Export Enterprises Prove that Hybrid Model is the Way to Go.

  With soaring fuel costs and heavy traffic resuming in the metropolitan areas of the country, the Telecommuting Act which was signed into law in 2018 has become top-of-mind as various sectors expressed support for continuing alternative work arrangements. This law allows those in the private sector to work “from an alternative workplace with the use of telecommunications and/or  computer technologies.”

  While the law was affected in 2018, it was the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and the subsequent lockdowns that led the government, private and even public sector employers to rapidly and extensively implement alternative work arrangements such as work-from-home (WFH) and hybrid (partly on-site, partly WFH) models. For instance, export enterprises such as the IT-BPM industry which is the second largest revenue contributor to the Philippine economy with 1.4 million workers, is one of the industries that successfully deployed this approach. The IT-BPM Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) has appealed the latest decision of the FIRB regarding WFH, and is in constant coordination with relevant government stakeholders to elucidate the industry’s position. IBPAP has put forward all relevant points that relate to the business efficiency, staff benefits, socio-cultural and economic considerations of a WFH as well as hybrid arrangement.

  One employer in this industry is customer experience solutions and technology leader Concentrix, whose WFH population is already approx. 60,0000 staff – over 60% of its Philippines team today.

“Our Philippines team operates 24/7 in support of clients and customers in multiple time zones across 4 continents. For a company of that scale, the cost of fuel and vehicle utilization adds to the urban traffic problem and subsequent loss of productivity in USD $ millions. Concentrix has been operating alternative work arrangements that are not just WFH but including Community Hubs and micro-sites that reflect a hybrid approach, and have proven over the last 2 years that productivity levels among staff are at par with traditional on-site office operations. This allowed us to continue to grow and generate significant revenue for the Philippine economy.” - Amit Jagga, SVP and Country Leader of Concentrix Philippines

  Concentrix is not only the country’s largest private employer with a nationwide presence. It is also the recipient of ICT (Information and Communications Technology) Awards as Best Company, Best Employer, Best Foreign-Owned Company and Best BPO Contact Center for two years in a row in 2020 and 2021.

  The positive global trend of flexible work models has been cited since 2012, in a report published by Regus called Flexibility Drives Productivity, citing that “72% of global businesses report that increased productivity is a direct result of flexible working practices while 68% of interviewed firms stated that flexible working has led to staff generating increased revenue. This is particularly true in emerging economies that appear to have made flexible working a key part of their development.”

  Therefore, given the right environment, export enterprises will continue to thrive. A factor that will help propel this is to adopt global work trends such as flexible and hybrid work models, that are also widely embraced by the global principals of local players and by the clients and customers they serve. This is the way forward according to industry association IBPAP and companies like Concentrix, urging the government to allow continuation of alternative work arrangements whether it be WFH or hybrid, in order to support employment and industry growth, decongestion of metros and conservation of resources, lower cost of living, and to spread revenue generation to the rest of the nation.