FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
.10 
JUt. 22 A9 :23 
.' .. 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 13, Section 3, provides that "The State shall afford full 
protection to labor, local and overseas, organized and unorganized, and promote full employment 
opportunities for all. The State shall guaranty the rights of all workers to self-organization, 
collective bargaining and negotiations, and peaceful concerted activities, including the right to 
strike in accordance with law. They shall be entitled to security of tenure, humane conditions of 
work, and a living wage. They shall also participate in policy and decision-making processes 
affecting their rights and benefits as may be provided by law." 
Employees in the private sector are notably squeezed by their employers to give as much 
work as would permit. Many are often compelled to work beyond the legally prescribed working 
hours without monetary or other form of compensation benefit. Among others, these lead to the 
neglect of the employees' families and their own physical and spiritual needs. 
In accordance with the constitutional mandate, this bill seeks to afford further protection 
to labor by providing employees in the private sector demands of workplaces with their personal 
needs and those of their families by allowing employers to offer compensatory time off, which 
employees may voluntarily elect to receive, and to establish biweekly work programs and 
flexible credit hour programs, in which employees may voluntarily participate.' 
([~~ 4~.v<~ ~y~~ 
MIRIAM DEF 
SOR smTIAf'o 
NIl' 
, This bill was originally filed during the Thirteenth Congress, First Regular Session. 
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FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
10 Jill 22 1\9:23 
_ 
i 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
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AN ACT 
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PROVIDING PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYEES COMPENSATORY TIME OFF; 
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BIWEEKLY WORK SCHEDULES AND FLEXIBLE CREDIT HOURS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as "Family Friendly Workplace 
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Act." 
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SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to afford full protection 
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to labor and provide them with humane working conditions. 
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SECTION 3. Compensatory Time Off. - An employee may receive, in lieu of monetary 
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overtime compensation, compensatory time off at a rate not less than one and one-half (1 Yz 
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hours) for each hour of employment for which monetary compensation is required. 
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For purposes of this Act, the term "employee" does not include an employee of a public 
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agency. 
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SECTION 4. Conditions. -
An employer may provide compensatory time off to 
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employees under Section 3 only pursuant to such time as may be provided only in accordance 
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with: 
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(1) Applicable provisions ofthe employee recognized under the Labor Code; 
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(2). In the case of employees who are not represented by a labor organization recognized 
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as provided in the Labor Code, an agreement or understanding arrived at between the employer 
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and employee before the performance of the work involved if such agreement or understanding 
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was entered into knowingly and voluntarily by such employee and was not a condition of 
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employment; 
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(3) If the employee has not accrued compensatory time off in excess of the limit 
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applicable to the employee prescribed by Section 5. 
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SECTION 5. Hour Limit. -
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(A) Maximum Hours. - An employee may accrue not more than two hundred forty (240) 
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hours of compensatory time off. 
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(B) Compensation Date. - Not later than 31 January of each calendar year, the 
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employee's employer shall provide monetary compensation for any unused compensatory time 
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off accrued during the preceding calendar year that was not used prior to 31 December of the 
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preceding calendar year. An employer may designate and communicate to the employees of the 
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employer a twelve (12) month period other than the calendar year, in which case such 
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compensation shall be provided not later than thirty one (31) days after the end of such 12-month 
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period. 
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(C) Excess of Eighty (80) Hours. - The employer may provide monetary compensation 
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for an employee's unused compensatory time off in excess of eighty (80) hours at any time after 
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giving the employee at least thirty (30) days notice. 
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SECTION 6. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or 
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unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
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valid and subsisting. 
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SECTION 7. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
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order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to, or inconsistent 
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with, the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
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SECTION 8. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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