An umbrella organization of the contact center industry said on Monday that it prefers a more stable government policy when it comes to incentivizing firms with work-from- home (WFH) setups.
The Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) told the Inquirer on Monday that they were hoping that the discussion on extending the period for registered businesses to keep their tax perks while under a 30-percent work-from-home setup would lead to a more lasting measure.
“It’s better because it puts permanency and you’re not always wondering what is happening when the deadline period comes near. And there are laws that can be amended to allow for this,” said Mickey Ocampo, board trustee and corporate secretary of CCAP.
Ocampo said that most employees prefer to have a flexible or hybrid working environment nowadays.
Hybrid environment
The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) and the Fiscal Incentives Review Board will meet this week on Sept. 15 to decide on whether to extend the arrangement or not.
Since April of this year, businesses registered under Peza were given leeway in their work arrangement and continue to enjoy tax incentives despite 30 percent of their employees working from home.
Meanwhile, two commuter rights groups have also expressed support for the government to normalize this workplace trend, adding to the growing voice of business groups which prefer to give their employees more freedom where to work.
“We are happy with the extension of the WFH [policy]. It will help somehow in lessening the demand for public transportation” Primo Morillo, the convener of commuter rights group The Passenger Forum, said in a message sent to the Inquirer.
“It has been a great relief to commuters,” National Center for Commuter Safety and Protection Chair Elvira Medina said in a separate interview.
Medina said an average worker takes three rides going to work, meaning employees who take short rides could save P45 for one way trips or P90 per day while working from home.