The House of Representatives on Monday approved on third and final reading a measure granting night shift differential pay to government employees, including those in government-owned or -controlled corporations.
Voting 225-0, the chamber approved House bill 9458, which provides for a differential pay not exceeding 20 percent of the hourly basic rate of the employee for each hour of work performed between the hours of 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. of the following day.
Deputy Speaker Strike Revilla, author of the bill, said not all government employees enjoy such wage-related benefit.
Revilla said most of the government employees who work beyond the usual hours are only paid overtime pay.
“Public sector employees also deserve the benefit we give to their private counterparts. This bill seeks to institutionalize the Night Differential Pay for government employees, including government-owned or -controlled corporations,” he said.
The bill states that this benefit does not cover employees whose schedule of work hours fall between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., as well as those whose services are required or are on call 24 hours a day, such as uniformed personnel.
As for funding, the amount needed by national government agencies would be charged against existing appropriations, against the respective funds for local government units, and from corporate funds for GOCCs.*PNA
