Bill filed to protect workers’ health in BPO sector

Bayan Muna party-list Representative Teddy Casiño. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Bayan Muna party-list Representative Teddy Casiño on Thursday filed a bill that seeks to protect workers in the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, who he said are prone to fall ill as a result of working in graveyard shifts.

Casiño filed House Bill 6073, which promotes occupational health and safety to BPO companies, which deemed night shifts necessary due to their Western-based clients.

The BPO industry “has the duty to ensure that our relatively young workforce does not succumb to illnesses of unusual work caused by the unnatural work environment,” said the lawmaker.

According to Casiño, the bill proposes that occupational health and safety standards be made for the benefit of BPO employees who are subjected to erratic schedule, repetitive work and artificial daytime environment.

It also designates occupational health and safety (OHS) workplace representatives to monitor the work environment in BPO firms; makes employers criminally liable for acts endangering their workers; and provides a mechanism for compensation for work-related injuries and illnesses.