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Compensatory Time-Off (CTO)

Compensatory Time-Off (CTO) in the Philippine civil service is a non-monetary benefit granted to government employees in lieu of overtime pay


Key Rules on CSC CTO

  • Definition: CTO allows employees to be excused from work with full pay and benefits using earned Compensatory Overtime Credits (COCs).

  • Legal Basis: Governed jointly by the Civil Service Commission and the Department of Budget and Management under guidelines like CSC-DBM Joint Circular No. 2, s. 2004 and updated frameworks.

  • Earning Credits: COCs are earned on a one-for-one hour basis (or with prescribed multipliers for weekends/holidays) after rendering authorized overtime work.

  • Usage Limits:

    • Can be used in blocks of 4 or 8 hours (half-day or full-day).

    • Maximum of 5 consecutive days per application, subject to agency approval and service requirements.

    • Accrual limits and expiration rules apply (unused credits typically expire or have specific carry-over limits depending on current circular updates).

  • Restrictions: COCs cannot be used to retroactively offset tardiness or undertime, and they cannot be double-recovered as both cash and time-off.

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