Wellness Leave Policy Applies to DepEd Personnel, CSC Confirms

In January 2026, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) issued a legal opinion in response to a request from the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), through its chairperson, Ruby Bernardo, seeking clarification on the application of the newly issued Wellness Leave Policy (WLP) to public school teachers and other Department of Education (DepEd) personnel.

The request focused on three main concerns:

Who is covered by the Wellness Leave
How it should be implemented
Whether CSC issued (or will issue) a directive to DepEd to ensure uniform implementation

Key Points Explained in Simple Terms

1. Are DepEd teachers covered by the Wellness Leave Policy?

Yes.

The CSC explains that under the policy’s Scope and Coverage, the Wellness Leave applies to:

All government officials and employees
Regardless of status: permanent, temporary, casual, contractual, etc.
In all government agencies, including national agencies, LGUs, SUCs—and this includes DepEd

The letter clearly states:

The policy covers both teaching and non-teaching personnel under DepEd.

However, it also clarifies:

Private school teachers and staff are NOT covered, because the policy applies only to government institutions.

2. What about agencies that already have similar leave benefits?

If an agency (like DepEd) already has an existing leave benefit similar to Wellness Leave:

The agency may choose to keep its current leave system, or
Replace it with a new one aligned with the Wellness Leave Policy
As long as it follows the rules and principles of the WLP

So, DepEd can set its own internal guidelines, but these must still follow the CSC policy.

3. What about Contract of Service (COS) and Job Order (JO) workers?

For COS and JO workers:

Their entitlement to Wellness Leave depends on their individual contracts and the specific rules covering their engagement
In short: it’s not automatic and must be checked against their contract terms

4. Did CSC issue a special directive to DepEd?

No.

The CSC states that:

As of the date of the letter, there is no special directive issued specifically to DepEd
DepEd and other agencies are expected to implement the policy through their own internal guidelines, as long as these follow the WLP

Bottom Line (In Plain Language)

✅ Public school teachers and DepEd personnel ARE covered by the Wellness Leave Policy
❌ Private school personnel are NOT covered
🏛️ DepEd may create its own rules on how to implement Wellness Leave, but these must follow CSC’s policy
📄 COS/JO workers’ coverage depends on their contracts
📢 There is no special CSC order to DepEd yet—implementation is left to agencies within CSC guidelines