Philippines to issue guidance on missing work during extreme heat
The planned advisories would also let delivery riders refuse jobs at 42°C or above and recommend flexible work arrangements.
A heat index of 40°C may be grounds for employees in the Philippines not to report for work, according to Labour Secretary Francis Tolentino. Speaking on October 20, he said the policy would be included in forthcoming Department of Labor and Employment advisories.
In an interview on Unang Hirit’s Unang Balita, Tolentino also outlined guidance for delivery riders exposed to the sun throughout the day. Riders would be permitted to refuse deliveries at temperatures of 42°C or above during the particularly hot period from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM.
Other recommendations planned by the department include allowing flexible work arrangements and wearing breathable clothes at work.
Tolentino said workers in both the government and private sector covered by SSS and GSIS would qualify for Employees' Compensation Commission reimbursement for work-related heat injuries. Hospitalisation, clinic visits and medicine purchases would be covered, he said.
The advisories are being prepared ahead of a prolonged drought that could persist into early next year. The Climate Change Commission has forecast that urban areas, including Metro Manila, could experience a heat index of 50 degrees Celsius during Super El Niño.
