CSC Resolution No. 2600838 Explained: Updated Four-Day Compressed Workweek Rules
A practical guide to the revised schedules, working hours, holidays, work suspensions, leave deductions, and agency responsibilities under the updated government compressed workweek policy.
What the Resolution Does
The Civil Service Commission issued CSC Resolution No. 2600838, promulgated on June 18, 2026, to amend the compressed workweek provisions of CSC Resolution No. 2200209, or the Policies on Flexible Work Arrangements in the Government.
The resolution provides clearer rules for government agencies implementing a four-day compressed workweek, particularly on:
- Permissible combinations of workdays and non-working days
- The required number of working hours per day
- Holidays falling on a scheduled workday
- Holidays falling on the designated non-working day
- Unexpected work suspensions
- Vacation and sick leave deductions
- Late arrival and undertime
- Special Privilege Leave and Wellness Leave
The normal 40-hour workweek may be compressed into four workdays.
A four-day compressed schedule normally requires 10 actual working hours daily.
The arrangement does not normally reduce the required total weekly working hours.
Public services must remain available throughout the Monday-to-Friday workweek.
Why Were the Compressed Workweek Rules Updated?
The updated rules were issued following Office of the President Memorandum Circular No. 114 dated March 6, 2026.
The presidential directive called for government entities to adopt stronger energy conservation measures. One of the measures was a four-day onsite work arrangement, which could be implemented through:
Compressed Workweek
The 40-hour workweek is distributed across four longer workdays.
Common Work-From-Home Day
Employees report onsite for four days and observe an authorized common remote-work day.
CSC Resolution No. 2600838 was therefore issued to provide more specific guidance on the first option: the four-day compressed workweek.
Its policy objectives include energy conservation, more efficient use of public resources, employee welfare, operational flexibility, and uninterrupted delivery of government services.
An Important Distinction: Four-Day Onsite Work Is Not Always a Four-Day Workweek
| Arrangement | Onsite Days | Total Workdays | Typical Daily Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Four-day compressed workweek | Four | Four | Normally 10 hours |
| Four onsite days plus one work-from-home day | Four | Five | Based on the approved agency schedule |
This distinction matters because the leave deductions and holiday rules in CSC Resolution No. 2600838 specifically address employees under the four-day compressed workweek.
Who May Be Covered by the Four-Day Compressed Workweek?
The resolution states that a compressed workweek may be allowed for government officials and employees whose tasks, or portions of their tasks, cannot be accomplished outside the office.
It may particularly cover:
- Personnel assigned to a skeleton workforce
- Employees whose physical presence is required
- Onsite personnel necessary for continued office operations
- Frontline personnel when the arrangement will not weaken face-to-face services
- Other employees identified by the agency or office head as operationally necessary
Agencies may also adopt the compressed workweek as an energy-saving measure and as an alternative way of optimizing public resources.
An employee cannot independently select a preferred four-day schedule. The arrangement must be officially adopted and implemented by the agency under applicable flexible work arrangement policies and internal guidelines.
What Four-Day Schedules May an Agency Adopt?
CSC Resolution No. 2600838 expressly identifies the following schedule options:
Monday to Thursday
Workdays: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
Non-working day: Friday
Tuesday to Friday
Workdays: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
Non-working day: Monday
Split Workweek
Workdays: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday
Non-working day: Wednesday
Another Combination
Workdays: Any approved combination of four days
Non-working day: One approved weekday
Any alternative combination is allowed only when the employee complies with the required 40-hour workweek and public service delivery remains available throughout Monday to Friday.
How Many Hours Must Be Rendered Each Day?
A four-day compressed workweek requires a total of 10 working hours per workday, exclusive of the one-hour lunch break.
Includes a one-hour lunch break.
Includes a one-hour lunch break.
The lunch break is not counted as part of the required 10 working hours. An employee following a 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. schedule is physically present for 11 hours, but only 10 hours are credited as working time.
What Happens When a Holiday Falls on the Designated Non-Working Day?
When a holiday or work suspension falls on the employee's designated compressed workweek non-working day, the remaining workdays for that week revert to the usual eight-hour workday.
Example: Friday is both Labor Day and the employee's non-working day
| Day | Schedule or Status | Credited Working Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Regular working day | 8 hours |
| Tuesday | Regular working day | 8 hours |
| Wednesday | Regular working day | 8 hours |
| Thursday | Regular working day | 8 hours |
| Friday | Holiday and CWW non-working day | No work |
| Actual hours rendered | 32 hours | |
The employee is not required to render four 10-hour days during that week. The four remaining workdays are reduced to eight hours each.
Example: Monday is the non-working day and work is suspended on Monday
| Day | Schedule or Status | Credited Working Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Work suspension and CWW non-working day | No work |
| Tuesday | Regular working day | 8 hours |
| Wednesday | Regular working day | 8 hours |
| Thursday | Regular working day | 8 hours |
| Friday | Regular working day | 8 hours |
| Actual hours rendered | 32 hours | |
What Happens When a Holiday Falls on a Scheduled 10-Hour Workday?
When a holiday or work suspension falls within the scheduled compressed workweek, the required 10-hour workday is considered complied with.
The employee is not required to make up the additional two hours that would have been rendered beyond a standard eight-hour day.
Example: Thursday is a holiday during a Monday-to-Thursday compressed schedule
| Day | Schedule or Status | Actual Hours Rendered |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Regular CWW workday | 10 hours |
| Tuesday | Regular CWW workday | 10 hours |
| Wednesday | Regular CWW workday | 10 hours |
| Thursday | Holiday | No work - 10-hour requirement deemed complied with |
| Friday | CWW non-working day | No work |
| Actual hours rendered | 30 hours | |
The same principle applies when a work suspension is declared on one of the employee's scheduled compressed workdays.
The rule does not apply in the same manner to employees of agencies required to maintain a skeleton force for essential frontline services operating 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
What If Employees Have Already Completed Their 10-Hour Workdays?
When a holiday or work suspension is declared after officials and employees have already rendered the required 10-hour workdays during the preceding days, the hours already completed remain valid.
Those hours must not be:
- Retroactively reduced
- Recomputed as ordinary eight-hour workdays
- Removed from the employee's credited attendance
- Adjusted merely because a later holiday or suspension changed the week's schedule
Any necessary schedule modification must apply prospectively. In other words, the adjustment applies moving forward and not to work already completed.
How Are Leave Credits and Attendance Computed?
Monthly leave credits earned
Employees under the four-day compressed workweek continue to earn the standard:
The compressed schedule does not reduce the monthly leave credits earned by a qualified government employee.
Full-day vacation or sick leave
An employee who is absent for one full 10-hour compressed workday will be charged 1.25 leave credits.
| Approved Daily Schedule | Full-Day Absence | Leave Deduction |
|---|---|---|
| 10-hour compressed workday | One full scheduled workday | 1.25 leave credits |
| Regular 8-hour workday | One full scheduled workday | 1 leave credit |
If the agency temporarily or permanently returns to the regular eight-hour schedule, a full-day absence is again charged as one leave credit.
Late arrival and undertime
Late arrival and undertime are deducted from vacation leave credits according to the actual number of minutes or hours involved.
A partial absence does not automatically result in a full 1.25-credit deduction.
Special Privilege Leave and Wellness Leave
Non-cumulative and non-commutative leave benefits may still be used on a per-day basis without diminution of benefits.
These include:
- Special Privilege Leave
- Wellness Leave
- Other similar non-cumulative and non-commutative leave benefits
What Must Agencies Consider Before Implementation?
The updated resolution provides scheduling flexibility, but agencies remain responsible for protecting public service delivery.
An effective internal implementation plan should address:
Coverage
Identify the offices, positions, and employees eligible for the arrangement.
Service continuity
Maintain adequate personnel and public access from Monday to Friday.
Fixed schedules
Establish clear reporting, lunch, departure, and non-working-day schedules.
Attendance monitoring
Record the complete 10-hour workday, late arrivals, undertime, and absences.
Holiday adjustments
Apply the correct eight-hour or deemed-complied rule for each affected week.
Public communication
Publish updated office hours and explain where clients may obtain services.
Agencies should not measure success only through electricity or fuel savings. They should also monitor client waiting time, employee output, attendance, health and safety concerns, service backlogs, and citizen satisfaction.
What Does the Resolution Mean for Public Schools?
Public school personnel are government employees, but CSC Resolution No. 2600838 should not be interpreted as independent authority for an individual school to revise its class schedule or declare a weekly non-working day.
Any application in the Department of Education must remain consistent with applicable DepEd, regional, division, and agency-level instructions.
School-level implementation would need to consider:
- Required teaching and learning time
- The approved school calendar
- Class schedules and learner contact hours
- Teacher workloads and ancillary assignments
- Availability of records and administrative services
- Learner supervision, health, safety, and security
- School transactions conducted from Monday to Friday
- Division and central office implementing guidelines
A school head should not independently convert regular classes into a four-day schedule merely because the CSC permits government agencies to adopt a compressed workweek.
The more defensible interpretation is that the resolution establishes government-wide human resource parameters. Actual application in schools remains subject to the operational and instructional requirements imposed by the Department of Education.
When Did CSC Resolution No. 2600838 Take Effect?
Although the resolution was promulgated on June 18, 2026, it states that its effectivity is retroactive to March 6, 2026.
The retroactive date coincides with the issuance of Office of the President Memorandum Circular No. 114.
The resolution also protects agencies and employees who, before its promulgation, acted in good faith under existing agency guidelines and prevailing interpretations.
Such agencies and employees should not be administratively prejudiced solely because their earlier practices differed from the clarifications later introduced by CSC Resolution No. 2600838.
Common Misunderstandings
All government employees now work only four days.
Incorrect. The resolution allows agencies to adopt an approved compressed arrangement. It does not automatically change every employee's schedule.
The fifth day is an additional legal holiday.
Incorrect. It is only the employee's designated compressed workweek non-working day.
The policy reduces the workweek to 32 hours.
Incorrect under ordinary weeks. Employees normally complete 40 hours through four 10-hour workdays.
Employees may individually choose their preferred day off.
Incorrect. Work schedules must be officially determined and approved under agency policies.
A government office may simply close on Friday.
Incorrect when closure would prejudice public service. Agencies must keep services available throughout Monday to Friday.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the four-day compressed workweek mandatory for every government agency?
No. CSC Resolution No. 2600838 establishes the parameters for agencies adopting the arrangement. Actual implementation depends on authorized agency action and applicable government directives.
Does the policy reduce the required weekly working hours?
Normally, no. Employees must still complete 40 hours per week through four 10-hour workdays, except when applicable holiday or work suspension rules change the schedule for a particular week.
Is the one-hour lunch break included in the 10 working hours?
No. The 10 working hours are exclusive of the one-hour lunch break.
Can an employee choose Friday as the non-working day?
Not independently. The non-working day must form part of the schedule approved by the agency.
Can all personnel be given the same non-working day?
Only when the agency can still maintain the required public services throughout Monday to Friday. Otherwise, staggered or rotating schedules may be necessary.
What happens when a holiday falls on the employee's non-working day?
The remaining workdays for that week revert to the standard eight-hour daily schedule.
What happens when a holiday falls on a scheduled 10-hour workday?
The required 10-hour workday is generally considered complied with. The employee does not need to make up the additional hours, subject to the exception for essential 24/7 frontline operations.
How much vacation or sick leave is deducted for one full-day absence?
A full-day absence during a scheduled 10-hour compressed workday is equivalent to 1.25 leave credits.
Are late arrival and undertime automatically charged as 1.25 leave credits?
No. The deduction must correspond to the actual number of minutes or hours of late arrival or undertime.
Are Wellness Leave and Special Privilege Leave reduced under the compressed schedule?
No. These non-cumulative and non-commutative leave benefits may be used on a per-day basis without diminution.
Can public schools immediately adopt a four-day class week?
No. The CSC resolution does not independently authorize a school to reduce or restructure class days. Any school implementation must comply with DepEd instructions, the school calendar, required learning time, and service delivery requirements.
When did the resolution become effective?
The resolution was promulgated on June 18, 2026, but expressly takes effect retroactively from March 6, 2026.
Flexibility Does Not Mean Reduced Accountability
CSC Resolution No. 2600838 gives government agencies more options in organizing a four-day compressed workweek. It clarifies how schedules, holidays, work suspensions, leave credits, late arrivals, and undertime must be handled.
However, the arrangement does not automatically shorten the required workweek, create an additional holiday, or give individual employees unrestricted control over their schedules.
The central requirement remains unchanged: flexible work arrangements must improve or maintain government performance without making public services less available, less efficient, or more difficult to access.
This article is provided for general information. Agency heads, human resource officers, and employees should consult the complete resolution, applicable CSC circulars, agency internal guidelines, and subsequent official issuances before taking administrative action.
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