PH-based job portal finds signs of “great resignation” among Cebu workers

Philippines-based online job portal Mynimo.com found that up to 42 percent of 4,500 workers they surveyed in Cebu are mulling resignation any time soon. Out of the 58 sectors covered by their recent survey, those from information technology-business process outsourcing (IT-BPO) reported the highest resignation rate. The survey also revealed that most of these roles do not offer work-from-home (WFH) or work-from-anywhere (WFX) schemes.

“The jobs with the highest resignation rates are jobs that have proven to be very demanding to carry out, especially during the lockdowns,” said Mynimo.com’s President and CEO Wesley Chiongbian in a statement.

“Lack of company benefits” was the top reason cited by the surveyed employees for leaving their jobs, followed by “limited growth in the company,” “being underpaid,” “feeling undervalued,” and “no work-life balance,” respectively.

“Aside from providing competitive salaries and benefits, companies should be more sensitive to the needs of each employee to be able to retain them. It’s becoming more evident that the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach of the past is no longer the best practice for retention,” Chiongbian added.

Then again, it has also to be considered that not all homes are geared to match office equipment and amenities. This logistical reality makes the “return to office” or “back to office” mandate, which began for BPO firms and registered business enterprises (RBEs) located in areas administered by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) last April 1, seem more attractive in the long run.

“If there are multiple people working from the same home, plus a child doing remote learning at the same time, this can affect productivity significantly. The stability and capacity of the home’s internet connection will also be primary factors. And most importantly, mental health will need to be carefully addressed for this type of work arrangement,” Mynimo.com’s President and CEO explained.

In relation to this, an earlier poll done by the Alliance of Call Center Workers (ACW) revealed that 157 of their members are planning to resign from their jobs if the work-from-home (WFH) or work-from-anywhere (WFX) arrangement will no longer be allowed, 117 are undecided, and 37 members indicated that they will stay in their work even if they have to go back to their offices.

“There is a significant number of workers who are willing to resign,” ACW co-convenor Emman David told reporters in a virtual press briefing on March 24, “But this should not be taken as a sign of protest [to the FIRB’s decision], rather it is a sign of inconvenience.”

The Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB), however, continues to resist calls from certain sectors for a more permanent scheme allowing WFH, particularly for BPOs and RBEs located in economic zones.

In a statement issued April 28, Department of Finance (DOF) Assistant Secretary Juvy Danofrata said that “the current situation already allows us to direct our policies towards fully reopening the economy.”

“Given the increasing vaccination rate of Filipinos nationwide, we can now undertake safety measures for the physical reporting of employees,” Danofrata added, “In fact, the President has ordered all government agencies and instrumentalities to adhere to the one hundred percent (100 percent) on-site workforce under Alert Level 1.”

As of writing time, the Philippines currently enforces Alert Levels 1 and 2 across the country, two of the lowest quarantine classifications in the 5-tiered alert level system mandated during the pandemic.