Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

1337

HOUSE BILL NO

Introduced by Honorable Representatives
ARLENE D. BROSAS (Gabriela Women's Party);
FRANCE L. CASTRO (ACT Teachers Partylist);
and RAOUL DANNIEL A. MANUEL (Kabataan Partylist)

AN ACT REQUIRING ALL EMPLOYERS TO INSTITUTE SITTING BREAKS DURING
WORK HOURS FOR THEIR FEMALE EMPLOYEES AND WORKERS, AND TO PROVIDE
PROPER SEATS FOR THIS PURPOSE, PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS
THEREOF, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

EXPLANATORY NOTE,

Standing continuously for long hours has been shown to be detrimental to a woman's health,
especially for pregnant women workers. According to the institute for Occupational Health and
Safely Development (IOHSAD), women who arc on their feet for long hours show symptoms
of disruption in their regular menstrual cycle, including dysmenorchea and amenorrhea.

According to studies of the United Kingdom-based Trade Union Council's (TUC) Hazard
magazine, spending most of the time standing up puls individuals at greater risk of developing
health problems like heart and circulatory problems. This may also lead to chronic heart and
circulatory disorders, including hypertension, joint damage, swelling of feet and legs, and
varicose veins. It also increases the risk of stroke. congenital disabilities, and other pregnancy-
related problems

Michael B. Bracken, et al., of the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale
University Schoo! of Medicine, published a study that showed that women in occupations that
require prolonged standing had a greater probability of preterm labor and/or low birth weight
deliveries. Of the sample population in the said study, 14.77% had preterm births, and half (or
7.7%) were women in jobs requiring prolonged standing, Also, 13.5% of the mothers in the
sample population detivered babies with low birth weighil, 5.5% being women who had been
standing for long hours.

Moreover, working while standing for a long period of time has been recognized as a vital
contributor to decreased workers’ performance in the industry. Workers experience
‘occupational injuries, productivity decrement, increased treatment and medical costs, and
demoralization. When workers perform jobs requiting prolonged standing, static contraction
occurs, particularly in their back and leys, resulling in diminished calf muscle function. This
condition leads to discomfort and muscle fatigue. Furthermore, the employers will lose
revenue in the form of productivity, workers’ compensation, and health treatment costs.


Providing female employees and workers seats at work and allowing them to sit and have a
break from continuous standing will help prevent work-related health problems. It will give
them much-needed respite, lessen fatigue, and give them quality time with their families when
they go home from work.

According to the 2018 Gender Statistics on Labor and Employment, most women, or at least
4,76 million female workers, are involved in the wholesale and retail trade industry. The same
survey revealed that 1.4 million women are in the manufacturing industry and 926,000 women
are in the accommodation and food service activities. In these sectors, women workers are
often required to wear high heels, which exacerbale the health impacts of long hours of
standing.

Women workers, whether in the retail, manufacturing, or accommodation and food service
sectors, stand up most of the time while working. Moreover, women workers in the service
sector are required to smile and deliver friendly and courteous service, which is difficult to do
under conditions of pain and discomfort

Sales personnel are expected to stand up for al least eight (8) hours a day to perform their
duties. Factory workers, aiming to reach their production quotas and wanting to earn more
than their minimum wage, on the other hand, would rather stand up. They are unaware that
this poses serious health problems, especially for women.

Sitting while performing their duties is often misjudged as laziness or rudeness by supervisors
and customers. Many workers hesilate to use seats even if these are provided for them
because they fear they will be judged wrongly

This bill seeks to address the protection of female employees/workers from work-related
health problems and ensure their well-being by providing them with a safe and healthy working
environment


In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought

YW

RLENE DI/BROSAS
Gabriela Women’s Party

FRANCE L. CASTRO RAGUL DANNIEL/A. MANUEL
ACT Teachers Partylist Kabataan Partylist



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS:
First Regular Session

4337

HOUSE BILL NO.

introduced by Honorable Representatives

ARLENE D. BROSAS (Gabriela Women's Party);
FRANCE L. CASTRO (ACT Teachers Partylist);
and RAOUL A. MANUEL (Kabataan Partylist)

AN ACT REQUIRING ALL EMPLOYERS TO INSTITUTE SITTING BREAKS DURING
WORK HOURS FOR THEIR FEMALE EMPLOYEES /WORKERS AND TO PROVIDE
PROPER SEATS FOR THIS PURPOSE, PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS
THEREOF,
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1. Shor! Title, This Act shall be known as the “WORKERS SITTING BREAK ACT.”

SECTION 2. Declaration of Principles. The State shall ensure the people's right to health
The State shall also guarantee the protection of female employeesiworkers by “providing safe
and healthful working conditions, taking into account their maternal functions, and such
facilities and opportunities that will enhance their welfare and enable them to realize their full
potential in the service of the nation,” consistent with the State's recognition of the significant
role of women in nation-building as staled in Article 11, Section 14, of the 1987 Philippine
Constitution

SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. For purposes of this Act, the following terms shall be used.

Proper seat - is any chair, bench, stool, or the like, ergonomically designed for a specific line
of occupational workload, provided by the employer, where an employee/worker may be
allowed to sit upon.

Woman employee/worker - is any female employed by an employer or labor contractor. It
shall also apply to any female working within the business premises of an employer, either
hired directly by the latter or the supplied by an agency or directly contracted by the
establishment from said agency;

Employer - is any person or entity who employs the services of others and pays them wages
or salaries, or one for whom an employee works. It includes owners/proprietors of private
businesses, commercial, trade, industrial or service establishments such as, but not limited



to, malls, stores, pharmacies, factories, restaurants, hotels, inns and the like, in whose
premises the female employee or female worker as above defined, works al;

Labor contractor - is any person regularly undertaking, with or without compensation, to
procure employees for an employer or to procure for employees’ opportunities to work for an
employer and includes an agent of such person

Accommodation and food services - is a sector thal provides customers with lodging and/or
offers prepared meals, snacks, and beverages for immediate consumption. The sector
includes both accommodation and food services establishments because the two activities
are often combined at the same establishment.

Manufacturing - is a sector where the use of manual and mechanical power, including
machines, are employed for large scale production

Service, shop, and market sales — is a sector thal gives personal and protective services
including catering, food, demonstration, market, and sell products in retail and wholesale
including malls, boutiques, stores, markets, shops, stalls, and other similar establishments,

SECTION 4. Provision of Proper Seats for Women Employees/Workers. Every employer and
labor contractor shall provide proper seats lo every woman employee/worker in the
accommodation and food services, manufacturing, and in the service, shop, and market sales
sectors.

Women employees/workers shall be given al least twenty (20) minutes paid silting break for
every 2-hour interval during working hours. This provision is without prejudice to women
employeesiworkers who work while sitting

SECTION 5. Education and Research Programs. The Department of Labor and Employment
(DOLE) with the Department of Health (DOH) shall

41. Educate both employers, employees and workers about general Occupational Health and
Safety (OHS) standards;

2. Provide active information drive on the dangers of prolonged standing and other
seemingly “harmless” daily routine! activities by workers most especially female
employees/workers, and

3. Conduct scientific studies and researches, and come up with corresponding guidelines
aimed at minimizing the harmful effects of prolonged standing.

SECTION 5. Implementing Rules and Regulations. Within thirty (30) days from the effectivity
of this Act, the Secretary of Labor and Employment shall issue and publish the necessary
rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this Act.

SECTION 6. Penalty Provisions. Any employer or labor contractor found to be violating any
provision of this Act shall be given five (5) days to comply and shall be punished for a first
offense with a fine of not less than fifly thousand pesos (P50,000.00). If the employer or labor
contractor is found to be violating for a second time, he/she shall be punished with a fine of



one hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00). A third offense on the part of the employer or
labor contractor is punishable with closure unless full compliance of this law shall be
implemented.

If the offense is committed by a corporation, trust, firm, partnership or association, or any
‘other entity, the penalty shall be impressed upon not only the guilty officer/s of such
corporation trust, firm, partnership or association, or any other entity, but also the sole
proprietor or the executive committee of the board of the corporation trust, firm, partnership
or association, or any other entity

SECTION 7. Separability Clause. If any provision of this Act is declared unconstitutional, the
same shall not affect the validity and effectivity of the other provisions hereof.

SECTION 8. Repealing Clause. All other laws, executive orders, presidential decrees,
presidential proclamations, rules and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with the
provisions of this Act are hereby amended, modified, ot repealed accordingly.

SECTION 9. Effectivily Clause This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete
publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of national circulation

Approved,