “Some may start at 7 a.m. while others at 8 a.m., 9 a.m. and so on,” Bello explained.
He, however, clarified that work-from-home arrangements and other flexible workplace plans are still encouraged by the government.
Aside from the multiple and staggered work shifts, Bello said the government also saw the need to ease curfew hours. In the advisory, local governments are enjoined to implement a midnight to 4 a.m. curfew policy.
“This is meant to provide our workers more productive time and mobility,” the secretary added, highlighting the importance of implementing the new policy directions of the government as the country shifts its path from total risk avoidance to risk management and further reopening of the economy.