By Katrina Gracia Consebido
President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law a measure granting night differential pay to all government employees including those in government-owned or controlled corporations (GOCCs).
Republic Act No. 11701, approved by Duterte in April 13 this year, covers the night differential pay grant to all government employees occupying position items from Division Chief and below, or their equivalent, including those in GOCCs, whether they are permanent, contractual, temporary, or casual workers.
The law states that the night differential pay rate must not exceed 20% of the hourly basic rate of the employee, “as determined by the head of the agency,” for each hour of work performed between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. the following day.
Hourly basic rate is computed through dividing the basic monthly rate by 22 working days, and dividing the quotient derived by eight hours.
The following government employees are not covered by such law:
- Government employees whose schedule of office hours fall between 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Government employees whose services are required, or are on call, 24-hours a day such as uniformed personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, the Bureau of Jail and Management Penology, the Bureau of Fire Protection, and others similarly situated
The effectivity of the law will take effect 15 days after its publication in at least two newspapers of general circulation. –ag
