The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has responded to 106,905 worker queries in 2024 through its helpline, which offers crucial assistance on a wide range of labor-related issues.
DOLE’s Information and Publication Service (IPS) manages Hotline 1349, which received 102,929 calls and 3,976 emails, with the majority of concerns focused on labor standards, especially wages and benefits.
Of the total inquiries, 89,315 were related to labor standards, 10,826 concerned employment issues, 4,877 addressed social protection concerns, and 865 were linked to labor relations matters.
Common labor standards issues included non-compliance with final pay, holiday pay computations, and the enforcement of minimum wage laws.
Employment-related queries primarily involved local and probationary employment, with 705 inquiries related to alien employment permits.
The helpline also assisted with social protection matters, including non-remittance of mandatory benefits, expanded maternity leave, and benefits for work-related accidents and deaths.
Labor relations concerns spanned issues such as due process for suspensions, illegal termination, and union compliance, with the helpline providing timely guidance and support to workers.