House Bill No. 10717, otherwise known as “Workers’ Rest Law,” wants to protect the rights of workers to privacy and personal time, and to promote their welfare. This is by prohibiting employers from calling, messaging, and sending emails outside work hours.

Said House Bill was filed by Calamba City Rep. Joaquin Chipeco. The basis of which is a study where it was found that many workers, particularly those who are on a work-from-home arrangement basis, end up rendering work beyond the maximum hours prescribed by law. According to the bill, “this emerging trend does not augur well for mental health of the employees, not to mention family solidarity”.

The bill also acknowledges that there are certain exceptions based on the nature of work and tasks which can be deemed as emergency or urgent. Nevertheless, the bill wants to promote and respect the mandated rest hours for workers and prohibit various forms of abuse.

The House Bill states, among others, the following: 

SEC. 5. Rest Hours. – Any period other than the hours of work shall be considered as rest hours of an employee.

SEC. 6. Prohibitions During Rest Hours. – During rest hours, and unless the employee gives their consent as required by this Act, the employer, manager, supervisor, or any of their agents, is prohibited from:

1. Requiring the employee to work;

2. Requiring the employee to be on duty, to travel, or be at a prescribed place for work or work-related activities, such as attending seminars, meetings, team-building and other similar activities;

3. Contacting the employer for work and work-related purposes through phone, e-mail, message, and other means of communication, unless it is for the purpose of notifying the employee of the necessity of rendering emergency or urgent work as provided under Article 89 and Article 92 of the Labor Code of the Philippines.

More importantly, the bill states that employers cannot penalize employees for not opening or answering communication received during rest hours. An employer who will violate this Act shall pay the employee “One Thousand Pesos (P1.000.00) per hour of work rendered in violation of this Act, or a fraction thereof.”