CEBU, PHILIPPINES – Roy Buenafe, the director of DOLE-Central Visayas, announced that six more BPO firms are under investigation for allegedly violating the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Standards during the September 30 earthquake in Cebu.
This probe happened after the department received several reports on social media and formal complaints wherein some BPO firms didn’t immediately evacuate employees when the earthquake struck, while others allegedly required staff to return to work despite aftershocks.
Buenafe emphasized that “the DOLE is serious about securing the safety of workers, and this must also be at the heart of every employer’s operations.” They have already sent notices of investigation and will conduct on-site inspections in the following days.
BPOs Urged to Revisit DOLE’s OSH Standards
Under the OSH Standards Law, companies are required to have clear evacuation plans, safety officers, and functional emergency protocols in place.
DOLE urges all BPOs to conduct immediate safety audits and ensure that business continuity never comes at the cost of worker protection. They must have, among others:
- Clear evacuation plans
- Assigned safety officers
- Functional emergency protocols
For those found to have violated the OSH Standards, DOLE will issue a Work Stoppage Order against them. The department will only lift the cease and desist order once it confirms that “all unsafe conditions are addressed and the identified OSH violations are fully corrected.”
