Question Hazard Pay Entitlement and Computation

I just want to clarify the computation and entitlement for hazard pay of government employees under ECQ and MECQ-affected areas.

We are already given hazard pay on a per day basis. I am one of those employees of a GOCC running under manning schedule since we run the 24-hour frontline operations of the company. According to our approved manning schedule, sometimes we must render 16 hours of straight duty to ease in the continuity its services. Nevertheless, we are also given enough hours after that duty to rest.

Below are some of the approved manning schedules of employees:
MORNING - 7am to 3pm
SWING - 3pm to 11pm
GRAVE - 11pm to 7am

For straight duty, we are allowed as follows:
MORNING-SWING (MS)
SWING-GRAVE (SG)
GRAVE-MORNING (GM)

During my query with them, the following are being followed for the computation of hazard pay:

* At least 8 hours of service must be rendered in order to be entitled for the Php 500 hazard pay.

*If more than 8 hours of service was rendered but fall within one day only, as in our MORNING-SWING duty, we are only given one day equivalent of hazard pay for that day, though, in essence, a two-day equivalent of service was rendered.

*If the service rendered fall on a GRAVE duty, an employee will not be entitled for any hazard pay. As per their explanation, we are not entitled for any hazard pay since we will not be completing the 8-hour required duty for a day, though, in essence, we are also rendering 8 hours of uninterrupted service in that shift.

Our GRAVE duty starts at 11pm and ends at 7am. As explained to us, only one hour of service is rendered on the previous day and 7 hours of service is rendered on the next day which will not entitle us for any hazard pay for that shift. In order for that GRAVE DUTY to be entitled for hazard pay, it must be paired with a MORNING or SWING DUTY but will only entitle us one day equivalent of hazard pay, though, in essence, 16 hours of service was rendered which is equivalent to two days.

In conclusion, any service rendered below the 8-hour requirement will not entitle us for any hazard pay or any proportionate thereof. Also, any service rendered above the 8-hour requirement will not entitle us for any additional hazard pay since they can only give us one day equivalent of hazard pay in a day. In this regard, employees rendering service under GRAVE and STRAIGHT duties are disadvantaged of above payment scheme for hazard pay.

I would highly appreciate your soon response regarding this matter.

Good day!

Please be informed that as a policy, the Commission does not render opinions/rulings on issues that may eventually be the subject of a complaint or appeal before it. This is especially so if the material facts necessary to a judicious adjudication of the issues are not fully presented or substantiated as in this case. Nevertheless, we will cite the pertinent provision/s under the Civil Service rules and applicable jurisprudence that will best answer your query/ies.

Administrative Order No. 43 dated June 1, 2021 (Authorizing the Grant of Hazard Pay to Government Personnel who Physically Report for Work during the Period of Implementation of an Enhanced Community Quarantine and Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine, Amending Administrative Order No. 26 (s. 2020) and for other Purposes

Section 1. Grant of the COVID-19 Hazard Pay. National government agencies (NGAs), including state universities and colleges (SUCs) and government-owned or -controlled corporations (GOCCs), are authorized to grant COVID-19 Hazard Pay to personnel who physically report for work during the implementation of Enhanced Community Quarantine and Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine in their respective work station, in an amount not exceeding P500 per day per person, which shall computed as follows:

COVID-19 Hazard Pay = P500 x number of days physically reporting for work during
the quarantine period

Section 2. Conditions on the Grant of the COVID-19 Hazard Pay. The heads of government agencies may grant the COVID-19 Hazard Pay to their personnel without the need for further approval of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), provided the following conditions are met:

a. The personnel occupying regular, contractual or casual positions, or are engaged through COS, JO or other similar schemes;
b. The personnel have been authorized to physically report for work at their respective offices or work stations on the prescribed official working hours by the head of agency or office during the
period of implementation of Enhanced Community Quarantine and Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine measures in the area of such office or work station; and
c. The rate of COVID-19 Hazard Pay shall be based on the number of days an employee physically reports for work using the formula under Section 1 hereof.

We hope to have been of service to you.

Thank you.