The Pandemic Pivot: Understanding the Legal Implications of Telecommuting in the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond

The ongoing pandemic has radically shifted the way things work, including business operations. Eminently, its impacts to global mobility in compliance with health protocols and measures set in place have also stimulated the pivot to remote work setup, formally recognizing telecommuting as a standard by various businesses across the globe.

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), 81% of the world's workforce will be compelled to adapt to the new ways of working. Due to this, telecommuting has been crucial for corporations to sustain their work operations. In addition, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reports that an average of over 50% of employees working in highly digitalized industries has already adopted a work-from-home setup during the pandemic.

While the restrictions are gradually easing up in many countries, including the Philippines, it is likely that this setup will continue to become a part of the new normal. The rapid growth of telecommuting as an alternative work arrangement requires established terms and conditions that adhere to the labor standards which are a significant component of employer-employee welfare and development. Hence, in the local context, it is highly important to understand the legal implications of this new arrangement.

Organized by the ECCP, the webinar entitled The Pandemic Pivot: Understanding the Legal Implications of Telecommuting in the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond will convene expert legal practitioners to cover how the Telecommuting Act of 2018 has significantly changed since its enactment and in parallel, how the pandemic has transformed the operations of various businesses. It will also highlight the future of the workplace environment in the post-pandemic era.