Reconsideration of WFH Extension Continues, BPOs Asked to Comply for Now

On Tuesday, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) expressed its support for the call of business process outsourcing (BPO) workers to extend the work-from-home set up until the end of September. PEZA likewise backs the hybrid setup where employees are not required to be present in the office for the entirety of the workweek. “We’re supporting the hybrid work scheme request of the ITBPO,” said PEZA Director General Charito Plaza.

This move comes after the Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB) ordered BPOs to return to the workplace by April. Various industry leaders in the Information Technology and Business Process Management (IT-BPM) sector have also echoed similar sentiments, noting that extending the work-from-home setup will maintain the industry’s competitiveness.

Plaza also insisted that the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has significantly affected transportation costs as fuel prices continue to soar, which may be mitigated should employees continue to work from home. Meanwhile, a BPO workers group furthered that the prolonged global pandemic and the current condition of public transportation networks could greatly affect their productivity.

PEZA has affirmed that it will continue to urge a review board to reconsider the FIRB’s denial, but it also asked BPOs to comply in the meantime so as not to affect the incentives granted to BPO firms. “Peza will still file its appeal for reconsideration on the denial by the FIRB. We hear the concerns of our investors and their workers and we will continue to lobby for it,” Plaza asserted. “For the meantime, I call on our enterprises to follow the decision of the FIRB to avoid any penalties.”

IT & Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) Jack Madrid added that the WFH setup has enabled the industry to grow amidst the unfortunate circumstances of the global pandemic. In 2020, 23,000 jobs were created despite unemployment reaching its peak in 15 years. While in 2021, the industry’s workforce grew by another 8% adding 100,000 new jobs based on data from the IBPAP.

“We have discovered that our work, the work of our industry, the work being done by the 1.4 million Filipinos, can be done at home,” said Madrid. “We were able to achieve that without sacrificing productivity and customer satisfaction ratings, based on what we have gathered. I think we did not lose any business. In fact, we grew.”

Nonetheless, the FIRB remains firm in its decision to cease the WFH arrangement by the end of March, particularly because it could spur economic activities in key ecozones. Karl Chua, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary, is in favor of denying the extension pleas of BPOs. “Part of returning to the new normal is really to continue our pursuit of working where activities should be. The rest of the economy has already shifted to working in the office,” he elaborated.

Sources: ABS CBN, Inquirer