Marcos wants probe over alleged ‘work from home abuses’ of call center companies

By JOHN CARLO M. CAHINHINAN

Senator Imee Marcos has raised concern over the alleged worker abuses arising from flexible work arrangements particularly in the business procession outsource (BPO) industry amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement, Marcos called on the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to look into the matter as work from home scheme became more relevant in the age of “new normal” as the number of coronavirus infections in the country have already surpassed 30,000 cases.

Marcos noted that labor advisories issued in March and May require employee consultation before flexible work arrangements can be adopted, but she received complaints that company managers are allegedly “deciding on their own to withhold compensation especially of Filipino employees or to make them shoulder operational costs so that further losses in corporate income can be reduced.”

According to Marcos, most of the complaints that have reached her office came from call center employees, particularly “non-payment of salaries in the past 60 to 90 days, denial of separation benefits for those laid off.”

She added that several BPO employers have failed to unreimbursed their worker’s costs for electricity and internet access of night-shift employees working from home.

Marcos added that her office also received complaints on extended home-based work shifts with “no extra pay if system tools break down, and forced leave on maternity credits without assurance of being rehired.”

“The complaints are not just coming out of smaller call centers but also from top-listed companies that were earning billions in annual income. One even reportedly cut its workforce to less than half,” said Marcos.

“As stated in Labor advisories 9 and 17 this year, flexible work arrangements should go through employee consultation and be reported by companies to the nearest DOLE office with jurisdiction over the workplace. Companies must also provide adequate support for those working from home, according to number 17, which also echoes the Labor Code on separation pay and benefits,” she explained.

Marcos urged the DOLE to monitor corporate compliance more closely, “since labor abuse during the pandemic may be more widespread than just within the BPO industry.”

“BPO’s must take care of their employees in anticipation of a bounce-back in business post-COVID, as companies in other sectors will turn to outsourcing services to cut costs,” she said.

The BPO industry’s contribution to the country’s economy has grown from a mere 0.7 percent of gross domestic product in 2000 to an estimated 12 percent last year.

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)