Employers’ group opposes bereavement leave bill

The Employers Confederation of the Philippines (Ecop), Philippine Exporters Confederation (Philexport) and Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) released a joint statement on the proposed bereavement leave bills currently pending deliberations in the House committee on labor and employment.

In their joint statement published on the ECOP website, the three trade organizations said they acknowledge the spirit and intent of these bills to grant employees space to grieve and recover from the loss of a loved one, through the grant of a leave of absence from work with pay.

However, they noted that granting additional leaves on top of what is already provided for by law “will result in some undesirable consequences.”

They pointed out that the number of working days for a worker in the private sector has already been reduced by mandatory paid leaves like service incentive leave, maternity leave, paternity leave and gynecological leave, totaling 29 to 34 days for men and 152 to 175 days for women.

Added to these, they said, are the regular holidays, na- tionwide special non-working holidays, other yearly special non-working holidays, and Islamic holidays.

“Assuming that all the mandatory paid leaves are availed of by a worker in a calendar year, a male worker would be entitled to 155 to 160 non-working days with full pay and a woman would be entitled to 278 to 301 non-working days with full pay.”

The statement was signed by Ecop chairman Edgardo Lacson, PCCI president Alegria Limjoco, and Philexport president Sergio R. Ortiz-Luis Jr. /