"Post-pandemic Filipino workforce", dapat dinggin ng gobyerno at negosyo - TESDAMAN

Sa Araw ng Paggawa, sinabi ni Sen. Joel "TESDAMAN" Villanueva na may umuusbong na "post-pandemic Filipino workforce" sa bansa, at dapat matugunan ng gobyerno ang mga pangangailangan ng mga makabagong manggagawa.

"Tumaas po lalo ang prayoridad ng ating manggagawa pagdating sa kalusugan at well-being dahil sa pandemya. Umabot na po tayo sa punto na magre-resign o lilipat ng trabaho ang mga manggagawa kung hindi matugunan ng mga employer ang pangangailangan ng mga empleyado na physical and mental health, pati na rin work-life balance," sabi ni Villanueva.

Tinukoy ng senador ang 2022 World Trend Index (WTI) ng kumpanyang Microsoft, kung saan inulat na halos kalahati o 49 porsyento ng mga Pilipinong manggagawa na nagkatrabaho nitong pandemya ay pinag-iisipang lumipat ng trabaho. Sinabi rin ng survey na 67% ng mga manggagawang Pilipino ay prayoridad ang kalusugan kaysa trabaho, na mas mataas sa kabuuang ulat na 53% para sa buong mundo. Iniulat din ng WTI na 20% sa mga na-survey sa Pilipinas ay lumipat ng trabaho noong nakalipas na taon.

"Ang trabaho natin bilang taga-gawa ng polisiya ay palaguin ang ekonomiya habang tinutugunan ang mga pagbabago sa physical, mental, at emotional needs ng ating mga manggagawa," sabi ni Villanueva.

Ayon sa report, ang 2022 Work Trend Index ay pag-aaral ng 31,000 katao sa 31 na bansa, kabilang ang hindi bababa sa 1,000 na full-time workers mula sa Pilipinas.

Binanggit din ng author and sponsor of the Work From Home Law na nais ng 60% ng Filipino workers sa survey na lumipat na sa remote o hybrid work sa susunod na taon. Gayunpaman, 69% ng mga business leaders sa bansa ang nagsasabing ire-require nila ang kanilang mga empleyado na magtrabaho in-person full time sa taong ito. Sinabi rin na 38% lamang sa mga business leaders na ito ang may alternative work arrangements para sa kanilang mga empleyado.

Dahil dito, nagbabala si Villanueva na hindi dapat maging "out of touch" ang gobyerno sa umiiral na mindset ng "post-pandemic Filipino workforce", at maging proactive sa pag-antabay sa mga pagbabago sa kanilang mga pangangailangan at gawi.

"We should act fast and think progressively to close this disconnect between the interests of industry and workers. Halimbawa, kailangang makipagtulungan ang negosyo at gobyerno para sa full implementation ng Work From Home Law. Mayroon din tayong Tulong Trabaho Law na tutulong sa skills training at upskilling ng mga manggagawa para sa trabahong napupusuan nila. Kailangan nating maintindihan na hindi lamang sweldo ang importante para sa mga manggagawa," sabi ni Villanueva.

Binanggit din ng senador ang napabalitang desisyon ng kumpanyang BPO na Concentrix na mapanatilii ang kanilang work from home o hybrid work arrangements para sa kanilang humigit-kumulang na 10,000 na empleyado kaysa tumanggap ng insentibo sa buwis mula sa pamahalaan.

Ito umano ang naging desisyon ng kumpanya matapos magbigay ng ultimatum ang Fiscal Incentives Review Board na tanggalan ng tax incentives mula sa CREATE Law ang mga kumpanya ng BPO kung hindi pisikal na babalik sa opisina ang kanilang mga empleyado simula sa buwan ng Abril.

"It's a classic case of the government falling behind innovations. The innovation that we need now should be focused to benefit the post-pandemic workforce. Dapat maging magandang ehemplo ang Concentrix kesa patawan ng penalty dahil nakikinig sila sa kanilang mga empleyado," sabi ni Villanueva.

Naisabatas noong 20199 ang Work From Home Law o Republic Act 11165 ni Villanueva para magsulong ng alternative work arrangements at tugunan ang problema ng trapiko at pagcommute sa trabaho. Lalo itong naging importanteng batas sa nakaraang dalawang taon dahil sa papel nito sa pagpigil sa pagkalat ng COVID-19.

TESDAMAN: "Post-pandemic Filipino workforce" to shift labor policy and business practices

Sen. Joel "TESDAMAN" Villanueva on Labor Day said that a "post-pandemic Filipino workforce" is emerging in the country coming from the past two years, and that government policies should catch up in addressing their concerns.

"We are seeing the rise of health and well-being as a priority in the Filipino workplace because of the pandemic. It has reached a level where employees will resign or change jobs if employers do not meet employees' expectations of a workplace, which is taking care of employees' physical and mental health, as well as work-life balance," Villanueva said.

The senator cited a recent 2022 World Trend Index (WTI) by the technology company Microsoft, where it was reported that nearly half or 49% of Filipino employees hired during the pandemic are already considering changing jobs. The survey also reported that 67% of Filipino workers are likely to prioritize their health and well-being over work more than before the pandemic, higher than the global trend of 53%. The WTI also found that 20% of Filipino employees say they actually left their jobs in the past year.

"Our task now as policy makers is to figure out how to maintain productivity and grow the economy while accommodating the changes in the physical, mental, and emotional needs of the workforce," Villanueva said.

According to the report, the 2022 Work Trend Index outlines findings from a study of 31,000 people in 31 countries, with at least 1,000 full-time workers as respondents coming from the Philippines.

The author and sponsor of the Work From Home Law also noted that 60% of Filipino workers in the survey say they are considering a switch to remote or hybrid work in the next year. Yet the same study found that 69% of business leaders in the country say their company is planning to require employees to work in-person full time within the next year, and only 38% of them have created arrangements with their employees for alternative work arrangements.

Villanueva warned that the government and its policies "should not be out of touch" with the current mindset of the "post-pandemic Filipino workforce" and proactively anticipate broad changes in their needs and behaviors.

"We should act fast and think progressively to close this disconnect between the interests of industry and workers. For example, businesses should work with the government for the full implementation of the Work From Home Law. We also have the Tulong Trabaho Law for skills training and upskilling our workers for whatever job they want. We must understand that employees nowadays do not work for wages alone," said Villanueva.

The senator also noted the recent decision made by Concentrix, a BPO firm of 100,000 workers in the country, to maintain work from home or hybrid work arrangements for their employees rather than avail of tax incentives from the government.

Concentrix reportedly made this decision after the Fiscal Incentives Review Board gave BPOs the ultimatum for their employees to physically return to working in their offices starting April 1 or lose tax incentives under the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Law.

"It's a classic case of the government falling behind innovations. The innovation that we need now should be focused to benefit the post-pandemic workforce. Concentrix should be emulated rather than penalized for listening to their employees," the senator said.

Villanueva's Work From Home Law or Republic Act 11165 was enacted back in 2019 to promote alternative work arrangements primarily to address the daily problem of commuting and travel for workers whose work can be done remotely from the office. It has gained even more significance in the past two years as a means to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.