The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has urged employers to ensure the timely release of workers’ final pay, which topped the list of labor concerns received by the agency in 2025.
In a statement, DOLE said employees who resign must receive their final pay within 30 days of leaving the company, unless the employer has a more favorable policy, citing Labor Advisory No. 06.
Employers are also required to provide employees with their certificate of employment within three days of request, another top concern last year.
DOLE clarified that final pay should include all wages and benefits due, such as unpaid salaries, prorated 13th-month pay, separation or retirement pay, cash for unused leave, tax refunds, and other benefits stipulated in company policies or agreements.
The agency warned that failing to comply with labor standards, including delaying or withholding final pay or employment records, violates the law and may subject employers to penalties.
Concerns about final pay were the most frequent labor standards issue in 2025. Out of 168,853 queries received by DOLE’s labor assistance hotline last year, 23,496 were about final pay.
Other common inquiries involved labor standards such as holiday pay computation, 13th-month pay, minimum wage rules, and due process during termination. Employment facilitation questions focused on local hiring, probationary employee rules, and alien employment permits. Social protection concerns included nonremittance of mandatory benefits, maternity leave, and work-related accident or death benefits.
Workers can contact DOLE via hotline 1349 (Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.), email at [email protected], or message the agency’s official Facebook page.
DOLE said it successfully resolved labor disputes last year, maintaining workplace productivity and peace. Labor cases had a 98.07% disposition rate, benefiting more than 109,000 workers with P8.34 billion in monetary awards, while 82.55% of cases were settled amicably through conciliation and mediation.
Workplace conflicts were addressed without disrupting livelihoods or business operations through preventive mediation, voluntary arbitration, and strike-management mechanisms.
