Companies begin to Shift to On-Site work As Pandemic comes to an End

As vaccination rates rise in the Philippines companies are beginning to implement in-office work. BPO employee Jen Gonzales stated that after two years of working from home, it will take time to adjust to working in an office.

“I have reservations of course, but it is what it is. As an advocate for the company, I have to support the company who supported us for two years,” Gonzales said.

“It’s difficult to engage with one another virtually. You’re not totally aware of what the others are doing. At least this time we get to spend more face time with them,” she added.

With society coming out of the pandemic, traffic conditions have also returned to normal, as some admit dreading the commute. Some companies have opted to retain transport services to ease their worker’s transition.

“We don’t have additional incentives for our employees but our shuttle services and the extended routes for our shuttles are still in place,” said Hannah Beth Manalaysay, human resource department manager of Testech Inc.

According to the Department of Finance, there are subsidy allocations for drivers of public utility vehicles (PUVs)

“You can hire shuttles for employees and i-partner mo is ‘yung mga registered PUVs na nakakatanggap ng targeted support. That way you benefit from the support the government gives PUVs and at the same time ‘yung PUV drivers assured sila na meron silang business na mag-operate,” Finance spokesperson Paola Alvarez said.

Furthermore, the DOF has stated that companies may continue to offer flexible work conditions with employees working both on-site and at home.

However, companies registered under the Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB) and those operating in eco-zones must make use of their offices to receive their tax benefits.

“Companies registered under the FIRB which operate in eco-zones or freeport zones don’t pay any tax. They are granted an income tax holiday. They don’t pay any taxes, unlike those operating in a different tier in the eco-zone. They only pay five percent tax in lieu of all other taxes,” says Alvarez.

As fuel prices increase, private companies and employees clamor for government assistance as they shift towards the pre-pandemic work life.

Source: CNN Philippines