The Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) free call center facility, Hotline 1349, has reported fielding over 126,000 calls from 2023 until the first quarter of the year.
Most of these calls focused on labor standards. Moreover, non-remittance of employees’ contributions to government-mandated benefits—such as SSS, PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG—were among the top queries received by the hotline.
The Labor Department said these concerns were addressed with its assistance.
Aside from non-remittance of employees’ contributions, other queries received by the department were on the release of final pay, computation of holiday pay, separation, suspension, job termination, local employment opportunities, as well as the process of job hiring and placement.
Last year, the hotline representatives responded to 83,683 queries on labor standards, 9,177 queries on social protection and welfare, 4,171 queries on employment facilitation including TUPAD and youth employment programs, and 1,329 queries on labor relations.
In the first quarter of 2024, meanwhile, the hotline received 24,649 calls on labor standards, 3,100 calls on employment facilitation, 1,549 calls on social protection and welfare, and 278 calls on labor relations.
DOLE advised the public to call Hotline 1349 for immediate response and action to the labor and employment concerns of Filipino workers.