CCAP commits compliance to labor laws

The call center industry is stepping up efforts to keep up with the requirements of telecommuting and other labor laws that affect the unconventional nature of the sector.

The Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) in its first general membership meeting for 2019 held recently in Makati tackled

Republic Act (RA) No. 11058 or the Occupational Safety and Health Law; RA 11165 or the Telecommuting Act and; RA 11210 or the Expanded Maternity Leave Law.

Teresita Cucueco, director at the Department of Labor and Employment and resource person at the forum, said these three laws could be advantageous to every contact center agent and employee across the country.

CCAP ‘s health and safety practices at the workplace were particularly put to the test during the recent earthquake that hit Luzon. CCAP, and its member-organizations, was among the first industry bodies that assured the public of the safety standards that were observed during and after the earthquake.

The Occupational Safety and Health Law gives protection to all employees and serves as a penalizing regulation for employers that fail to observe measures provisioned by the law during times of calamities and disasters.

“We are pleased to have this assurance that during times of catastrophe, employees’ safety and health would come as a top priority in the workplace,” said Cucueco.

Cucueco said the Telecommuting Act provides a viable option for any contact center agent to render work hours outside the company’s designated workplace. The employee can work at home or at a co-working space—where he/she can still perform the activities without any disruption and where there is available equipment and technology to facilitate business processes.

The law also specifies provisions that serve as protection to the rights of volunteer agents who intend to undergo this setup.

“The employer and employee in the telecommuting program shall set mutually agreed policies to cover important factors like eligibility, code of conduct, performance assessment measures, observance of data privacy policy, and appropriate alternative workplaces,” Cucueco said.

CCAP president Jojo Uligan said telecommuting is not a new option for the industry.

“Telecommuting was not successful when I piloted such a program in 2003,” Uligan said. “There was still no sufficient technology back then and security was another issue in terms of data privacy. However, these days, we know that these setbacks can effectively be addressed.”

Source: Malaya Business Insight