WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING…

On July 06, 2009, United States Agency for International Development through their Growth with Equity in Mindanao Program will launch two of its projects that legitimize Mindanao in the Cyber-world Map. They would be launching WiMax and JEEP program which aims to help boost the BPO industry in Mindanao.

The BPO industry has been making its great leap and now being considered as one of the top economy-pushers just within the last few years which started around 2009.

Last week, my call center was invited to take part in a public hearing regarding an ordinance that would require all call centers in Davao City to provide special quarters for the use of their employees. The idea sounded generally nice but not generally wise.

Most of the call centers in Manila spare a room or two for ther employees comfort. The idea is for the employees’ use to rest and probably sleep since that they are working in wee hours of the day. Wonderful isn’t it? The companies try to find ways to holistically take good care of their employees.

But then, that is Manila. The quarters for them are more of a necessity rather than of a luxury. Call center agents based in Manila can come as far as Rizal, Laguna or Batagas. Going home right away after a long and tiring shift and sleeping at the comfort of your own room does sound very enticing but it won’t be that easy.

Let see how 24 hours spent is being used up. Working for a call center means that you have to be in the office for 9 hours, that 8 hours work plus 1 hour for your meal break. Consider someone who works in a call center in Ortigas who happens to live in Laguna. It would take them at least (note the word AT LEAST) 3 hours just to get to or from your work site. It would take roughly another 3 hours for the other two meals that you’ll have for the day. And about 2 hours max for you to dress up and get ready for to work. And since call centers are very strict with time you have to be on site at least 30 minutes before work.

Doing the math, 8 hours work plus 1 hour meal break plus 6 hours travel time plus 3 hours for lunch and dinner plus 2 hours personal care plus 30 mins. before shift is equal to 20.5 hours. This leaves you with 3.5 hours at most for your sleep every day.

So really, it is a necessity for them. However, here in Davao City the farthest can go up to Toril or Sasa or Tibungco which is at most, would take an hour. But most of the call center agents live within a 15 min travel radius from their work place. If I am the agent, I would think twice or thrice staying in the special quarters and sharing it with 3 or more strangers to sleep when I could go home within a matter of minutes.



Allocating special quarters may not also be cost-effective and wise. If the ordinance is enacted, I being an entrepreneur would allocate funds to build and maintain these special quarters. Building them and maintaining them can’t be covered up by petty cash funds. A special funding would really be needed.

My 200-seat call center is currently on the development stage. We are currently expanding our capacity to cater to more foreign clients needs. Allocating another room would be means losing at least 50 seats and consuming about a chunk for expenses on maintenance. And about only 2-3% of my employees would avail of this privilege. So if I spent Php 500,000 for the construction and maintenance of the special quarters for a year, only about 20 of my employees would be able to enjoy the quarters. But if I spent that amount and equally divide them to the number of employees we have and allocate it as salary raise, all of my employees would benefit and all of them would really appreciate what they received.

The ordinance would force the call centers particularly those operated by small entrepreneurs like me in Davao City to divert funds from much need employee benefits or facility/equipment upgrade to building and maintaining these special quarters.

I applaud the law makers of Davao City for such initiative to take care of the welfare of the BPO professionals within the city. But there is no necessity to regulate them .

To make matter worst, the proposed ordinance says that if there is no “napping quarters” found in the call centers, our business permit may be cancelled. These will just be an added cost to doing business and may even be another layer of bureaucracy that may just result to petty corruption.

We as entrepreneurs are always in a look out of better benefits that our employees would really appreciate. Dictating us what to give would not do any good for us or even for the employees.

It is always nice to benchmark things as we could see our pros and cons of every institution. Comparison also gives us the ideas and facts to check projects if it would be feasible or not. But then again, let us always remember everything is unique and what may be best for them may not be the best for us.


(Joji Ilagan Bian is a strong and respected advocate for the development of the region. She is Chair of Joji Ilagan Foundation ( www.jojiilagancareercenter.com) ; President , Phil. Call Centers Alliance and Mindanao Tech Voc Schools Association; Mindanao Rep, Export Development Council. Email comments jojibian2@yahoo.com)