The Department of Labor and Employment field office in Dumaguete is extending financial assistance of P5,000 for employees in the private sector who will avail of the flexi work arrangement that will be resorted by management to mitigate the adverse effects of the corona virus disease 2019.
Diego Amado Nochefranca III, senior labor and employment officer of DOLE in Region VII Central Visayas, was invited by the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Dumaguete to discuss the effects of CoViD-19.
He explained the P5,000 financial assistance to employees is provided for under Department Order 209, series of 2020 for private businesses who wish to avail of flexi work arrangement, thus reducing the number of hours in a day’s work of their employees and even to establishments who will close shop as a result of the corona virus disease, that will render the employees jobless.
Among the requirements is for employers to submit a letter of intent addressed to the regional director Salome Siaton, duly filled up establishment report on CoViD-19 and certification duly signed by management, profile of affected workers, one month payroll prior to the implementation of the flexi-work arrangement and minutes of the meeting of CoViD-19 flexi work arrangement including the attendance of workers and management with signatures.
The establishment report on CoViD-19 form should be submitted to the DOLE regional or provincial field office at least 30 calendar days prior to the effectivity of the temporary closure or at least one week prior to the implementation of the flexi work arrangement.
Most of those who signified their intention to close shop or retrench their staff are beach resorts, especially during the initial outbreak of CoViD-19 in the Province when a couple from Wuhan, China, who were both found to be positive for the CoViD 19, stayed in the Province for at least four days.
“We in DOLE will do everything for establishments not to close shop or even resort to flexi hour work arrangement so unemployment will not shoot up,” Nochefranca pointed out. (Juancho Gallarde)