A leader of the House of Representatives on Tuesday pushed for hazard pay, insurance, and other benefits for health workers in the country, as they are the frontliners in the campaign against the novel coronavirus.
Aside from doctors, nurses and other hospital staff “are the most vulnerable to the deadly virus because they attend to the infected,” said Quezon City Rep. Precious Hipolito, vice chairman of the House Committee on Metro Manila Development.
“They should be given extra pay and protection in recognition of the risk they face in performing their duties and responsibilities as health workers,” Castelo said.
In the Philippines, nurses are not being paid enough despite the dangers associated with their job, she noted.
“How are they going to keep themselves strong and healthy if they don’t have the means to buy good food and vitamins for resistance?” the solon said.
With weak bodies, Castelo said health workers can easily catch life-threatening diseases such as nCoV-induced pneumonia.
“If we lose them to the virus, who’s going to take care of us when we get sick?” she said.
The number of deaths caused by the global outbreak continues to rise, with health workers on the frontline.
“We should start protecting them before it’s too late,” Castelo said.
This developed as Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte appealed to allow telecommuting for private companies’ qualified personnel as their contribution to the control of the spread of the deadly 2019 nCoV virus.
“This is probably the time for our companies to give RA (Republic Act) 11165 (the Telecommuting Act) a chance by pilot-testing or trying out this alternative job arrangement of allowing their employees, if possible, to work in their homes instead of reporting to their respective offices until this new viral outbreak subsides,” said Villafuerte
The lawmaker was the principal author of RA 11165 in the House of Representatives.
“We now have this opportunity for employers to support RA 11165 while at the same time help the national government fight the global outbreak of nCoV by letting their workers, if possible, to work in the safety of their homes until this global emergency situation subsides, with the use of their computers and other telecommunication technologies,” added the representative of Camarines Sur’s Second District.
Villafuerte said the adoption of the flexible work-at-home arrangement during this coronavirus season will likewise “ease and decongest the traffic situation in Greater Manila and reduce the stress of both citizens and the government.”
Telecommuting allows employees in the private sector to work at home with the use of telecommunications and/or computer technologies, instead of them having to go to their respective offices daily.
RA 11165 states that a private employer may offer a telecommuting program to its employees on a voluntary basis” provided that such terms and conditions “shall not be less than the minimum labor standards set by the law, and shall include compensable work hours, minimum number of work hours, overtime, rest days, and entitlement to leave benefits.”