Negros Occidental’s provincial government has granted its job order (JO) and contract of service (COS) workers the five-day wellness leave credits approved by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) for the duration of their contract.
The inclusion of the JO and CO workers in the internal guidelines on the implementation of the wellness leave is stated in Executive Order (EO) 26-03 issued by Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson.
“JO and COS employees may now start availing of five days wellness leave pursuant to Governor Bong Lacson’s EO,” Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II said in a Facebook post on Thursday.
Last month, Diaz said the governor signed contracts for the renewal of services of the province’s 1,095 JO workers and 1,076 COS employees.
Wellness leave refers to a leave privilege granted to personnel to allow time for rest, recuperation, and activities that promote overall well-being, including mental health care, stress management, and physical wellness.
Lacson said JO and COS personnel “may avail of wellness leave during the duration of their contract within the calendar year without prejudice to existing rules on compensation and attendance.”
In the directive, the governor said “it is the policy of the provincial government to uphold the welfare of its human resources and to adopt programs and initiatives that support a healthy, resilient, and efficient workforce.”
“There is a need to adopt and institutionalize uniform internal guidelines to ensure the proper, consistent, and effective implementation of wellness leave across all provincial offices, departments, hospitals, and other units, consistent with CSC rules and regulations,” he added.
In December last year, the CSC approved the grant of a maximum of five days wellness leave for eligible government officials and employees to further strengthen workplace strategies aligned with Republic Act 11036 or the Mental Health Act.
Under its Resolution 2501292, the commission emphasized provisions of Joint Administrative Order 2023-000 issued with the Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Health, which identifies mental health as among the priority areas for workplace health promotion interventions. *PNA
[sibwp_form id=1]