Pre-Immersion

Quarter 1.Module 4

Rights and Duties of

Employees & Employers ,
Confidentiality in the
Workplace, and Conflict
Resolution
 EXPECTATIONS

This is your self-learning module on Pre-Immersion. All the activities provided in this
lesson will help you learn and understand Rights & Duties of Employees and
Employers, Confidentiality in the Workplace and Effective Conflict Resolution!
After going through this module, you are expected to:
1.get oriented on the rights of employers, employees and other persons;
2.realize the importance of practicing confidentiality in the workplace;
3. practice confidentiality in the workplace or wherever it is necessary; and
4. identify the techniques in solving and preventing conflict.

PRETEST
Directions: Identify whose duties or rights are the following. Choose among the
employer, employee or other person. Write A if it’s for the Employer, B, if it is for the
Worker/Employee, or C if it is for other person.

_____1. Comply with Occupational Safety Health Standards including training, medical examination and where
necessary provision of protective and safety devices.
_____2. Comply with the provision of this R.A. 110581 and in any regulations issued by the Secretary of Labor and
Employment.
_____3. Provide where necessary, for measure to deal with emergencies and accidents including first aid
arrangements.
_____4. They shall have the right to report accidents, dangerous occurrences, and hazards to the people concerned.
_____5. The right to safety and health at work shall be guaranteed.

RECAP

Let us apply what you have learned in the previous module. Below is a picture
showing 10 hazards, identify at least 5 hazards and explain why they are hazards.
Hazard Explanation/s
LESSON

One of my nephews is a regular messenger from one of the Law Firms in Manila. He uses a motorcycle in
bringing the documents to the clients. One day, he got a road accident. He fell from the motorcycle which
caused him bruises and leg injury. Eventually he was brought to the hospital by the concerned citizens. Who
do you think paid his hospital bills? What about his absences/leave?

Yes, it is the Law Firm where he still works. The company paid all his hospital bills. Besides, his
leave for almost a month was still paid by the company. In other words, though he was absent, he still
received his salary.

Why is this so? It is because of the rights of the workers and the responsibility of the company once
the accident happens during an employee’s duty. For this module, you will be learning about the Rights and
Responsibilities of the Employers, Workers and Other Persons in the workplace, including the lesson
on Confidentiality in the Workplace.

Republic Act No. 110581 is an Act Strengthening Compliance with Occupational Safety and Health
Standards and providing penalties for Violations Thereof. Its Section 1 tells that “The State affirms labor as
a primary social and economic force, and that a safe and healthy workforce is integral part. The State shall
ensure a safe and healthful workforce for all working people by affording them a full protection against all
hazards in their work environment.

Chapter III Section 4 of this R.A 110581 states the Duties and Rights of Employers, Workers and
Other Persons.

Every employer, contractor or subcontractor, if any, and any person who manages, controls, or
supervises the work being undertaken shall:

Duties of Employers
1. Furnish the workers a place of employment free from hazardous conditions that are
causing or are likely to cause death, illness r physical harm to the workers.

2. Give complete job safety instructions or orientation to all the workers especially to
those entering the job for the first time.
3. Inform the workers of the hazard associated with their work, health risks involved or to
which they are exposed to.
4. Use only approved devices and equipment for the workplace.
5. Comply with OSH Standards including training, medical examination and where
necessary provision of protective and safety devices such as personal protective
equipment (PPE) and machine guards
6. Allow workers and their safety and health representatives to participate actively in the
process of organizing, planning, implementing and evaluating the safety and health
program.
7. Provide where necessary, for measure to deal with emergencies and accidents including
first aid arrangements.

So, which of those duties of the employers cited in the scenario from the introduction was applied by the
company?

Duties of the Workers

 1. Every worker shall participate in ensuring compliance with OSH standards in the
workplace. The worker shall make proper use of all safeguards and safety devices
furnished for the worker’s protection and that of others, and shall observe instructions to
prevent accidents or imminent danger situations in the workplace. The worker shall
observe the prescribed steps to be taken in case of emergency.

2. The worker shall report to the supervisor any work hazard that may be encountered in
the workplace.

Duties of Other Persons

1. It shall be the duty of any person including the builder or contractor who visits,
builds, renovates, or installs devices or conducts business in any establishment or
workplace, to comply with the
provision of this Act and in any regulations issued by the Secretary of Labor and
Employment.
2. Whenever two or more undertakings are engaged in activities simultaneously in one
workplace, it shall be the duty of all engaged to collaborate in the application of OSH
standards and regulations.
Section 5 – 8: Workers’ Rights
Workers’ Rights
1. Workers’ Right To The right to safety and health at work shall be guaranteed. All
Know workers shall be appropriately informed by the employer about
all types of hazards in the workplace, provided access to
training and education on chemical safety, and to orientation on
the data sheet of chemical safety, electrical safety mechanical
safety and ergonomical safety.
2. Workers’ Right to The workers have the right of refusal to work without threat or
Refuse Unsafe Work reprisal from the employer if, as determined by the DOLE, an
imminent danger situation exits in the workplace that may result
in illness, injury or death corrective actions to eliminate the
danger that have not undertaken by the employer.
3. The Right to Workers and their representatives shall have the right to report
Report Accidents accidents, dangerous occurrences, and hazards to the employer,
to the DOLE and to other concerned government agencies
exercising jurisdiction as the competent authority in the specific
industry or economic activity.
4. Workers’ Right to Every employer, contractor or subcontractor, if any, shall
Personal Protective provide his workers free of charge protective equipment for
Equipment (PPE) their eyes, face, hands and feet, and
lifeline, safety belt or harness, gas or dust respirators or masks,
and protective shields whenever necessary by reason of the
hazardous work process or environment, chemical, radiological,
mechanical and other irritants or hazards capable of causing
injury or impairment in any part of the body through absorption,
inhalation or personal contact. All PPE shall be of the
appropriate type as tested and approved by the DOLE based on
its standards.

Besides knowing the rights and duties of employers, employees and other
persons, you, who may be one of them soon need to learn what
 confidentiality in the workplace is.
In some instances, confidentiality refers to not discussing internal goings-on with co-workers. In
other instances, it refers to not sharing trade secrets and other company information with competitors, the
press or anyone outside of your company.
Confidentiality has both casual and legal definitions.
Casual Definition of Confidentiality
If you repeat confidential statements made by co-workers, even if the original source doesn’t hear
about your gossip, the people you tell might lose respect for you and no longer trust you. If you gossip with
customers, they might tell your competitors, who will be less likely to hire you in the future.
Examples of breaking casual, confidential communications are:
1. repeating a co-worker’s opinion of his boss,
2. revealing the fact that a peer is interviewing with another company,
3. forwarding a confidential email from one employee to another,
4. sharing information, you overhead others discussing or passing around a document you found that
wasn’t intended for others.
So, those must be avoided if you become an employee or even a trainee.
Legal Definition of Confidentiality
Once you become an employee or worker, you may have access to information for your company
such as salaries, employee perks, client lists, trade secrets, sales numbers, customer information, news about
pending terminations, reasons for a firing, phone codes or computer passwords. Your employers don’t want
the employees to divulge or reveal them to others when you are still working or even when you are leaving
the company. There instances that they will ask the employees to sign a confidentiality agreement to keep
the secrets even if they leave already.

Legal Examples:
As an employee or worker, you must not divulge the following information:

recipes
research financial information,
patents website traffic statistics
customer lists computer and building security information.
production processes
companies that collect data on customers cannot share this information
with other companies unless it informs customers in advance, such as
when businesses share email lists. Personnel information is confidential,
and information in an employee’s file, such as social security number,
salary, health records, disciplinary actions and termination reason can’t
be discussed with other employees.

Divulging inside information can damage your former employer, allowing them to sue you to
recover those damages. So, avoid revealing confidential information to anybody.
What is The Data Privacy Act of the Philippines?
The Data Privacy Act (DPA), or Republic Act No. 10173 was passed by the
Philippines Congress in 2012 and finally implemented five years later in 2016. RA 10173 assures the “free
flow of information to promote innovation and growth” (Republic Act. No. 10173, Ch. 1, Sec. 2) while
protecting the users’ fundamental rights to privacy. How is it implemented?
RA 10173 protects and maintains the right of customers to confidentiality by setting a legal list of rules for
companies to regulate the collection, handling, and disposal of all personal information.
Companies legally responsible for keeping their customers’ data protected from third parties or any
form of misuse, internally or externally.
What is “personal information?”
 “‘Personal information’” refers to any information, whether recorded in a material form or not, from
which the identity of an individual is apparent or can be reasonably and directly ascertained by the entity
holding the information, or when put together with other information would directly and certainly identify
an individual” (Republic Act. No. 10173, Ch. 1, Sec. 3).
What is “sensitive personal information?”
1. About an individual’s race, ethnic origin, marital status, age, color, and religious, philosophical or
political affiliations;
2. About an individual’s health, education, genetic or sexual life of a person, or to any proceeding for
any offense committed or alleged to have been committed by such person, the disposal of such proceedings,
or the sentence of any court in such proceedings;
3. Issued by government agencies peculiar to an individual who includes, but not limited to, social
security numbers, previous or cm-rent health records, licenses or its denials, suspension or revocation, and
tax returns.
Whatever kind of information may it be data information, medical, health, personal and sensitive
personal information, any worker or individual must show confidentiality of information.

Besides confidentiality, trainees, workers, employees and employers must take into consideration
also the conflict resolution and prevention in the workplace.
Conflict is a state of incompatibility of ideas between two or more parties or individuals. It is also a natural
disagreement resulting from individuals or groups that differ in attitudes, beliefs, values or needs.
Conflict Resolution Techniques
1. Listen then speak out. It is better for the two involved parties to speak and listen to one another to identify
the root and nature of the conflict.
2. Gather the group. The employers must also arrange meeting to discuss the issue and think of the
immediate solutions to satisfy everyone.
3. Be impartial. Do not take sides but instead listen to both parties.
4. Do not postpone conflicts resolution. If the conflict arises, it is better to immediately address the issue.
Postponing it may affect everyone’s performance and conflict might be aggravated by others.
5. Promote teamwork. It is best to remind the staff the importance of working as a team.
6. Broadcast praises. If the good deeds are spread to everyone in the workplace, this makes everyone
motivated and encouraged to do the same.
How will the conflict be prevented?
1. Being open. It is better to express the issue and deal with them.
2. Maintain clear communication. Articulate thoughts clearly to one another in the workplace.
3. Encourage different points of view and evaluate each fairly.
4. Demonstrate respect for team members rather than resorting to balme game.
5. Keep team issues within the team. Talking of the issues outside will result to bigger and longer conflict.

ACTIVITIES

Activity 1: True or False

Directions: Write true if the statement is true, and false if it is incorrect. Write your answers in your
notebook.
_____1. Ideas about what is private or secret can be very individual therefore you should treat all
information confidentially.
_____2. If the conflict between two parties arise, it is best for the employers to postpone addressing the
issues right away.
_____3. If your work situation puts you or others in unusual danger, you have the right to refuse to work
without telling to your supervisor.
_____4. Employers should make every worker informed of the chemical, electrical, ergonomical and
mechanical safety.
_____5. The individual’s medical record belongs to sensitive information.
Activity 2: My Actions
Directions: Read the following situations and answer the questions that follow. Write your answers on a
sheet of paper.
1. There is a group at work that often gossips about others on the job. You like these people but don’t want
to be a part of the gossip scene. What will you do?
2. Your supervisor wants you to work overtime every week, but you have other commitments outside of
work. What will you do?
3. Your colleague in the company you are working has learned that the manager’s brother has just been
arrested for assault. He tends to discuss this loudly wherever he is.
What should you do without creating any conflict with your colleague?
Activity 3: Past and Future
A. You have probably experienced having conflict with a classmate in your school, a conflict with your
sibling/s at home or your friend, groupmate or teammate. Share your experience on this in one or two
paragraphs. Content may include the root of the conflict, span of time your conflict lasted, and how you
resolved it. Write your paragraphs on a sheet of paper you used in Activity 2.
B. If you are given a chance to be a team leader of a certain organization, how will you maintain harmony in
the organization? What rules will you implement? Enumerate them together with their importance or reasons
why.

WRAP–UP

To wrap-up everything you have learned today, read and answer the following questions:
1. Being a trainee or an employee someday, how will these rights and duties help you in your job? Answer
this in two sentences.
2. What is the implication to you of learning the confidentiality of data information? How will you apply it
now?
3. You have also learned the resolution and prevention of conflicts. What do you think is the importance of
all of these at home, in school, in an organization or in the company?
Note: Write your answers on the same sheet of paper you used in the previous activities.

VALUING

Write ways on how you will show commitment to your work. Start your answer with this
statement: I will demonstrate 100% commitment to my work as a trainee or as an
employee by:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
P O S T-T E S T

Directions: Choose the letter of the correct answer.

_____1. Computer passwords and telephone codes must be divulged to anyone asking for it in the
workplace.
A. Always False C. False
B. Partly true D. True
_____2. What definition of confidentiality is being referred to by this example: Telling that one of your
colleagues is being interviewed in another company?
A. Casual B. Legal C. Layman D. Formal
_____3. Refusal to work without threat or reprisal from the employer if, as determined by the DOLE, an
imminent danger situation exists in the workplace that may result in illness, injury or death corrective
actions to eliminate the danger that have not undertaken by the employer.
What does that statement indicate?
A. Duties C. Responsibilities
B. Challenges D. Rights
_____4. If you can keep confidential records and information to yourself alone, what value do you manifest
as an employee?
A. Confidence C. Truthfulness
B. Flexibility D. Trustworthiness
_____5. Imagine that you were in a certain company for an immersion. One day you accidentally heard from
the conversation of the two staff about a critical issue in the company. What would you do? A. I would just
keep it to myself.
A. I would share it only to my parents.
B. I would go directly to my close employee and share about it.
C. I would choose somebody from the company to make it.
D. I would choose somebody from the company to make it secret.

KEY TO CORRECTION

5 .A . True B 5.
4 .D . True 4 B 4.
3 .D . False 3 A 3.
2 .B 2. False C 2.
1 .A ay vary
Answers m 1. True A 1.

Posttest Activities 2& 3 Activity 1 Pretest

REFERENCES
Republic Act No. 110581 https://www.senate.gov.ph/republic_acts/ra%2011058.pdf

https://issuu.com/wacksvenzon/docs/work_immersion_workbook

Occupational Safety and Health Standards from Bureau of Working Conditions, Department of
Labor & Employment. February 2005, - May 2013. Manila: