Everyday politics of contract of service and job order employees in DMMMSU

Abstract

Contractual, temporary, or casual employment is a practice for organizations all over the world. It is a strategy to enhance competitiveness and to maintain low costs. The International Labor Organization (ILO) calls contractual employment as non-standard employment (NSE) because it is not the usual employment. In the Philippines, contractual employment is practiced in both private and public sector. In the public sector, they are either contract of service (COS) or job order (JO) employees. The state universities and colleges employ COS and JO employees, and Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU) is no exemption. The study explored the everyday politics of COS and JO employees with the intention of bringing to light their sentiments through their lived experiences along the following areas: motivating factors of staying in the job as COS and JO employees, implementation of the CSC Joint Circular No. 1 s. 2017, and their coping mechanisms with the challenges that they encounter as contractual employees. It is hoped that through these shared lived experiences, DMMMSU will review its policies and revise what ought to be in order for it to become a healthier and productive organization. The study explored the lived experiences of the COS and JO employees of DMMMSU. Specifically, the study answered the following questions: 1. What are the factors that motivated the COS and JO employees to apply for and keep on renewing their contract of service and job order work at DMMMSU? 2. In what varied ways did the COS and JO employees of DMMMSU experience the implementation of the CSC Joint Circular No. 1 s. 2017 and other rules and regulations along the following areas: a. term of contract, renewal of contract, eligibility and other qualification requirements; b. job description and organizational involvement; c. compensation and social benefits? 3. How did the COS and JO employees of DMMMSU cope with the challenging experiences they had from the implementation of the CSC Joint Circular No. 1, s. 2017 and other rules and regulations? The study used a qualitative-phenomenological research design to understand the nature of everyday politics among the contractual employees of DMMMSU and to understand their lived experiences under the implementation of circulars and rules and regulations that govern the nature of their employment. Three campuses of Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University namely, North La Union Campus at Bacnotan La Union (NLUC), Mid-La Union Campus (MLUC) at San Fernando La Union and South La Union Campus at Agoo La Union (SLUG) were involved in this study. There were fourteen (14) participants, twelve COS and JO employees and two from the DMMMSU Administration. The data gathering instrument used was a semi-structured interview guide with open-ended questions to enable the participants to give in-depth answers. The participants were interviewed; the data were processed, coded, and analyzed. Themes were identified and extracted from the shared lived experiences. Based on the research problems, the following are the findings: 1. Most of the participants from the COS and JO employees of DMt4MSU originally worked with the private sector. They all experienced unpleasant treatment from heads and regular employees in varied degrees, disappointments regarding awarding of plantillas, and lesser benefits than regular employees. However, the motivating factors that directed them to apply then later on keep on renewing their being COS and JO employees of DMMMSU are those that were missing in their previous workplaces. These are job security, awarding of plantilla item, fast and valuable promotions, flexible work schedule, compensations and benefits, and personal and professional growth and development. 2. a. Along the area of Term of Contract and Eligibility, the COS and JO employees were fully aware that they did not have the full credentials before they applied. Some of them did not even have the minimum requirement of civil service eligibility yet they still applied. Once they were hired, although as contractual employees with fewer benefits and overloaded with work, they were given opportunities to fulfill the qualification requirements for regular employees. Among these benefits include scholarships for graduate studies, seminars and training for their professional growth and development as well as a time to review for the civil service examination for those who did not have a civil service eligibility. b. Along the area of Job Description and Organizational Involvement, there appeared to be inadequate orientation about their regular tasks and the organizational culture of giving contractual employees a heavy workload and additional tasks that are outside their regular work. They realized that in order for them to secure their contractual employment, they need to know about the organization culture though such may be disadvantageous to their well-being like the bureaucratic red tape, tolerating unfair and hostile treatment from some of the regular employees and superiors, obeying without any question their heads and memos that were forwarded to them, submission of requirements in a short notice, and inconsistent implementation of certain policies. All of these affected the contractual employees' morale and organizational involvement. c. Along the area of Compensation and Social Benefits, the contractual employees experienced work overload and overtime but without a corresponding monetary compensation. As contractual employees, the payment of their salaries was also delayed and they also have limited social benefits if compared with their regular counterparts. And when they avail of scholarships or attend seminars or trainings, they shoulder the cost first and expect the reimbursement once the budget is released. 3. Given the challenges of work overload without a corresponding monetary compensation, unfair treatment from some regular employees and heads, bureaucratic red tape, inconsistency in the implementation of policies, and always pleasing their superiors, the contractual employees coped with these challenges by adopting some of the practices within the same organization where they had complaints. These coping mechanisms include the observance of patronage, pasipsipan, and plastikan. They also tend to depend on monetary loans. On the other hand, their positive coping mechanisms include a heightened perseverance and commitment to the job, taking advantage of Professional Development Benefits, trusting on the fulfillment of the promised plantilla item, and resistance against unfairness. Based on the findings, the following are the conclusions: 1. The factors that motivated the COS and JO employees to apply for and keep on renewing their contractual employment at DMMMSU are compensations and benefits, better work status and condition which includes flexible work schedule and job security, and opportunities for professional growth and development. 2. In the implementation of CSC Joint Circular No. 1 s. 2017 and other rules and regulations, the lived experiences of COS and JO employees of DMMMSU are: a. Along the area of terms of contract and eligibility, they experienced the consequences of contractualization of labor. b. Along the area of job description and organizational involvement, they experienced unpaid additional tasks, being at the mercy of superiors, prejudicial and unfair treatment, prevalence of red tape, and improper or inconsistent implementation of policies and regulations. c. Along the area of compensation and social benefits, they experienced additional tasks with no corresponding compensation and delayed payment of compensation. 3. The COS and JO employees' coping mechanisms with their challenging experiences from the implementation of CSC Joint Circular No. 1 s. 2017 and other rules and regulations were: heightened perseverance and commitment to the job; patronage, pasipsipan, plastikan; dependence on loans; taking advantage of Professional Development opportunities; trusting the fulfillment of the promised regularization of employment; and resistance against unfairness. Based on the findings, the following are recommended: 1. The identified factors that make the COS and JO employees stay in the job shall be sustained. However, there is a need for DMMMSU to review and validate the identified issues along each of the factors in order for it to improve its policy implementation and to enhance the quality of life of its employees who are working under the employment status of contractual and job order. In addition, the highlighted feelings and sentiments of the COS and JO employees shall not be dismissed easily but be considered as essential information to be used in developing programs and policies for employee welfare. Appendix G may be reviewed and considered. 2. a. To address the issues concerning contracts and eligibility, it is recommended that the institution conduct benchmarking to extract best practices on how to support contractuals in achieving permanent status faster. Policy development on the strict implementation of contract specifications and agreements is also recommended. b. In relation to the issues along the area of job description and organizational involvement, it is recommended that standardization of assignment and promotion be enforced to do away with discretion of superiors. c. To address the issues along the area of compensation and social benefits, the strict enforcement of the CSC Joint Circular No. 1 s. 2017 is recommended as well as the strict implementation of the faculty handbook to make sure that the faculty and staff be compensated for the load that are assigned to them, that extra or overload be regulated, and for the staff, that overtime or extra duties be compensated. 3. In relation to the issues on coping mechanisms, it is recommended that a venue for the employees in the form of a support group such as an apolitical faculty club or association be formed for them to voice out their opinions and concerns without the fear of not being considered for promotion or regularization. This support group will also cater to the welfare of the COS and JO employees as regards prejudice or unfair treatment. 4. Further studies on everyday politics should be conducted especially with regard to policy development. Additional studies are also recommended on contractualization and regularization on different aspects, such as the work-life balance, impact on the economy, impact on the labor sector, and other similar issues.