BPO firms probed after forcing employees to work after quake

Local

IMAGINE surviving a 6.9-magnitude earthquake, only to be told to clock in minutes later.

That’s the situation labor officials are now investigating, after reports surfaced that some Cebu-based business process outsourcing (BPO) companies compelled their employees to return to work while aftershocks rattled the city and structural safety remained uncertain.

Lawyer Roy Buenafe, regional director of the Department of Labor and Employment in Central Visayas (DOLE-7), confirmed the agency has launched a probe into alleged labor rights violations and ordered intensified occupational safety and health (OSH) inspections across quake-hit areas.

“This is really an extraordinary time for everyone,” Buenafe said.

He reminded employers that under Labor Advisory No. 17, Series of 2022, issued in line with Republic Act 11058, companies are barred from compelling employees to report in times of imminent danger, such as earthquakes and other calamities. Violations include imposing sanctions like suspension or tagging workers as absent without leave (AWOL).

The BPO Industry Employees Network (BIEN)-Cebu earlier reported that at least 10 firms allegedly disregarded OSH standards by ordering staff back to their desks just half an hour after the tremor.

Some employees were promised double pay to stay, while others reportedly faced pay cuts or suspension for leaving.

Pregnant workers were left without assistance during evacuation, and no medical or psychological support was provided, the group said.

“These are unacceptable labor practices,” BIEN-Cebu stressed, urging government intervention to protect employees.

Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña also weighed in, warning companies of consequences if the allegations prove true.

“This is unacceptable if true. If this happened to you, I will help,” Osmeña said in a statement.

“I need to verify the facts, but if these reports are confirmed, we will do more than just file a complaint with DOLE. I will personally contact every known local and overseas client of that company to inform them of what kind of employer they have. We will hit them where it hurts,” he added.

Osmeña said he was reviewing reports sent to him and urged workers to provide confidential details.

“I am the only one who reads the texts, so there will be no fear of retribution,” he assured.

DOLE-7 likewise encouraged workers to report unsafe practices directly to their hotlines or regional field offices, assuring all complaints will be kept confidential.

The magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Bogo City at 9:59 p.m. on September 30, prompting a state of calamity in Cebu province.

Aftershocks continue to rattle the region as engineers assess the structural integrity of damaged offices and commercial buildings.(TGP)