Employers may adopt four-day or hybrid work models, say DOLE and ECOP

Private sector companies in the Philippines may implement flexible work arrangements, including four-day workweeks and hybrid schedules, provided such arrangements are mutually agreed upon by employers and employees, according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP).

Labor officials said existing policies already provide a framework for companies seeking to adopt alternative work setups, stressing that any changes in work schedules must be based on mutual consent and should not undermine employee welfare.

Alvin Curada, Director of the Bureau of Working Conditions at DOLE, said the policy framework for flexible and alternative work arrangements has been in place for several years and was formally institutionalised through the Telecommuting Act of 2019, also known as Republic Act 11165.

“We’ve had a policy framework for adopting alternative and flexible work arrangements for a long time,” Curada said, noting that businesses can explore different ways of implementing a four-day workweek without affecting employees’ salaries, benefits, or overall work output.

He outlined two possible approaches for companies considering a compressed workweek. One option is to extend daily work hours beyond eight hours while ensuring that employees do not exceed their standard weekly workload. Another option is to maintain the regular Monday-to-Thursday office schedule from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., while shifting Friday to a hybrid work arrangement.

Employer groups, however, stressed that flexible work models should remain voluntary and carefully assessed to ensure they support both productivity and worker safety.

“It can be studied, but it cannot be made compulsory,” said Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr., Chairman and President of ECOP, underscoring that companies must evaluate the practicality of such arrangements before adopting them.

The comments were reported during a segment on the Philippine news programme “24 Oras Weekend,” where officials reiterated that businesses already have the flexibility under existing labor laws to explore alternative work schedules, as long as they are implemented through mutual agreement between management and employees.

Industry experts say the renewed push for alternative work arrangements is closely tied to the recent surge in global oil prices driven by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Rising fuel costs are increasing commuting expenses and operational pressures for businesses, prompting policymakers and employers to revisit flexible work options. 

Separately, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has begun implementing a flexible work scheme in response to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s call to reduce fuel consumption.

Under Memorandum Order 26-886, the DTI’s central office will adopt a special flexible working arrangement starting March 9, with job order and contract-of-service personnel, except those handling frontline services, working from home every Friday. The agency is also reducing elevator, lighting and air-conditioning operations in its Makati offices on Fridays to conserve energy.

Expanding WFH and hybrid schedules could help curb daily travel, reduce fuel consumption, and soften the economic impact of volatile energy prices.