THE Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has issued operational guidelines for the information technology-enabled business process outsourcing (ICT-BPO) sector to maintain business continuity for the duration of the Luzon-wide quarantine period.
The DICT guidelines are intended to complement the policy directives of the Department of Trade and Industry for the export and BPO sectors contained in DTI Memorandum Circular numbers. 20-06 and 20-08, which the ICT-BPO sector is similarly expected to heed.
In Department Circular No. 005, the DICT set the guidelines for work-from-home (WFH) arrangements and skeleton workforce in the ICT-BPO sector operating in Luzon and other areas placed under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
“WFH arrangements, shall as a general rule and as far as practicable, be adopted by ICT-BPO companies. The ICT-BPO sector shall also transfer the necessary equipment to facilitate WFH arrangements within the periods set by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases,” the circular said.
ICT-BPO companies are also allowed to continue workplace operations through a skeleton workforce. Employees are permitted mobility to and from their place of work within areas affected by the quarantine, provided that appropriate temporary accommodation and/or shuttle service arrangements, within the immediate vicinity of the workplace shall be provided.
However, DICT directed all ICT-BPO enterprises and establishments to exclude from skeleton workforce persons under investigation (PUI), under monitoring (PUM) or confirmed with COVID-19 infection and persons with symptoms of COVID-19 infection or similar illnesses.
In addition, the DICT also ordered not to allow to join the skeleton workforce persons with high risk of infection such as but not limited to those who are sickly or have pre-existing medication condition, immuno-compromised or with comorbidities, elderly or 60 years old and above and pregnant or are lactating.
The DICT also provided guidelines and restrictions for said skeleton workforces to practice proper hygiene and exercise due prudence and discretion in maintaining a clean, healthy and safe working environment to avoid the spread of infection.
Guidelines include monitoring of personnel exhibiting symptoms of the disease, regularly sanitizing the office premises, and ensuring that employees have proper identification at all times.
