by Lily Gut January 18, 2022 CALAMBA CITY, Laguna - The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) urged private-sector employers on Monday t...
January 18, 2022
CALAMBA CITY, Laguna - The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) urged private-sector employers on Monday to provide adequate paid isolation and quarantine leave for workers affected by Covid-19.
This is due to an increase in Covid-19 cases in the country at the start of 2022.
In Labor Advisory No. 1, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III asked employers to also allow employees classified as close contact, suspect, probable, or confirmed Covid-19 cases to complete home isolation or facility-based quarantine.
This is in line with the policy issued by the Department of Health regarding the conduct of quarantine, isolation, and testing for Covid-19 response and management of confirmed cases of Omicron variant and joint memorandum circular by DOLE and Department of Trade and Industry stipulating guidelines for the prevention and control of Covid-19 in the workplace.
The advisory issued by Bello also stated that paid isolation or quarantine leave for workers is separate from their regular leave benefits. Although companies are not required to provide such benefits, Bello III said its purpose is to ensure safe and humane working conditions.
“Employers are urged, in consultation with the employees or employees’ representative if any, to adopt and implement an appropriate paid isolation and quarantine leave program on top of existing leave benefits under the company policy, Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Labor Code of the Philippines, and special laws. The paid isolation and quarantine leaves shall be without prejudice to other benefits provided by the Social Security System and the Employees Compensation Commission,” Bello told Labor Advisory No. 1 released this Monday.
Under the Employees Compensation Commission (ECC) employees compensation benefits program, employees who pay Social Security System members hospitalized and confined for Covid-19 will be paid for the entire duration of their hospital stay including cost of medication, doctor's fee and rehabilitation cost. - PIA LAGUNA
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