The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) supports the filing of Senate Bill No. 2475, which aims to protect employees from working beyond their designated hours. Dubbed the “Workers Rest Law”, the proposed bill seeks to prevent employers from giving ‘unli-work from home’ or assigning tasks and holding meetings that exceed the designated work hours.

Work-from-home arrangements have increased due to the pandemic. This has resulted to reduced boundaries due to the accessibility of employees through the aid of technology. The economic uncertainty also heightened the fear of unemployment. Some employers have taken advantage of this fear to exploit their workers’ services and overstep the boundaries of reasonable work hours.

Under Article 24 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.” The proposed bill seeks to protect the rest hours of employees and penalizes violators, including those who will discriminate against employees asserting their rights. This is an important move to increase the protection of employees who are experiencing greater vulnerability during this period of crisis.

Ensuring productivity is important but employers also have a responsibility to look after the wellness of employees who are the life force behind any business or organization. The mandated work hours and provision of just compensation for overtime work remain in effect even during this period of economic setbacks. Given the compounding challenges posed by the pandemic, we hope for the swift passage of the bill to protect the welfare and dignity of workers in this time of crisis. ###