DOLE issues guidelines on workplace policy and program on Hepatitis B
Date Posted : January 6, 2011 7:12 AM

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has issued guidelines on the implementation of a workplace policy and program on Hepatitis B to reduce the risk of transmission in the workplace and eliminate discrimination against workers infected with Hepatitis B.

Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz said DOLE Department Advisory No. 5, series of 2010, would guide employers and workers in the formulation of a workplace policy and program on Hepatitis B.

The advisory requires all private workplaces to implement a rights-based policy and a program on Hepatitis B that incorporated human rights standards and principles. It also covers all workers regardless of their employment status.

To assist employers and workers, Baldoz said the Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC), in coordination with the Department of Health (DOH), will help companies in the formulation and implementation of their Hepatitis B Workplace Policy and Program.

The DOLE, she added, will also develop a standardized basic information package to provide workers and employers with basic information and education on Hepatitis B prevention and management.

"This is part of our efforts to ensure decent work. Workers should not only be provided just wages and benefits. They should also be protected from illnesses like Hepatitis B which may hinder their productivity and competitiveness," Baldoz said.

The DOLE advisory requires vaccination to all occupations with a conceivable risk of Hepatitis B transmission in the workplace such as health care workers and other workers whose occupation involves the potential exchange of bodily fluids. It also encourages all establishments to provide Hepatitis B immunization for all its workers.

The advisory also requires firms to include a policy on non-discriminatory, confidentiality, work accommodation, and arrangements for workers with Hepatitis B status. It specifically states the following:

1. There shall be no discrimination of any form against workers on the basis of their Hepatitis B status consistent with international agreements on non-discrimination ratified by the Philippines (ILO C111). They shall not be discriminated against, from pre- to post-employment, including hiring, promotion, or assignment;
2. They shall not be declared unfit to work without appropriate medical evaluation and counseling;
3. Workers shall not be terminated on the basis of the actual, perceived, or suspected Hepatitis B status;
4. Workplace management of sick employees shall not differ from that of any other illness. Persons with Hepatitis-B related illness should be able to work for as long as they are medically fit;
5. Job applicants and workers shall not be compelled to disclose their Hepatitis B status and other related medical information. Co-workers shall not be obliged to reveal and personal information about fellow workers. Access to personal data relating to a worker's Hepatitis B status shall be bound by the rules of confidentiality and shall be strictly limited to medical personnel or if legally required;
6. Employers shall take measures to reasonably accommodate workers who are Hepatitis B positive or with Hepatitis B-related illnesses;
7. Through agreements made between management and workers' representatives, measures to support workers with Hepatitis B are encouraged through flexible leave arrangements, rescheduling of working time, and arrangement for return to work.

Baldoz said the DOLE, through its regional offices, in collaboration with the DOH, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and local government units (LGUs), shall oversee and monitor compliance of private establishments on the implementation of the Hepatitis B workplace policy and program and in the dissemination of information on Hepatitis B prevention and control in the workplace program.

She added that implementation of the Hepatitis B workplace policy and program became effective on January 4, 2010, 15 days after the DOLE advisory was published in a major newspaper.

Question or inquiry about this press release? Please contact Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC) at 927-0926.

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