Telecommuting / Work From Home FAQ (v2022-1)

Work From Home' (WFH) arrangements have become popular during the pandemic. Moving forward, is there an existing legal framework for WFH? Can I allow my employees to continue working from home?

Yes. Even before the pandemic, a law on telecommuting was passed (Telecommuting Act of 2018). You may continue work from home arrangements even after the pandemic but, the law has certain protections for the employees and for data privacy.

What are some of these protections?

In general, the law requires the employer to give the same treatment and benefits under a telecommuting setup vis-à-vis 'comparable employees' that work in the office. These include:

1. Rate of pay, overtime, night shift differential, and other monetary benefits;
2. Rest periods, regular holidays and special non working holidays;
3. Workload and performance standards;
4. Access to training and career development;
5. Appropriate training for telecommuting;

[... rest of markdown content...]