BPO Workers Must Return to Office, WFH Extension Denied: Gov't

The IT-BPO sector can implement a work from home set-up only until March 31, the Department of Finance said Wednesday after an inter-agency government body denied requests for an extension.

On-site work for one of the country's main drivers for jobs and real estate development will help more businesses recover, the DOF said. This means that coffee shops, restaurants, convenience stores and malls in BPO hubs will have more customers.

Work from home is "only a time-bound temporary measure" to repond to the COVID-19 pandemic, said Finance Sec. Carlos Dominguez, who heads Fiscal Incentives Review Board or FIRB.

In denying the petitions for an extension, the FIRB upheld its November 2021 resolution that allows up to 90% of BPO workforce to function remotely until March 31, 2022.

LIFE KIT:

When Your Boss Asks You to Return to the Office, How Do You Deal With Anxiety? 

How to Say 'No' When Your Boss Asks You to Return to Office

Work From Home Still Allowed Under Alert Level 1: DOLE