Magna Carta for Call Center Workers

The unprecedented growth of the call center or the BPO industry has employed Pinoy BPO workers nationwide and provided an opportunity for Filipinos to showcase their skills in a global setting setting without leaving home.

The Pinoy BPO workers made it a billion-dollar industry for the Philippine economy and deserves to have protection from abuses in the workplace.

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago filed Senate Bill No. 2604 or Magna Carta for Call Center Workers Act to to guarantee a good working environment for every Pinoy BPO worker.

According to the Senator's website, the bill seeks to guarantee call center employees the following rights: the right to organize and join labor organizations; the right to a safe and healthy working environment; the right to at least a one hour continuous meal break in the middle of every eight hour shift; the right to privacy; safety for night shift employees; and the right to be informed of the terms and conditions of their contract.

I want to stress that there are more abuses are being committed by BPO employers. I'm particularly against training bonds, HMO coverage after six months, forced overtime and many more other issues.

I will continue to discuss these topics in the following months and I support the Senator in her bill to forward the rights of the Pinoy BPO workers.

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'Dress Down' Must Be the Policy During Bad Weather

Some BPOs or Call Centers in the Philippines still require its employees to 'dress up' from Mondays to Thursdays. It is enforced to make their employees 'look professional' when within company premises.

I have no problems about this regulation but I think it's impractical and illogical to 'dress up' if there is a weather disturbance within the day. An estimated 90% or more of Pinoy BPO workers are still dependent on public transport to go to and fro the office. It is much of an inconvenience for us when we thread flooded streets, chase buses and jeepneys just to get to work on time during a typhoon.

I think it's a must for BPO companies with dress code policies to automatically declare a 'dress down' day when their is a public storm signal hoisted by PAGASA. Of course if your company is located in the Visayas and public storm signal is in Metro Manila, this will not be applicable.

I praise a BPO company somewhere in Buendia Avenue that dispatched transport vans hourly to key points in north and south Metro Manila to make sure its employees get to work safely during the time Super Typhoon Juan brought heavy rains in the metro. And of course employees get to 'dress down' as they where informed 6 hours earlier before their shifts.

That same day I texted my superior if we can go 'dress down' because Metro Manila was placed under Typhoon signal # 1 by PAGASA. I received the most ridiculous text response to date: 'No, because we have client visit today and we need to dress up'.

I later received another message just less than 2 hours before my shift that says 'Got a message from management allowing us to dress down'

Too bad some of my co-workers already left their homes at that time I sent the message across. My friend responded, 'Damn! I'm now in an FX, why didn't you texted me earlier?'

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Personal Outsourcing?

Big US companies utilized technology and outsourcing to make it possible for us, Pinoy BPO workers, to provide customer care, technical support and sell products for a living. But have you heard of personal outsourcing?

This could be the next trend in outsourcing. An ordinary individual can use present technology to 'outsource' work, to have time to do other things. In this scenario, let's say an American accountant may find someone offshore to do the Excel sheets for him to make his work easier and faster and just pay a few dollars for it.

Odesk is the leading website for online jobs and as I heard, it is also a marketplace for personal outsourcing. Similar websites followed suit and is also now providing stable part-time jobs for us Pinoy BPO workers.

This could be an opportunity for us Pinoy BPO workers to earn extra. I could only imagine that the time will come that a fifth grader in the US may outsource his homework for a dollar.

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Salary Disputes Again and Again

In an industry that uses and boasts of cutting edge technology, real-time processes and high performing workforce, salary discrepancies continues to haunt our hard working Pinoy BPO workers. It has been happening and it's a fact for many years now.

Back in 2006 when I was just starting out in the industry, I experienced my first holiday pay dispute. It was not credited for at least 3 months after I filed to correct the discrepancy.

After 4 years, now in 2010, I experienced yet the worst and the most ridiculous paycheck. Payroll issued me a 30.82 pesos check for one cut-off. I felt so humiliated and shocked. This payroll personnel who handed me the check just didn't know what it is all about and I just don't understand why this guy was just not sensitive enough to even apologize, the very least.

A check with right amount was released the day after. For me, this is just a reflection of what kind of culture the company have and this is a very serious matter that the company needs to address immediately.

I knows there's no perfect BPO company out there but as they say, mess up with anything, but not with our salaries. MAHIYA NAMAN KAYO.

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Typhoon Basyang and the Call Center

It's work as usual for Pinoy BPO workers even if a typhoon directly hit Metro Manila and nearby provinces weeks ago. That's not really surprising as call centers and buildings have back-up generators working even if the whole metropolis was groping in the dark because of blackouts.

It's just so funny when I heard a story of a friend of mine that she was tagged 'AWOL' when she failed to contact her supervisor that she will not be able to make it to the office because of strong rains and winds brought by the typhoon. I understand that it is a company policy to do so but with extra ordinary circumstances, it should be at least be dealt with consideration. And personally I do not recommend going to work with winds up to 120kph blowing outside as commuting will be extremely difficult and dangerous.

With an empty phone battery and blackouts, winds and rains everywhere, just contact your supervisor to avoid 'AWOL'. Okay fine.

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Teleperformance Closes Dell Accounts in MOA

It's now the end of the line for former Dell MOA regular employees that were absorbed by Teleperformance last year as XPS support and Solution Station software support (formerly called Dell on Call) will cease operations by June 25th.

Agents affected will be on 'floating' status pending if other accounts are ready to train and admit them. I see this no pay scenario for the agents unnacceptable. Teleperformance acquired these Dell agents and retained their regular status because they are an asset to the company not a liability. These agents chose to stay and trusted Teleperformance to give them career stability. This company should pay these agents their compensation regardless and treat people like people and not as machines that is being set aside if they're not earning money from them.

Nevertheless, experiencing the evils of the industry will not dampen the spirits of the Pinoy BPO worker. Move on and forward!

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