Question FRONTLINERS AND THEIR PRIVELEGES

Our HR DEPARTMENT informed us that we are not allowed to have privilege's in holidays off or compensatory time-off credit (when we work for holidays) because we are frontliners and told us that ONLY those who are working in the office has the privileges' of holidays off. Clearly, we are JUST frontliners to them. They even questioning us why are we asking them about holidays off, when clearly they are saying "YUN ANG SINUMPAAN NIYO ANG MAGTRABAHO NG HIGIT SA TAKDANG ORAS"

EXAMPLE:

In April 2022, there are 2 holidays (Maundy Thursday and Good Friday) but the HR department want us to render complete number of working hours in a month, which is in days equivalent to 21 days. How are we going to compensate the days where in we work for holidays? WE NEED HELP

In relation to your query, we cite Rule XVII, Government Working Hours, provided under the Omnibus Rules Implementing Book V of Executive Order No. 292 and Other Pertinent Civil Service Laws, thus:

SECTION 1. It shall be the duty of each head of department or agency to require all officers and employees under him to strictly observe the prescribed office hours. When the head of office, in the exercise of his discretion allows government officials and employees to leave the office during the office hours and not for official business, but to attend socials/events/functions and/or wakes/interments, the same shall be reflected in their time cards and charged to their leave credits.

SECTION 2. Each head of department or agency shall require a daily record of attendance of all the officers and employees under him including those serving in the field or on the water, to be kept on the proper form and, whenever possible, registered on the bundy clock.

Service "in the field" shall refer to service rendered outside the office proper and service "on the water" shall refer to service rendered on board a vessel which is the usual place of work.

SECTION 3. Chiefs and Assistant Chiefs of agencies who are appointed by the President, officers who rank higher than these chiefs and assistant chiefs in the three branches of the government, and other presidential appointees need not punch in the bundy clock, but attendance and all absences of such officers must be recorded.

SECTION 4. Falsification or irregularities in the keeping of time records will render the guilty officer or employee administratively liable without prejudice to criminal prosecution as the circumstances warrant.

SECTION 5. Officers and employees of all departments and agencies except those covered by special laws shall render not less than eight hours of work a day for five days a week or a total of forty hours a week, exclusive of time for lunch. As a general rule, such hours shall be from eight o'clock in the morning to twelve o'clock noon and from one o'clock to five o'clock in the afternoon on all days except Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays.

SECTION 6. Flexible working hours may be allowed subject to the discretion of the head of department or agency. In no case shall the weekly working hours be reduced in the event the department or agency adopts the flexi-time schedule in reporting for work.

SECTION 7. In the exigency of the service, or when necessary by the nature of the work of a particular agency and upon representations with the Commission by the department heads concerned, requests for the rescheduling or shifting of work schedule of a particular agency for a number of working days less than the required five days may be allowed provided that government officials and employees render a total of forty hours a week and provided further that the public is assured of core working hours of eight in the morning to five in the afternoon continuously for the duration of the entire workweek.

SECTION 8. Officers and employees who have incurred tardiness and undertime, regardless of the number of minutes per day, ten (10) times a month for at least two (2) consecutive months during the year or for at least two (2) months in a semester shall be subject to disciplinary action. (Amendment of Section 8, Rule XVII of the Omnibus Rules Implementing Book V of E.O. No. 292, CSC Memorandum Circular No. 34-98, [August 11, 1998])

SECTION 9. Off-setting of tardiness or absences by working for an equivalent number of minutes or hours by which an officer or employee has been tardy or absent, beyond the regular or approved working hours of the employees concerned, shall not be allowed.

SECTION 10. When the interest of public service so requires, the daily hours of work for officers and employees may be extended by the head of the agency concerned, which extension shall be fixed in accordance with the nature of the work. Provided, That work in excess of eight ( hours must be properly compensated.