PROBATIONARY workers whose companies were affected by the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Luzon may need one month more to to become regular employees under a new issuance of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
In Labor Advisory (LA) No. 14-2020, Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre H, Bello III said that for the purposes of the six-month probationary period of probationary employees, the one-month ECQ is not counted.
“This Advisory shall apply to all employers in the private sector, who are required under Article 296 of the Labor Code as renumbered to comply with the probationary employment period not to exceed six months from the date the employee started working,” Bello said.
Under the Labor Code, a probationary worker, who will be able to complete their six-month probational period, will automatically become regular employees of their companies.
The ECQ, imposed by President Duterte on March 17, 2020 and to run till April 13, 2020, was an urgent measure to control the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in Luzon.
As of March 31, DOLE said the business disruptions caused by Covid-19 have affected the employment of 630,000.
Of these figures, 169,232 belong to the informal sector, while the rest are in the formal sector.
DOLE launched its Covid-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP) and Tulong Panghanapbuhay Sa Ating Displaced/Disadvantaged Workers Program-Barangay Ko, Bahay Ko (TUPAD-BKBK) to provide aid for the said affected workers.
It has already released P160 million for the said initiatives.
Meanwhile, to lessen the burden of the Covid-related quarantine on businesses, DOLE issued LA 14-2020 and 13-A, which allowed companies to defer the payment of the holiday pay of their employees for this month.