BAGUIO CITY – The city council has passed on first reading a proposed ordinance requiring business establishments to provide seats for female employees/workers in this Summer Capital.
Authored by councilor Leandro Yangot, Jr., the measure directs the employer to provide seats for their female employees while on duty or during prescribed working hours and while in the performance of their work, provided the same shall not affect and will not compromise the workers’ efficiency in doing or complying with their duties.
One chair shall be provided for every five female employees or workers and in the case of establishments whose number of female employees is below five, one chair shall be provided them.
The ordinance states that the employer shall not deprive their female workers to take a seat and be seated at a reasonable time while in the performance of their work provided that the same shall not compromise the employers’ interest to provide efficient and quality service to their clients or customers.
The employer shall not reprimand, suspend or discharge its/his employee/s, whether male or female, for having testified, or prevent any of its employees from testifying, on the complaint filed by any female employee or worker against the employer for any violation of this ordinance.
The proposed measure mandates the city social welfare office to ensure that its provisions shall be strictly implemented and complied with by all private establishments operating within Baguio’s territorial jurisdiction.
Any employer who violates the ordinance’s provisions shall, upon conviction, be penalized with a fine of not less than P1,000 nor more than P5,000 or imprisonment of not less than one month nor more than six months, or both at the discretion of the courts.
If the violation is committed by a juridical entity, the president, general manager or the individual entrusted with the administration thereof at the time of the commission of the violation, shall be held responsible or liable for the violation.** gaby keith
