QUEZON CITY -- The Civil Service Commission (CSC), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), and Governance Commission for Government-owned or -Controlled Corporations (GCG) signed the Joint Circular (JC) regarding the rules and regulations for granting night shift differential pay (NSDP) to government employees at the Boncodin Hall, DBM Central Office, Manila City on 01 August 2023.

CSC Chairperson Karlo Nograles, together with DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman and GCG Chairperson Justice Alex L. Quiroz (ret.), presided over the ceremonial signing of the JC. The main objective of this JC is to extensively disseminate the guidelines and ensure uniform policy interpretation and effective implementation of Republic Act (R.A.) No. 11701 granting NSDP to qualified government employees.

“With the signing of this circular, we reaffirm our commitment to fostering a fair and equitable work environment in government. This policy aims to uplift the well-being of our government employees and ensure that their efforts during night shifts are justly rewarded,” said CSC Chairperson Nograles.

Secretary Pangandaman explained that under the law, compensation premium or additional pay is given to government employees who work during graveyard shifts or between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. of the following day.

“This is your government appreciating all of you, our modern-day heroes, who are going the extra mile and working longer hours out of their sheer sense of public service,” she added.

“Providing proper compensation is a fundamental human right. Indeed, the NSDP is a much-deserved benefit for the employees heavily relied upon by the government to keep its operations working,” stressed GCG Chairperson Justice Quiroz.

The NSDP covers all government employees, including those in government-owned or -controlled corporations (GOCCs), occupying positions/items of Division Chief and below or their equivalent.  This benefit covers individuals regardless of their appointment status (permanent, temporary, coterminous, substitute, contractual, or casual) and whether they have official working hours or a flexible work arrangement, such as work shifting, during the period from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. of the following day.

This benefit is also given to incumbents of Division Chief positions and below or their equivalent, designated as Officers-in-Charge to executive/managerial positions when they are still bound to observe the work hours between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. of the following day.

R.A. No. 11701, which took effect on 02 June 2022, provides that NSDP will be in addition to, and will not in any way diminish, whatever benefits and allowances are presently enjoyed by government employees. However, R.A. No. 11701 does not cover government employees whose regular schedule falls between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., including those under the flexible work arrangements whose nature of services require their rendition within the same period.

CSC Chairperson Nograles thanked the DBM and GCG for partnering with the CSC in the formulation and drafting of the JC. 

“Your perseverance and collaborative spirit have been instrumental in shaping a policy that aligns seamlessly with our vision of a progressive and inclusive civil service. This Ceremonial Signing stands as a testament to our shared commitment to forge a civil service that remains responsive, resilient, and unwavering in its dedication to the welfare of our beloved nation,” he said.

Also present during the ceremonial signing of the JC were DBM Undersecretary Wilford Will L. Wong, CSC Commissioner Ryan Alvin R. Acosta, GCG Commissioners Gideon D.V. Mortel and Geraldine Marie Berberabe-Martinez, CSC Assistant Commissioner Ariel G. Ronquillo, CSC Acting Assistant Commissioners Judith A. Dongallo-Chicano and Nerissa B. Canguilan, DBM Assistant Secretary Achilles Gerard C. Bravo, DBM Director Gerald R. Janda, and CSC Directors Maria Luisa Salonga-Agamata, Jennifer Timbol and Sheila G. Acuña. (CSC)