The business process outsourcing (BPO) industry—which created over 20,000 new jobs despite the recession in 2020 thanks to work-from-home arrangements—is asking for a few more months before most of its workforce returns to the office. But the government wants them all back by April 1.
BPO firms abroad, including those in the Philippines’ biggest competitor India, will likely continue to have many of their employees working from home even after the pandemic, according to a previous Inquirer interview with officials of Everest Group, a research firm that advises Global 1,000 companies in outsourcing their services. The Indian government is already adjusting its policies and tax breaks to support BPOs working from home. The Philippines, said the officials, should do the same or get left behind.