EMPLOYERS will block legislative moves to grant workers in mourning bereavement leave, as they argued that this will further diminish productivity and increase the cost of doing business.
In a statement sent to the BusinessMirror, the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (Ecop) said it opposes the legislative plan to institutionalize bereavement leave with pay in the private and public sectors. The form of relief can be availed by workers in case of death of an immediate family member.
“As a matter of principle, Ecop opposes the bill granting bereavement leave. Ecop wants a minimum number of nonworking holidays as provided for by law,” the statement read.
“The government should also limit to a reasonable number the declaration of additional nonworking national and local holidays through presidential proclamation. Ecop also opposes the proposed measures in Congress seeking for additional types of leaves that may be enjoyed by private sector workers,” it added.
Apart from regular and special nonworking holidays, there are other days off from work observed in the form of paid leaves to which workers are entitled to under the law, Ecop explained. The group also said there are days when work is called off due to natural calamities.
“We believe that any further reduction in the number of working days would have an adverse impact on the productivity of workers and the enterprise as a whole and on the cost of doing business,” Ecop said.
Maria Alegria Sibal-Limjoco of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry claimed legislating additional paid leaves will only hurt the country’s investment climate. The PCCI president said too many laws providing for holidays and incentives make it costly for investors to do business here.
“Ecop has a position paper which shows that [there are] too many leaves already. Too many laws that makes doing business expensive is to the detriment for would-be investors,” Limjoco told the BusinessMirror.
Most number of holidays
According to Ecop, the Philippines in 2018 has the highest number of national holidays at 22 among Southeast Asian economies. Singapore and Lao PDR have the lowest at 10.
On top of these holidays, workers get paid leaves of as many as 34 days for men and as high as 175 days for women. Paid leaves can come in the form of service incentive; solo parent; paternity for men; and maternity, battered women for victims of violence and gynecological for women.
Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez, for his part, found it “very reasonable” to grant workers bereavement leave in the event of death of an immediate family member.
In a text message to the BusinessMirror, Lopez argued no productivity is lost in allowing a worker to go on bereavement leave during his mourning. “[I] am sure your mind won’t be in work mode [if an immediate family member just passed away],” he said.
“Bereavement of immediate family has humanitarian reason in it and it doesn’t happen often. It’s not a one month leave. [I] am referring to one [day] or two days leave for that employee. The rest [of his bereavement] he can take his VL [vacation leave],” Lopez added.
Lawmakers from the House of Representatives are keen on granting bereavement leave for workers who experienced death in the family. The House Committee on Labor and Employment and the Committee on Civil Service and Professional Regulation in September agreed to come up with a unified bill consolidating five proposals to institutionalize the benefit.
House Bills (HBs) 4071, 6043 and 6581 seek to grant workers in mourning bereavement leave with pay of up to 10 days, while HBs 5711 and 6119 propose five days of paid leave. The form of relief can be availed in case of death of a spouse, child, parent or sibling.
A congressional bicameral conference on Monday approved the expansion of maternity leave with pay to 105 days, from 60 days, regardless of the type of childbirth.