Pampanga First District Representative Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin Jr. has filed a bill seeking to grant qualified public and private-sector employees up to five paid working days of emergency leave when directly affected by calamities.
House Bill No. 10852, or the “Emergency Leave for Employees Affected by Calamities Act,” filed August 20, aims to give workers time to recover from injuries, illness, displacement, property damage, transportation disruptions and urgent family concerns caused by disasters.
The leave may be taken consecutively or on a staggered basis within 30 calendar days from the calamity or the date the employee was affected, whichever is later.
Cong. Pogi said the measure recognizes that workers need sufficient time to prioritize safety, recover from losses and attend to urgent personal and family needs without the added burden of reporting for work.
The bill covers employees stranded or unable to safely travel, those facing calamity-related medical emergencies, workers caring for affected immediate family members, and those needing to repair or restore damaged homes or household facilities.
The measure also allows employees to submit supporting documents after returning to work when such documents could not reasonably be obtained during the calamity.
Earlier, Cong. Pogi filed HB 10771, or the “Menstrual Leave Act,” seeking up to three days of paid menstrual leave each month for female employees in the public and private sectors.
