As heavy rains and flooding batter parts of the Philippines this monsoon season, business process outsourcing (BPO) workers call on employers to implement work-from-home (WFH) setups and flexible scheduling for their safety.
Labor group BPO Industry Employees Network (BIEN) leads the appeal, citing practical concerns and legal rights under Republic Act No. 11058, the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Law.
Safety first: RA 11058 and workers’ rights
Under RA 11058, employees can refuse work when conditions pose imminent danger to health and safety. BIEN emphasized that flooded roads, limited transport, and physical office requirements during extreme weather threaten worker well-being.
“We cannot accept business-as-usual while our fellow workers are wading through floodwaters, risking their health and safety just to report to work,” BIEN President Mylene Cabalona said.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has previously reminded employers that workers should not be penalized for missing work due to natural hazards such as severe weather.
DOLE Labor Advisory No. 17 (2022) explicitly protects workers affected by calamities, while Department Order No. 252-25 (2025) extends safety rules to cover home-based work and environmental risks.
Despite these protections, workers still report being forced to commute through floods to meet key performance indicators (KPIs). Labor groups say the industry has the tools for remote work, so denying WFH during such crises is a failure of policy, not capability.
WFH is not just possible—it’s necessary
Many BPO firms successfully adopted remote work models during the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating that operations can run smoothly outside traditional offices. Advocates say the same flexibility must now apply during weather-related disruptions.
BIEN also urges companies to adopt “no-fault” attendance policies so that employees aren’t penalized for missing work due to flood or heavy rain. They warn that strict attendance rules hurt morale and safety, especially in a high-stress, performance-driven industry.
They argue that allowing WFH during extreme weather is about following rules and valuing workers, which is key to keeping the country’s top-earning industry running.
With climate-related disruptions expected to become more frequent, labor advocates stress that now is the time for BPO employers to act. A proactive WFH policy ensures ethical and legal business.
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Ofwgio. (2025, July 23). RA 11058: Occupational Safety and Health Standards Law. Assistance.PH. Retrieved July 30, 2025, from https://assistance.ph/ra-11058-occupational-safety-and-health-standards-law/
CEDTyClea. (2025, July 24). Employers warned against coercing workers to show up despite flooding. BusinessWorld Online. Retrieved July 30, 2025, from https://www.bworldonline.com/economy/2025/07/24/687413/employers-warned-against-coercing-workers-to-show-up-despite-flooding/
