The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced on Friday that it will return to the standard five-day workweek arrangement starting June 1.
In a memorandum issued on May 28, Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino ordered the reinstatement of the standard workweek for all bureaus, services, regional offices, and attached agencies of DOLE.
Previously, DOLE had implemented a compressed workweek (CWW) in compliance with Memorandum Circular (MC) 114 of the Office of the President. This circular mandated government agencies and instrumentalities to strictly adopt energy conservation protocols to mitigate the impact of global market volatility.
MC 114 allowed alternative work arrangements, such as a four-day workweek, to reduce energy consumption in the public sector.
Earlier, DOLE reported that its electricity consumption significantly decreased from 113,560 kilowatt-hours (kWh) in February to 100,720 kWh in March, in line with the implementation of the CWW.
It also noted that the agency's fuel consumption dropped from 4,722.85 liters to 3,752.63 liters during the same period, representing a reduction of 970.22 liters.
Despite the return to a standard workweek, the department assured that it will continue to observe energy-saving measures.
