Energy Savings May Bring a Four-Day Workweek to Reality
WORKWEEK – The Department of Labor and Employment is open to studying a four-day workweek that could help Filipino workers save energy and time.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) shared that its agency is open to carefully studying the proposal for a four-day workweek for employees. This comes in response to calls to reduce the number of working days per week as a measure to save energy, amid the ongoing crisis caused by tensions between countries in the Middle East region.
In an interview with DZMM Teleradyo, DOLE spokesperson Asec. Lennard Constantine Serrano said on Friday, March 6, that the proposal is aligned with existing policies.
“Siguro maaari pong aralin po ito nang mas maigi,” Serrano began.
He added, “Pero kung sa atin pong existing rules, mayroon na po tayong tinatawag na ‘flexible work arrangement’—existing naman na po ito na maaring bawasan po ang araw ng trabaho. Kunwari from six days to five days o five days to four days.”
Serrano further explained, “At the same time, mame-maintain po ‘yong oras ng trabaho. So kunwari in a workweek, mayroon po tayong 40 hours of work na 5 days, puwede naman po itong mabawasan based on agreement ng mga namumuhunan at manggagawa—babawasan po ito to four days at mame-maintain naman po ang oras ng trabaho. That’s already po existing sa ating policy framework.”
DOLE emphasized that the proposal can still be studied further, especially its potential implications on productivity, the total hours employees spend working in a week, and the salaries they would receive.
The agency also noted that under existing policies, work hours can be compressed within a week, such as reducing one day, as long as it is based on the “mutual consent” of both the employee and employer.
The four-day workweek concept is being eyed as a way to not only save energy but also to promote more flexible work arrangements for Filipino workers, while keeping labor standards intact. DOLE assures that any consideration of this proposal will be carefully examined to balance efficiency, productivity, and worker welfare.
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