DOLE eyes new holiday policies

MANILA, Philippines - Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz yesterday said the government is looking at the possibility of adopting working holidays and other recommendations benefiting both workers and employers.

“There is the proposal of declaring working holidays. But there are many creative solutions to this issue being raised by foreign and local employers,” Baldoz said.

She said there has been a clamor from the foreign chambers of commerce and local employers, particularly those engaged in business process outsourcing, for a review of the government’s policy on holidays.

According to the labor chief, employers believe that the number of declared national and local holidays in the country is excessive and negatively affects business operations.

Employers also complained of the practice of declaring special non-working holidays on short notice and without consultation with stakeholders.

Data from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) showed there are 184 local holidays to commemorate the founding anniversary of the locality or in celebration of religious and cultural feasts.

Each locality usually has two additional holidays on top of the declared national holidays. The DOLE said that an average of four workdays are lost due to weather disturbances in a year.

A study undertaken by the DOLE’s Institute of Labor Studies last year indicated that while holidays promote tourism, this results in lost working days as well as earnings for workers.

After a review of the country’s existing labor policy, the DOLE suggested that rather than declaring more holidays, leave benefits should be strengthened so that workers can have additional opportunities for rest and recreation.

It also proposed the declaration of special working holidays so that workers can still celebrate historic events without affecting their work schedules and production.