International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume VI, Issue III, March 2022 | ISSN 2454–6186

Solo On and Off Duty: Challenges of Selected Solo Parent Employees in Call Center Companies and the Implication of Republic Act 8972.

Ralph Joseph C. Tuazon¹, Jessa C. Butiu², Sittie Farhannah C. Natangcop², Jessa Mae L. Lonzaga², Marie Katrina A. Lim^3
1Vox Nova
^2,3Community of Human Resource Management (CHRS), and Polytechnic University of the Philippines Quezon City Branch (PUP Quezon City)

Abstract: The study aims to unravel the challenges that solo parent workers face in their workplace while simultaneously exploring their struggles beyond their career or profession. The implementation of Republic Act No. 8972, also known as the “Solo Parents’ Welfare Act of 2000” Section 6 (Flexible Work Schedule) and Section 8 (Parental leave) were also assessed by the proponents on randomly selected BPO companies in the Philippines. The purpose of this study is to create a narrative based on the stories of solo parents and how the implementation of the stated legislation affects them.
This study revealed different narratives on how solo parents face challenges, how the people around them affect them, and the instances they consider as the most challenging as a solo parent. In addressing the challenges faced by solo parent employees, it was emphasized that both companies and the government has its role to play. In the perspective of the offices concerned with the mentioned sector, implementing the legislation for solo parents will be favorable for the company because it can improve their solo parent employees’ productivity since they can exert more focus on their job. Moreover, it is conspicuous that most solo parent participants are not that knowledgeable regarding the other provisions of the law. Motions in the Congress about the amendments of the said law are mentioned as well. The study was completed with the intention to benefit solo parent workers, company’s productivity together with its human resource department that exercises the legislation’s virtue efficiently.

keywords: solo parent employees/ workers, challenges, legislation, call center companies

I. INTRODUCTION

Work is an essential part of our lives. Through work we can attain a vital part of our needs. For most people, it is impossible to imagine society without it. Sigmund Freud affirmed that work, like love, is a vital necessity to the development of the democratic society and of the individual. The term “work” is connected to the idea of “energy” as a labor resource stored in a body or a set of bodies. (Mrówka, 2014, p. 291) The concept of work has a lot of meaning created from different standpoint. Various sciences developed different ideas of work, even though they are all indicated with the same term (Quoted after: Oleksa, 2012).
Working life can be demanding and it can potentially affect parenthood in a wide range of ways. For many parents, there is no option but to work to support their families because either there is not enough income between partners or because they are single and must bring in enough money to buy food, pay the bills and rent etc.
Parenting by definition is the act or process of raising children. Solo parenting on the other hand is exactly the same yet with only one parent raising her child or children. Solo parents are those people who raise children without the help of the other biological parent; they can be either mother-only or father-only families. It can be unmarried parent, the parent is divorce, separate, widowhood and the adoptive parent, the parent who adopts child of a different race heterosexual or homosexual, because although they are not legally married, they will be co-parenting (Carole Klein, 1973). Societal perceptions often construct solo parents as young, female, unemployed parents with multiple children (Garner and Paterson 2014; Zartler 2014).