Encourage companies to ease stress of commuting to work—TUCP

As Metro Manila continues to suffer from horrendous traffic and congested mass transport, the country’s largest labor group called on the government yesterday to provide tax incentives to companies which implement “time-saving” measures for their commuting employees.

In a statement, Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said this will encourage the private sector to adopt schemes to ease the stress of employees from daily commuting woes which has now become the “new normal.”

“The new normal is already happening. Workers are making sacrificial adjustments already. They are waking up early, arrive home late,” Tanjusay said.

He said daily stress of commuting would have a negative impact on the productivity of companies in the long run.

TUCP said one of proposed options for companies to maintain the efficiency of their operation is a flexible time scheme which will allow workers to complete their regular eight-hour duty depending on the time of their arrival at their workplace.

It also said some companies could practice a compressed work week to allow employees to work for only four days a week with slightly longer working hours.

Tanjusay said companies could also explore the possibility of temporarily relaxing their “internal tardiness rules” and provide common shuttle or car pool services to workers.

“Employers would adopt the stress-minimizing and time-saving measures by giving them tax incentives,” Tanjusay said.

Aside from the tax deductions, the government could tap fleet service vehicles from government-owned and controlled corporations and financial institutions to provide similar car pooling services to private and government employees, he said. - by Samuel Medenilla / Manila Bulletin