MANILA- The 4-day work week may soon become a reality after the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading a bill allowing companies to implement compressed work weeks.

Under House Bill 6152, work schedules can exceed more than 8 hours a day provided that the company adopts a compressed work week scheme.

The bill says rest days should not be less than 2 days but not more than 3 days, while work should not exceed 48 hours per week.

If an employee works more 48 hours a week, he or she can receive overtime pay.

“These arrangements give employers and employees flexibility in fixing hours of work compatible with business requirements and the employees’ need for a balanced work-life,” Baguio City Rep. Mark Go, one of the bill's authors, said.

Gabriela Women’s Party (GWP) meanwhile slammed the House approval of the bill, saying it may result to more contractual workers.

“This will mean drastically shifting work schedules for workers as companies try to shuffle in more contractual workers into the production cycle. In fact this is already being done in many manufacturing firms in economic zones,” Gabriela party-list Rep. Emmi de Jesus said.

A group of employers also warned that some companies may slash jobs if the 4-day work week pushes through.