Joey Concepcion, the founder of Go Negosyo and the lead for the Jobs sector of the Private Sector Advisory Council, said that while he believes a 70:30 on-site versus work-from-home arrangement for the IT-BPO sector, business owners must be free to decide the work arrangements for their own employees.

“I am not against the 70:30 on-site – work-from-home arrangement for IT-BPO companies. In fact, I was part of the council that recommended it and am the leader of the Jobs group which presented this suggestion,” said Concepcion. “What I am saying is that the recommended work arrangement solution for the IT-BPO sector may not be the best one for all organizations,” he said. “It is the business owners who will be in the best position to decide which work arrangement makes the most sense for them, so it is they, not anyone else, who must be allowed to make the decision.”

“Businesses must be free to decide based on what their operations require,” he said.

He explained that the IT-BPO sector has its unique work setups and deliverables, as do sectors like manufacturing, retail, finance services and so on, who may need to have all employees render in-person work at all times.

“One solution does not necessarily work for all. There may be those who are open to the idea of a hybrid work-from-home arrangement, or for four-day workweeks, but we can’t have the same solution for everybody,” he said.

Concepcion reminded, however, that the country’s economic rebound depends on private sector consumption and spending. “We need more mobility if we want the economy to grow and for businesses to remain viable so they can generate more employment,” he said.

“However employers decide, we must not lose sight of the urgency for our country’s economy to recover from the pandemic, whether this is achieved through increased productivity or mobility,” he said.

This follows continuing discussion on how to balance health and the economy, as well as the clamor from the workforce for employers to reconsider pre-pandemic work processes, and from business for employees to return to the office.