QUEZON City District V Representative PM Vargas vows to look after the health and safety of employees in the Business Process Outsourcing industry as he introduces the Magna Carta of IT-BPO Workers (House Bill 1674) in time for the World Day for Safety and Health at Work.
“Our IT-BPO industry remains the fastest growing sector in the country and it is only right that we ensure that the workers, being its backbone, are taken care of. For their benefit, we must uphold to international labor standards and fostering a culture of a conducive workplace,” Vargas said.
The proposed measure, which is currently pending with the Committee on Labor and Employment, seeks to comprehensively address the well-being of the BPO workers through general employment standards as well as standard occupational health and safety. Once ratified into law, the IT-BPO industry workers will be assured protection against understaffing and overloading, regularization and security of tenure, and right to association among others.
International Labour Organization acknowledges that BPO workers suffered from “higher-than-normal stress levels, with the industry driven by pressures to cut costs, and this led to a high rate of staff turnover.”
“Let us help create a just and friendly work environment for our call center agents. Some have already experienced mental health consequences such as depression and anxiety, as they are expected to express positive emotions and suppress negative emotions in order to maintain a pleasant customer interaction,” Vargas said.
An earlier version of the proposed bill was also lobbied by the legislator’s older brother and former QC District V Representative Alfred Vargas during the 18th Congress.
