By Mar-Vic Cagurangan
Variety News Staff

GOVERNMENT employees who want to help in the operations of a family business would have an easier time filing for leave of absence under a bill that redefines the term “outside employment.”
Sen. Adolpho Palacios, D-Ordot/Chalan Pago, said his Bill 103 seeks to encourage family enterprises by making it easy for government employees to use their leave benefits to assist their families in operating small-scale business enterprises.
“This bill would only apply to temporary businesses that are set up at carnivals such as vending stands and concession stands,” Palacios said.
He noted that several families take advantage of opportunities to augment their fixed income during carnival season. However, Palacios said, administrative rules prohibit government employees from using their leave benefits “in pursuit of a second paycheck” via “outside employment.”
As a result, applications for leave filed by enterprising employees are often denied.
Palacios said he met with officials at the Department of Administration to ask that they provide a leeway to allow employees to pursue temporary enterprises while they are on leave, as long as they engage in ventures that don’t run in conflict with their full-time job in government.
“They said that DOA does not intend to prohibit employees from engaging in temporary ‘outside employment’ with minor family business but the rules were written in a way that restricts the agency heads’ discretion to approve the applications for leave under such circumstance,” Palacios said.
Bill 103 thus excludes “participation of an employee who assists in the temporary family business” from the definition of “outside employment.”
The bill would provide for discretionary approval by appointing authority of leave request for such purpose.