Employees without rides can't be blamed for skipping work: Palace

 MALACAÑANG ON  Monday said employees cannot be blamed for skipping work if their employers did not provide them with any means of transport.   

“Kung wala po talaga silang masasakyan (If they really have no means of transport), I don’t think that can be taken against the employee,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a virtual presser.

Under the guidelines of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), employers should provide shuttle services or accommodations for their employees since public transport remains suspended in Metro Manila and other areas under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until May 31.

Earlier, Roque said companies should not reopen if they do not have their own shuttles or if workers do not have their own cars.

He said it is more important to avoid a second wave of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) infection.

“It’s a policy decision po, we want to restart the economy but not at the expense of having a second wave,” he said.

On Saturday, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said employees who refuse to go to work may risk losing his or her job.

Lopez said refusing to report to work despite the lack of public transport might reflect badly on employees.

He, however, said the issue on transport should be settled between employer and employee.

“If an employee refuses to work, it doesn’t reflect well on his [or her] character. [He or she] should have a positive mindset. Otherwise he [or she] also runs the risk of losing his [or her] job,” he said.

Metro Manila and the provinces of Laguna, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga and Zambales are currently under MECQ until May 31.

The cities of Cebu and Mandaue in Cebu province remain under ECQ. Meanwhile, the rest of the country was placed under GCQ.

Under the MECQ, there is still no public transport but private cars are allowed as long as only two people sit per row.

Public transport with strict safe distancing will be permitted under GCQ.

Those living in areas under MECQ but work in areas declared as GCQ will also be allowed to travel as long as they are employed in an industry allowed to operate. (By Azer Parrocha)