Interim Guidelines on the Use of Leave Credits for Absences Due to Self-Quarantine and/or Treatment Relative to the Corona Virus Disease-2019 (COVID-19)

February 20, 2020

CSC MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 005-20

 

Pursuant to CSC Resolution No. 2000362 promulgated on February 20, 2020, the Commission adopted the following Interim Guidelines on the Use of Leave Credits for Absences Due to Self-Quarantine and/or Treatment relative to the Corona Virus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) to avert the threat in all workplaces in the public sector and to ensure that government officials and employees are given the chance to undergo preventive or remedial health measures to ensure that they are in good health at all times.

1.0 Purpose

These guidelines provides for the procedure of availment of leave privileges for absences incurred in relation to self-quarantine and/or treatment of public sector officials and employees relative to the COVID-19 which has been declared by the World Health Organization as Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

Moreover, said guidelines seek to ensure that precautionary measures are employed in government agencies to avoid the spread of the said virus in the public sector workplace.

2.0 Scope and Coverage

These guidelines apply to all public sector officials and employees regardless of status of appointment (permanent, temporary, provisional, substitute, coterminous, casual, contractual or fixed term) including elective officials.

3.0 Guidelines

3.1 It is the responsibility of each government official/employee or any individual serving the public sector to ensure that he/she employs the necessary measures to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 infection in the public sector workplace.

One who feels sick with the COVID-19-like symptoms 1 or has been exposed to persons infected with COVID-19 must immediately inform his/her supervisor; voluntarily seek immediate medical attention and/or go on self-quarantine, as deemed necessary upon the advice and certification of a licensed government/private physician. This is in order to avert the possible spread of the infection in the workplace.

3.2 All officials and employees in the public sector who have history of travel from China and its Special Administrative Regions (Macau and Hongkong) including other countries as declared/identified by competent Philippine authority prior to and after the promulgation of these guidelines shall ensure that they shall have submitted themselves to "self-quarantine" in their homes or any appropriate health facility, as applicable for fourteen (14) calendar days upon arrival in the Philippines. They shall not report back to work unless the said self-quarantine period has elapsed and/or they have been treated, and cleared as being fit to go back to work by the proper health authorities.

3.3 Absence from work due to self-quarantine period and/or treatment of the COVID-19, as applicable, shall be treated, as follows:

 

Categories	Nature of Absence from Work; Applicable Leave of Absence	Procedure Upon Return to Work
1. Officials and employees who have history of travel (official/personal) from China and its Special Administrative Regions (Macau and Hongkong) including other countries as declared/identified by competent Philippine authority prior to and after the promulgation of these guidelines who are directed to go on self-quarantine and/or later on tested positive of COVID-19.   2. Frontline service providers such as but not limited to Public Health Workers (PHWs), immigration officers, consular officers and other government officials and employees who are directed to go on self-quarantine and/or later tested positive of COVID-19 while in the performance of their official functions.	Absence from work during the fourteen (14) calendar days prescribed period of observation, including those who were diagnosed with COVID-19 during the said period, shall not be deducted from their earned leave credits.   After the aforecited 14-day period has elapsed the official/employee diagnosed with the COVID-19, their absences shall be charged from their earned sick leave credits.	For those who have not exhibited symptoms of COVID-19:   A Medical Certificate to be submitted to the agency's HR unit issued by any government/private physician that one has voluntarily self-quarantined himself/herself for 14 days upon arrival from the country and has exhibited no symptoms of COVID-19 and is cleared to report back to work.   For those who got sick but were not infected by the COVID-19:   A Medical Certificate to be submitted to the agency's HR unit issued by any government/private physician that one has been treated of his/her sickness and is cleared as being fit to report back to work.   For those who were infected by the COVID-19:   A Medical Certificate to be submitted to the agency's HR unit issued by the government health facility responsible for the treatment of the said COVID-19 indicating that one has been treated and is cleared as being fit to report back to work.   Said health facilities, called Referral Centers for Emerging and Re-Emerging Infectious Disease may be referred to in the DOH website, www.doh.gov.ph.
3. Officials and employees who take care of their family members who have contracted the COVID-19.	Absence from work during the fourteen (14) calendar days prescribed period of observation and treatment shall be charged against their earned sick leave credits.

 

3.4 In the event of circumstances above mentioned wherein the employee has exhausted his/her sick leave credits, Section 56 of the Omnibus Rules on Leave shall apply allowing the use of vacation leave credits in lieu of sick leave credits. In case vacation leave credits have been exhausted, the employee may apply for sick leave of absence without pay.

3.5 Office heads shall also ensure that the efficiency and productivity standards of work units are met in such cases where periods of absence of concerned officials and staff may bring about setbacks in the delivery of public service.

4.0 Responsibilities of the Agency head

4.1 The agency head shall ensure that the aforecited guidelines are enforced in one's agency as a precautionary measure to avert the possible threat of the COVID-19 in the public sector workplace.

5.0 Effectivity

These guidelines shall take effect immediately and shall be applicable for the duration of the Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) until said medical condition has been lifted by the proper health authorities.

However, government employees, officials, and other public servants covered by these Guidelines whose period of self-quarantine after recent travel (official/personal) was deducted against their leave credits prior to the issuance of these Guidelines can have the said leave credits restored through their respective agencies' Human Resource/Personnel Office/s/Units.

(SGD.) ALICIA DELA ROSA-BALAChairperson

ATTACHMENT

CSC RESOLUTION NO. 2000362

 

Footnotes

1. Signs and symptoms: (fever, coughing, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, other early symptoms to watch for are chills, body aches, sore throat, headache, diarrhea, nausea/vomiting, and runny nose).