Inihayag ng Department of Education (DepEd) noong October 7, 2022, na ang mga guro na “required to isolate” dahil sa COVID-19 ay may karapatan para sa “excused absence” at hindi dapat makaltasan ng suweldo.
Ayon kay DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa, batay sa DepEd Order (DO) 39 na nagtataglay ng komprehensibong health guidelines ng ahensiya, ang mga guro na kinailangang magpa-isolate dahil sa virus ay may karampatang kumpensasyon.
Ani Poa, “Ayon po doon, pag ang teacher po ay positive for COVID, may sintomas or close contact na kailangang mag-isolate, sila po ay makakapag-avail ng excused absence.”
Dagdag niya, “Ano po ang ibig sabihin ng excused absence? Iyan po ay absence pero may bayad po sila.”
Paliwanag niya, batay sa DO 39 s. 2022, section 6, par. 29, “If the teacher is positive for COVID, is symptomatic or has close contact needed to isolate, they can avail of the excused absence. What do you mean by excused absence? That’s absence with pay.”
Pagtitiyak niya, “So they will be paid their salaries.”
Nakasaad din sa Section 6, Paragraph 30 of DO 39 na, “teachers or personnel who are close contacts, but are ‘asymptomatic or able to perform tasks’ may have a work-from-home arrangement.”
Ang mga naturang probisyon ay alinsunod din sa Civil Service Commission’s Memorandum 2, series of 2022, “for excused absences of government officials and employees.”