Employee Referral Program (ERP)

If there's one perk in the call center (BPO) industry that I haven't avail for the past few years, it will definitely be the referral system. Due to the high attrition rate of agents in the BPO industry (either they're terminated, resign due to fatigue or found a higher paying job), there is always hiring. You can even walk-in anytime to a call center and you'll definitely be entertained. Some BPOs even have a dedicated recruitment hub that caters to job applicants on a daily basis, even Saturdays.

I am actually thinking of making the most of this referral system. After all, it's usually 10,000-20,000 depending on account. These are the usual referral incentives that we can get for every successful applicant that we refer. Most of the time it's given in 3-4 pay-outs: one hired, after 3 months and once regularized. Sometimes, I think of printing out referral slips/leaflets with my contact number and email address on it but that will incur some cost and time to distribute it. I would have to spend a day probably near Citibank Eastwood for distributing leaflets.

Since I have a blog, I could probably advertise it here. Every single poster that appears on Concentrix's Facebook page, I can probably re-post it here. I can also try to be a member of Facebook groups that caters to job applicants or probably join a recruitment caravan on malls and job fairs. The possibilities of getting referrals are endless. However, I might need to invest some time also in giving tips and practicing these applicants for the question and answer portion of the interview to increase my changes of having successful referrals.

I will have to create articles on tips and tricks to pass that interview. Well, if you're a high school graduate and badly need to work, then I would highly suggest you apply for a call center job. If you're lucky, you might find a BPO center that offers continuous learning program, provided that you can still function efficiently as an agent. If you're single, then you could definitely earn from your salary as a call center agent and take units in college. The other thing that's advantageous in the call center industry is that promotions are always there (again, due to attrition).

Here are some tips if you wanted to work in the call center industry:

1. Start with an Internet Service Provider (ISP) account. These accounts are always hiring and has the least requirements in the call center industry. You can start at a local ISP account, but I suggest you go international. The best way to learn the basics of supporting an ISP account is visit a local computer shop or a friend that has Internet at home. Ask them how to do basic troubleshooting and familiarize yourself with the equipment involve -- the computer (monitor, CPU, keyboard, mouse), the telephone cable (RJ11), the modem, the ethernet cable (usually yellow or blue and a.k.a. RJ45), the browser (Firefox, Internet Explorer) and filters.

2. Start watching American TV shows and movies. You don't need to have the accent. A neutral, Filipino accent is okay as long as it's understandable and doesn't have a very strong regional accent. Try conversing with your friends in English more often.

3. Prepare at most, 2-page resume. Don't follow the format of those Bio-Data that is being sold. Just be simple and concise with your resume. Don't put your picture on your resume yet. Reserve it after the job offer. You also don't need to mention your height and weight, parents name, etc. Mention your Education, Work Experience and Seminars attended as well as your hobbies and interests.

4. Practice typing faster. Use free typing tests on the Internet or download a copy of Typing Master. Aim for a speed of at least 25 words per minute and 90% accuracy. It will also be helpful if you could learn how to Google for answers faster using the correct keywords based on the questions. Also, try to answer abstract questionnaires or those number sequence questions. It will also be helpful if you'll increase your vocabulary and your synonyms, antonyms and homonyms. Reading a dictionary will also be helpful.

5. The most common question in the initial interview is: "Tell me something about yourself that is not in your resume". The aim is for you to speak up and express yourself in English. Just make sure that you don't mention topics that you're not comfortable talking because from this initial question, the interviewer will derive more questions. Talk about your family, your hobbies, and other things that you are very much involved in.

6. Next questions are usually the descriptive questions. Questions like: "How do you sell a pencil/ice cream to a blind person/Eskimo?" The interviewer will like to know how you convey ideas over the phone. It will be easier if you can do video calls to clients but that will probably take a few more years. Practice describing something over the phone. Other questions might be "How did you get here (at the venue) from home?". The interviewer wanted to know how you will ask a person to perform task or navigate. It's very important that your instructions are clear.

7. Prepare for other questions like "Why do you want to work in a call center?" (to try something new, improve your skills and earn), "What is your advantage over the other applicants?" (try to mention that you are all qualified for the job but you're more attentive to details or happier or more dedicated at work). You can YouTube these questions and try to personlize your answer a bit.

"How do you see yourself 5 years from now?" (you should still be part of the company you're applying for).

8. Don't lose hope if you don't get hire after applying 5, 6 or 7 times. I got hired after applying 20 times. Beat that. Just take note of the questions that you get in the initial or final interview. Google for better answers. Practice it with a friend then re-apply.

9. It will not harm if you could Google a little info about the company that you're applying for. Also, if you're asked if you believe that the customer is always right, please answer YES (although in reality, it's not). It will be plus points if you ask a question if the interviewer ended his/her interview by saying "Do you have any questions?"

Good luck on your job application! You may also email your resume to elmerlovesoreo(at)gmail.com so I could proofread it and offer suggestions on how to improve it. Then I'll forward it to our recruitment personnel for a possible appointment with you.

BuzzNet Tags: Referral,Concentrix,ERP

Convergys’ Employee Referral Program

Convergys is hiring! If you want to apply for a call center position from one of the country’s top call center company, send your resume to elmerlovesoreo(at)gmail.com. I’ll gladly forward it to our HR.

You can also visit our Recruitment Hub at the Mezzanine Floor of MDC 100 Building (opposite Citibank) in Libis, Quezon City on September 15, 17 and 29, 2014 between 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM.

See you there!

Technorati Tags: Convergys' Employee Referral Program,Hiring,CVG,MDC 100,Libis

The JobsDB Recruitment Party

So I attended a one of a kind Job Fair / Recruitment Party last night at the Elbow Room, Metrowalk, Ortigas Center. It’s called Hired and it’s powered by JobsDB. It’s a one of a kind, Recruitment Party and the first of its kind. Instead of a usual Job Fair in a mall that starts at Mall Hours until 5PM, this Recruitment Party by JobsDB started around 4PM in one of the most famous gimmick place in the Metro. It was followed by a party around 8 PM with drinks! Now that’s something unique.

The companies that were present during this unique Recruitment Party were Alorica, West, Hinduja, HGS, Sutherland, Taotec, Stellar, VXI, Teleperformance, WeSelect, Genpac and Unison among others. The host of the party was Rico Robles and it was sponsored by Tanduay Ice, Zalora Philippines, Gatsby, Star City, Philippine Bloggers Network and When In Manila, Adobo Magazine among others.

I accompanied my friend in this event but I also manage to apply at 2 companies. It was more of initial interviews and then they’ll make a follow-up on Monday for more tests and interviews. The timeframe was only about 4 hours and I agree that they can’t do a full interview-tests-job offer during this event. I hope my friend and the jobseekers present last night would definitely receive a follow-up call to continue their job application. I applaud JobsDB for coming up with such a concept and hopefully; other recruitment firms and job fairs would be as fun and exciting as this one.

The Elbow Room is located on the 2nd floor of the Metrowalk in Ortigas Center. It’s our first time to the venue and it’s perfect for the Hire Recruitment Party.

Snacks were provided to jobseekers while waiting for their turn to be interviewed. JobsDB’s party is definitely worth attending.

Prizes were given away to those jobseekers who participated in the party.

Laptops were provided so that jobseekers can visit the JobsDB website to look for jobs while waiting for their turn to be interviewed.

The Elbow Room in Metrowalk is equipped with billiard tables. Jobseekers take advantage of this amenity while waiting for their turn to be interviewed.

The Hire Recruitment Party is also a great time to chat with friends about career growth.

Technorati Tags: JobsDB,Recruitment Party,Hired

An Invitation From Ambient Solutions BPO

So I received an invitation from Ambient Solutions BPO today to apply in their company. I must admit, the poster looks promising. Since we’re going to attend the Job Fair of DZRH tomorrow at SM Megamall, we’ll probably passed by Emerald Avenue where Ambient Solutions BPO is located.

I like their battle cry that Ambient Solutions is a company that empowers people to #BeSomethingMore. I also like the Relaxed Work Environment in this poster as well as the Signing Bonus Provided. Hopefully the poster really speaks the truth about Ambient Solutions BPO.

Technorati Tags: Ambient Solutions BPO,Emerald Avenue,Ortigas

After Shift Jam Year 7

Congratulations to HelerShirts on their 7th Year After Shift Jam.

This year’s celebration is unique because it’s for the benefit of their Tree Planting Project (which our country needs badly).

Technorati Tags: HelerShirts,After Shift Jam Year 7,BPO

I’m Back At Convergys!

I first worked for Convergys in January-July 2009 for a US ISP account (wireless and home networking). Back then, I had an issue with my team leader (TL) which brought my career at Convergys to a halt (1 week before being regularized). Back then, I was assigned at Robinson’s Equitable Tower and I enjoyed their shower room during my stay.

After more than 4 years, I’m back at Convergys! Now, I’m assigned at MDC 100 Building in Eastwood City, Libis, Quezon City. I’m back on handling a DSL account and I’m enjoying the account so far. It feels good to be back at Convergys. Hopefully this time, I’ll be able to meet the minimum 5 years of service to be eligible for the retirement plan. As far as I know (AFAIK), only Convergys has that program – which is not available in other call centers that I worked for like Sitel Philippines, Transcom, Sutherland, Teleperformance, Sykes Asia and Alorica.

Convergys is hiring! So if you want to be part of the more than 35,000 heroes (employees) of this wonderful company. Simply send your resume to me elmerlovesoreo(at)gmail(dot)com and I’ll give you some tips on how to pass the interview.

Technorati Tags: Convergys,MDC 100,Libis,QC,BPO

The Top 36 Call Centers (BPO) in the Philippines

Repost from ABS-CBN online. I’m glad that from working for #9, I am now working for #2.

At the same time, Romulo revealed the list of the country's 36 biggest BPO firms, based on 2012 revenues.

1. Accenture Inc. (P28.104 billion in revenues);
2. Convergys Philippines Services Corp. (P17.281 billion);
3. JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A-Philippine Global Service Center (P10.805 billion);
4. 24/7 Customer Philippines Inc. (P7.711 billion);
5. Telephilippines Inc. (P7.241 billion);
6. TeleTech Offshore Investments B.V. (P6.978 billion);
7. Sutherland Global Services Philippines Inc. (P6.805 billion);
8. Stream International Global Services Philippines Inc. (P6.738 billion);
9. Sitel Philippines Corp. (P6.364 billion);
10. Deutsche Knowledge Services Pte. Ltd. (P5.754 billion);
11. Sykes Asia Inc. (P5.617 billion);
12. IBM Daksh Business Process Services Philippines Inc. (P5.516 billion);
13. Aegis PeopleSupport Inc. (P5.445 billion);
14. TeleTech Customer Care Management Philippines Inc. (P5.402 billion);
15. IBM Business Services Inc. (P5.211 billion);
16. Telus International Philippines Inc. (P4.962 billion);
17. Shell Shared Services (Asia) B.V. (P4.821 billion);
18. HSBC Electronic Data Processing (Philippines) Inc. (P4.700 billion);
19. ePLDT Inc. (P4.147 billion);
20. SPi CRM Inc. (P3.501 billion);
21. ACS of the Philippines Inc. (P3.492 billion);
22. VXI Global Holdings B.V. (P3.266 billion);
23. Emerson Electric (Asia) Ltd. (P3.230 billion);
24. StarTek International Ltd. (P3.094 billion);
25. IBM Solutions Delivery Inc. (P3.019 billion);
26. Sykes Marketing Services Inc. (P2.760 billion);
27. SPi Technologies Inc. (P2.626 billion);
28. Genpact Services LLC (P2.552 billion);
29. Macquarie Offshore Services Pty. Ltd. (P2.522 billion);
30. Thomson Reuters Corp. Pte. Ltd. (P2.265 billion);
31. AIG Shared Services Corp. Philippines (P2.357 billion);
32. Hinduja Global Solutions Ltd. (P2.194 billion);
33. Lexmark Research and Development Corp. (P1.956 billion);
34. ANZ Global Services and Operations (Manila) Inc. (P1.869 billion);
35. Maersk Global Service Centers (Philippines) Ltd. (P1.859 billion); and
36. Manulife Data Services Inc. (P1.745 billion).

Romulo noted these 36 firms posted a combined revenue of P192 billion in 2012.

BPO giants such as Accenture and Convergys currently have more than 35,000 employees each in the Philippines.

Source.

Picture taken from www.spi-global.com

Technorati Tags: Call Centers,Philippines,BPO,Convergys

Redeployment

Photo taken from www.live.ac.uk

In the call center industry, when an account has a lot of avail time (no calls coming in), it only means two things -- either the account is overstaff or the account will soon be pulled out. There's a lot of avail time in our account lately -- and we're not overstaff.

Yesterday, we already received the bad news -- the account is decreasing the number of agents since the demand of the client (call volume) was also decreased. We'll be redeployed to other accounts within the call center company. It means that we'll have some time off-the-phone until we can be absorbed by the other accounts. I heard it would be paid for the first 30 days. If we're still "floating" after 30 days, then it would no longer be paid. It's either we wait for a few more days or look for another company.

This is not the first time that I'll be redeployed. In the past 6 years that I've been in the call center industry, I've been redeployed (client decision) around 6 times already. I'm used to this scenario although it's still a pain in the butt. It means that we have to learn new tools, new processes, new product and new support. This is one of the several things that I hate in the call center industry.

If the call center company that hired you is a big company with a lot of sites in different parts of the country, then you don't need to worry. There's a big chance that you'll get a new account immediately. Otherwise, you have to begin editing your resume and start sending the updated one to other companies.

I better start updating my resume.

P.S.

We had a meeting yesterday and it was formally announced that the account is closing effective July 1, 2013. We’ll be endorsed to an ISP account and the interview process will begin tonight.

Technorati Tags: Redeployment,Call Center Life,Job Security

The Hassle of Getting My Back Pay from Transcom Asia

You really don’t judge a call center company by the way that they welcomed you to their office. You judge them by how fast they’ve handled the release of your back pay. By that standard, Transcom Asia is definitely a failure when it comes to handling back pay.

I’ve submitted my fully-signed clearance in the first week of February 2013. I was given my Non-Regularization Notice and a leaflet advising me how to make a follow-up on my back pay complete with all the instructions on how to get it as well as the duration for the release of it (45 business days).

Today is the 51^st business day since I’ve submitted my completed clearance form. Prior to this, I’ve already sent them emails to the person indicated in the leaflet, who are Brian Manalo (brian.manalo@transcom.com) and a certain Emma (emma.60124@nucomm.net). I never received a reply from them. I sent another follow-up email regarding my back pay.

I also called the number indicated at that leaflet: 702-2400 extensions 38347 and 38029, which according to the leaflet is the Employee Relations. I called both numbers multiple times and I’m being directed to the Manila Recruitment – and no one is answering the phone. The leaflet also indicated that the hours to make follow-up calls are Mondays to Thursday between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM. I’ve called between that duration and I’m being directed to a voicemail. So I left my name, my concern and my phone number – but I’m not expecting a call from them.

If only call center companies like Transcom Asia would release the back pay as fast as they terminated an agent, then we could probably recommend their company to our friends. All I’m saying is, Transcom Asia is so fast when it comes to terminating their agents (without even an admin hearing for a non-regular agent) but is very slow and inefficient when it comes to handling back pay.

It’s really a hassle getting my back pay from Transcom Asia. It’s no fun getting back pay here.

Technorati Tags: Transcom Asia,Hassle Getting Back Pay,No fun getting back pay here

Transcom Asia Is Hiring

For the longest time, I haven't really focus on the Employee Referral Program (ERP) of the call center industry. All of the call centers that I've worked for -- Alorica, Sykes Asia, Convergys, Teleperformance and Sutherland -- have ERP. Even my current company, Transcom Asia, has ERP.

 

This year, I promise to make the most out of the Employee Referral Program. Fortunately, Transcom Asia is hiring! So if you want to work in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry, or simply wanted to have a "fresh start" with a new BPO company, then send your resume to me and I'll refer you to Transcom Asia: elmerlovesoreo(at)gmail.com

 

Transcom Asia is currently in need of agents for the following position:

 

>Customer Service Representative

>Technical Support Representative

>Sales Representative

>Leadership and Support Roles

 

Our recruitment office is located at G/F Filinvest Building, EDSA, Mandaluyong City. We're between MRT Ortigas Station and POEA and just walking distance from these two landmarks. So what are you waiting for? Send me your resume, I'll print it, and forward it to our recruitment officers!

 

At Transcom Asia, you'll be at home.

Technorati Tags: Transcom Asia,Job Hunt,Hiring

3B Resthouse, Antipolo City

The first ever team building that I attended was back in 2007 with my former team mates for the Sony VAIO account in Alorica Philippines. It was held at 3B Resthouse in Antipolo City. I forgot the name of this resort until yesterday, when my current team at my current call center decided to have our team building.

They never mentioned the name of the resort when we went there in Antipolo and I was surprised that it was again held at 3B Resthouse. This place must be really affordable thus the coincidence. There are so many resorts in Antipolo and for our team building to be held in the same place twice definitely says something about the affordability of this place.

The place has a decent size swimming pool, 4 bedrooms, a kitchen and a dining space. You’ll also have a great view of Metro Manila! There’s also a refrigerator and videoke machine and for some reason, our TL manage to book it for only P4,500.00. I called them today after our team building to verify if the number posted on their signage is still working. I was told that on a weekends, 3B Resthouse is for rent at a price of P6,000.00 but they offer a P500 discount if it’s weekdays. This place is definitely value for your money.

You may call them at 02-697-2793, 0917-257-0081 and 0918-501-1152 to know more information.

Technorati Tags: 3B Resthouse,Antipolo City,Team Building,Alorica Philippines

The Longest Day Part 2 of 2

July 27, 2012 – Friday

It’s 5:44PM and I’m still waiting for the final interview. I was here around 2:15PM and I’m hoping that this will end soon and that I’ll bring home the bacon (job offer). When I applied in Sufferland almost 3 years ago, it took more than 14 hours for the 1-day recruitment process to end. I got my job interview at Sufferland around 1AM. I hope it doesn’t happen here at Transcom. I’m starting to feel sleepy.

I came here at Transcom hoping to take pictures of Tiendesitas but I guess that will be for another time. My greatest fear at this time is my salary due on the 30^th (Monday). The termination paper was printed July 23, 2012 and it’s the same day where the cut-off for the 30^th pay happens. If my ATM is still empty by Monday morning, I will be in serious trouble.

6:00PM

I was just handed a Versant English Test. I guess this is my 3^rd time to take this test. Prior to this, I was given the usual computer and sales test (navigation, DSL connection and grammar).

6:30 PM

I just finished the Versant English Test. I didn’t perform well with the sentence construction part of it. I also had a hard time retelling a story. It’s like I had a memory gap and had difficulties hearing some words. Perhaps my hearing has been affected by hours of taking calls for the past 5 years. I remember taking this test a few years ago and I aced it. This time was my terrible performance with the Versant English Test.

I was only confident on the reading part of this language test as well as on the repeating the sentence part and answering a simple question (from a bottle!). Questions like:

• What color will you mix with Red to make it Orange?
• How many moon does the Earth has?

I hope I passed it. It’s embarrassing for me to fail the Versant English Test since I’ve been taking calls for ages. Hopefully I’ll advance to the final interview and bring home the job offer.

6:56 PM

The results of the Versant English Test were released. There were 3 waves of applicants that were called one after the other. It’s like a StarStruck or X-Factor moment. Each wave of applicants called were composed of 4-5 people. The first two waves that were called were naligwak and na-tsugi (didn’t make it). We’re the 3^rd group to be called and were greeted with “Congratulations! You passed the Versant”.

7:30 PM

We just finished our dinner. I had Chicken Curry for P40. Good thing they also provided a P30 snack tab so I only added P10.

9:30 PM

I just finished the final interview with a Filipina (probably a TL) and an Australian (the account manager).

10:30 PM

I was told I passed the final interview and I was given the medical exam endorsement paper. My first day of training will start on August 6, 2012 and the contract signing will also occur on that day after I passed the requirements which includes:

• Proof of Social Security Number (photocopy)
• Proof of Tax Identification Number (photocopy)
• Valid NBI Clearance (original copy and should cover first 6 months)
• Photocopy of Birth Certificate
• Pre-employment Medical Exam (company-shouldered)

So on Monday, I’ll be at SM Megamall for the renewal of my NBI Clearance. Hopefully I’ll find the account very interesting, fun and promising. I was given a Technical Account for an Australian company which caters support for laptops, tablets and other gadgets.

It was indeed a long day. I got home around 12:00AM so I was technically awake for around 31 hours.

BTW, if you want to know more about Transcom, you may visit their Facebook page here. You can also send them a text message at 0917-553-9775. Their recruitment office is located at G/F Transcom Center Building, Las Fiestas Road, Frontera Verde Compound (a.k.a. Tiendesitas), Pasig City.

Technorati Tags: Transcom,Tiendesitas,Job Offer

The Longest Day Part 1 of 2

Let me post here the article that I wrote on paper while I was applying a job at Transcom near Tiendesitas, Pasig City.

This line leads to the entrance of Mega Trade Hall for the DZRH Job Fair

July 27, 2012 – Friday

It’s 5:12PM and I’m seating here at the 4^th floor, waiting area, of Transcom (a BPO company) near Tiendesitas, Pasig City. Yup, I’m applying for a job. So much has happened within the past 24 hours and I haven’t got any sleep since yesterday afternoon.

Around 5PM yesterday, July 26, I was watching a re-run of “The Amazing Race Season 3” while preparing to go to work. Then I had a dinner around 6:45 PM, took a bath and then off to work. I was on leave from Tuesday-Wednesday. So I took my 9 hour shift (including my paid lunch) as normal.

Before I went home this morning (around 5:30AM) my TL approach me and said that we’ll be seeing the HR. The moment she mentioned this, I already have a feeling that they’ll serve my termination paper. They did. They asked me if I have any questions and I just asked for the complete name of the country manager. They provided it and even gave me the names of the VP and company attorney as if saying “go ahead, file a complaint against the company”.

So I went home and told my mom about it. I was actually surprised that my mom already had a gut feeling that I was just terminated from Sufferland. It probably showed all over my face. So I told her everything that happened and my plans. This is probably the 5^th time that she saw my “mom, I just got fired from work” look.

Around 9AM, I was already at the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) building at Banaue Avenue in Quezon City. I filled out a Complaint Request Form, have it encoded and verified, photocopied 3 times and brought the papers to the labor arbiter’s office. By 9:30AM, everything is set for a hearing in August. This is my 2^nd time that I filed an illegal dismissal case at this government agency. The first one was 3 years ago versus Teleperformance. I won that case but chose not to get reinstated for fear of retaliation. Besides, I was already working with Sufferland for almost a month when the decision was served.

I walked towards Santo Domingo Church and it was my first time at that church. I love the tranquility of the place and said a prayer asking God to be my avenger and give me Divine Justice. I then had a meryenda at Dunkin Donuts and decided to go home.

I passed by SM Megamall and thought of checking the Mega Trade Hall for a possible job fair. Sure enough, there is a job fair sponsored by DZRH on the occasion of their 73^rd Anniversary. I checked the exhibitors and most of the jobs are from the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Industry. Here we go again.

I saw the booth of Transcom and since I haven’t been to Tiendesitas, I decided to have an initial interview and it was a casual talk. I passed with minimal pronunciation lapses and I saw my younger self in the next applicants. Most of them are first time to the BPO industry and they were asked to read a series of sentences. Most of them didn’t pass the initial interview. I ended up as the only one in the van en route to Transcom.

Transcom owned the entire building and they have a recruitment center on the ground floor as well as on the 4^th floor. I was also given a P50 meal stub followed by a P30 snack stub a few hours after. I was able to see their pantry, recruitment and waiting areas as well as the toilets. The entire recruitment area, pantry, the hallways (areas that I have access to) were carpeted. Sosyal! (Glamorous).

I immediately liked the building of Transcom. It has a convenient store and Metrobank is on the ground floor as well. I imagined myself attending the training on this building. The training rooms here at Transcom are named after the provinces: Bohol, Cebu, etc. Even the interview rooms have their own name like Moriones, Pahiyas, Sinulog and even their core values like Fun, Innovation, Passion, and Honesty. The seats at the waiting area are similar to the ones being used in airports – those made with metal.

To be continued.

Technorati Tags: The Longest Day,DZRH Job Fair,Sufferland,Transcom

My 5th Admin Hearing: Abandonment of Work

I recently attended my 5^th administrative (admin) hearing in my current call center. I’ll be celebrating my 3^rd year in this company on October 2012 and so far, I have incurred 5 admin hearings to date. This time, I was charged with abandonment of work.

A few weeks ago, I attended a once-a-year photo contest in Laguna. It was on a Saturday and the week before that, I was on leave for 3 days (Tuesday-Thursday). So Friday is between two non-working days, a leave and a rest day. So I’m feeling a little “tamad” (lazy) to go to work. Unfortunately, I have to be in the office on Friday to hand-over my contribution to my boss (team leader). So as much as I wanted to send her a text message saying “tinatamad akong mag-work” (I feel lazy to go to work), I decided to go to work.

My shift was between 10PM (Friday night) to 6AM (Saturday morning) but I am required to be in Laguna by 6:30AM and I don’t know how long it would take me to travel from Taguig to Laguna. So I decided to go on a half-day. I’ll take calls from 10PM-3AM. My boss was absent at that time and only our Subject Matter Expert (SME) is around. Unfortunately, by the time I was looking for him to advise him that I’ll be on half-day, he took his lunch. So I just left a message to my team mate to inform our SME that I’m on half-day and I left my contact number. I was already on my way to Laguna when my SME called me and asked why I left early. So I told him the reason and I thought everything’s okay.

When I went to work the next week (Monday), I received an Incident Report (IR) and a Notice To Explain (NTE) about my half-day and I was surprised that they labeled it as Abandonment of Work. I was very surprised that they see it as Abandonment of Work when it could only mean simple absent. The letter informed me that it was queuing that day and that my under-time somehow affected the Service Level (SL). I was like “WTF!”. Aren’t these guys reading The Labor Code? Are they not aware what Abandonment of Work is?

So I attended the admin hearing. My SME was there together with my TL and the HR representative and they are all pointing out that I didn’t inform an authorized person (like another TL, another SME or the manager) of my half-day. I informed them that I got excited by the event (it’s my first time to attend such huge photography contest) that it didn’t occur to me to tell the other “authorized person”.

I’m still waiting for the Notice of Decision (NOD) about this 5^th admin hearing of mine but I already decided that I will file illegal dismissal before the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) if in case they’ll terminate me for this. I just feel so bad that even though I’m a regular employee, I don’t feel any job security in the call center industry. It’s like there is a mentality among management that they could easily terminate an agent because of a simple absent. I feel that they are not reading The Labor Code of the Philippines. They don’t even know what Abandonment of Work is.

“Abandonment of job is a form of neglect of duty. There is abandonment when the employee leaves his job or position with a clear and deliberate intent to discontinue his employment without any intention of returning back.” (Philippine Labor Laws Website)

In my case, I don’t have a clear and deliberate intent to discontinue my employment. In fact, I was only absent for half-day and I returned to work the next working day.

What do you think guys? Do you have a similar admin hearing case?

Technorati Tags: Abandonment of Work,NTE,NOD,Call Center,Philippine Labor Laws