THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
1 
First Regular Session 
1 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
s. No. 20"2 
Introduced by Senator Juan M. Flavier 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill proposes modification to existing normal hours of work, including 
shortened meal breaks and overtime work. It incorporates provisions of treatises and 
executive agreements to which the country has acceded to or a party to, in relation to 
liberalization and globalization. It likewise considers certain provisions of existing and 
related laws, i.e. R.A. 8972 otherwise known as the Solo Parents' Welfare Act of 2000. 
The following takes-up the above mentioned labor matters and discussion based on Labor 
code and Convention reviews. 
The newly proposed paragraph in the normal hours of work of Article 87 can 
retain the normal working hours and shall encourage negotiation on working time 
flexibility. This shall provide room for parties to formulate agreements. This should not 
however sacrifice Labor Standards still regulated by the Department of Labor and 
Employment (DOLE). 
The Compressed Work Week (CWW) Scheme has been considered and is 
acceptable and being adopted by establishments provided requisites are met and after 
evaluation and approval by the DOLE. 
A typical working time arrangement may be defined as any work schedule agreed 
upon by the employer and employees which deviates from the normal working hours, the 
meal period of sixty (60) minutes and the rest day of twenty four (24) hours after six (6) 
consecutive work days. 
Where irregular or atypical working arrangement has been agreed upon by the 
parties that would result in a daily schedule of more than eight (8) hours in a day, meal 
breaks may be more than once and such may be made in addition to the mandatory rest 
periods. 
Hence, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 


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THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
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First Regular Session 
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ItaEPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
S E N A T E  
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Introduced by Senator Juan M. Ffavier 
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR A 
WORKING TIME FLEXIBILIZATION 
IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES, 
THEREBY AMENDING ARTICLES 83,85 AND 87 OF 
PRESIDENTIAL DECREE FOUR HUNDRED FORTY TWO 
(PD 442), AS AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS 
THE LABOR CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Pliilippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Article 83 of the Labor Code on hours of work is hereby further 
amended by adding the following paragraph to read as follows: 
“Article 83. Normal hours of work. - The normal hours of work of any employee 
shall not exceed eight (8) hours a day. 
Health personnel in cities and municipalities with a population of at least one 
million (1,000,000) or in hospitals and clinics with a bed capacity of at least one hundred 
(100) shall hold regular office hours for eight (8) hours a day, for five (5) days a week 
exclusive of time for meals, except where the exigencies of the service require that such 
personnel work for six (6) days or forty-eight (48) hours, in which case they shall be 
entitled to an additional compensation of at least thirty per cent (30%) of their regular 
wage for work on the sixth day. For purposes of this Article, “health personnel” shall 
include: resident physicians, nurses, nutritionists, dietitians, pharmacists, social workers, 
laboratory technicians, paramedical technicians, psychologists, midwives, attendants, and 
all other hospital or clinic personnel. 
HOWEVER, 
THE 
WORKWEEK 
QF 
EMPLOYEES 
MAY 
BE 
SHORTENED OR COMPRESSED BY EXTENDING THEIR NORMAL DAILY 
WORKING HOURS NOT EXCEEDING TEN (10) HOURS A DAY, SUBJECT TO 
SUCH CONDITIONS AS MAY BE DETERMINED BY THE SECRETARY OF 
LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT IN APPROPRIATE ~ G ~ ~ A ~ I O N S  
TO 
PROTECT THE INTEREST OF THE EMPLOYEES”. 
SEC. 2. Article 85 of the same Code is likewise amended by adding a second 
paragraph to read as follows: 


“Article 85. Meal Periods. - Subject to such regulations as the Secretary of Labor 
and Employment may prescribe, it shall be the duty of every employer to give his 
employees not less than sixty (60) minutes time-off for their regular meals. 
IN CASE THE MEAL PEFUOD IS LESS THAN SIXTY (60) MINUTES, IT 
SHALL BE DEEMED PART OF THE WORKING HOURS IN A DAY. 
SEC. 3. Article 87 of the same Code is likewise amended by inserting additional 
phrase to read as follows: 
“Article 87. Overtime Work. - Work may be performed beyond eight hours a day 
BUT NOT TO EXCEED TEN (10) HOURS A DAY OR FORTY OR FORTY EIGHT 
WORKWEEK. Provided that the employee is paid an additional compensation equivalent 
to his regular wage plus at least twenty-five per cent (25%) thereof. Work performed 
beyond eight (8) hours on a holiday or rest day plus at least thirty per cent (30%) thereof. 
HOURS A WEEK FOR A REGULAR FOUR-DAY, FIVE-DAY OR SIX-DAY 
IN CASE OF VALID COMPRESSED WORKWEEK AS PROVIDED 
HEREIN, THE OVERTIME PAY SHALL BE PAID FOR WORK IN EXCESS OF 
HIS ALLOWABLE WORK HOURS IN A DAY.” 
SEC. 4. Separability Clause. - If any portion of this Act is declared 
unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the validity and effectivity of the other 
provisions not affected thereby. 
SEC. 5. Repealing Clause. - All laws, acts, decrees, executive orders, rules and 
regulations or other issuances or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this Act, are 
hereby modified and repealed. 
SEC. 6. Effectivity Clause - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days 
following its publication in two (2) national newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,