The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), the voice of business in the country, urged the government to carefully study its proposal to implement a 4-day work week, cautioning its impact on certain sectors that require continues operations such as manufacturing.
PCCI President Perry Ferrer lauded the good intention behind the measure – to promote energy efficiency, reduce operating costs and protect the well-being of employees – but stressed that it must be supported with balanced, evidenced-based and sector-sensitive approach.
“We are not against the implementation of flexible work arrangements but there should be proper consultation with various stakeholders and supported with data to ensure that industries with specific operational requirements will not be adversely affected,” Ferrer said.
He said that the manufacturing industry is among the sectors that could be significantly affected. “For manufacturing, we have been operating on a limited resources and further reducing the number of work days could affect our commitements,” he added.
Ferrer said that the PCCI is committed to work closely with policymakers, labor groups, and industry stakeholders to ensure that this proposal will be beneficial for the Philippine economy and the Filipino people.
