The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is facing calls from lawmakers and workers’ groups to take decisive action against business process outsourcing (BPO) firms that allegedly forced employees to report for work during natural disasters and emergencies. Critics point to multiple incidents — including sudden earthquakes and heavy weather — where workers were compelled to stay on‑site despite clear signs of danger.
Under current laws such as the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Law (RA 11058), workers have the right to refuse unsafe work and employers are obliged to ensure safe workplace conditions. One workers’ organisation says firms must still adopt flexible or remote working arrangements once disaster warnings are issued, and stop penalising employees for choosing safety. Complaints filed include reports of being forced to return to work, loss of incentives, disciplinary notices, and unsafe evacuation procedures.
Advocates are now pushing for DOLE to:
- launch nationwide inspections of BPO offices to check disaster preparedness and occupational safety compliance
- publicly name firms found violating worker‑safety laws during calamities
- issue clear rules mandating suspension of onsite work when a workplace faces “imminent danger” from disasters
They argue that if allowed to persist, these practices could make disaster risks a normalised feature of the BPO work environment rather than an exception.