The resolution of disputes between employees and employers in the Philippines is anchored on the constitutional mandate to afford full protection to labor (Article XIII, Section 3, 1987 Constitution) and is principally governed by the Labor Code of the Philippines (Presidential Decree No. 442, as amended). Philippine labor law prioritizes voluntary settlement, speedy disposition, and the avoidance of technicalities that may defeat the substantive rights of workers. Complaints or grievances may arise from violations of labor standards, termination of employment, unfair labor practices, occupational safety and health standards, discrimination, harassment, or non-compliance with social legislation. This article exhaustively outlines every available avenue, procedural requirement, prescriptive period, evidentiary threshold, and remedial outcome recognized under current Philippine jurisprudence and statutes.

I. Classification of Disputes: Grievance versus Complaint

A grievance is an internal dispute concerning the interpretation or implementation of a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), company policies, or individual employment contracts. It is resolved first through the establishment’s grievance machinery.

A complaint, on the other hand, is a formal invocation of legal rights for violations of the Labor Code, special labor laws, or rules issued by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). It may be individual or collective and is cognizable by DOLE, the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC), or other specialized agencies depending on the cause of action.

II. Exhaustion of Internal Remedies: Mandatory First Step

Before any external filing, the employee must ordinarily exhaust the employer’s internal grievance procedure unless the same is patently futile or the employer refuses to act.

For unionized establishments (with a valid CBA):

Oral discussion with immediate supervisor.
Written grievance submitted to the Grievance Committee (usually composed of equal representatives from management and the union).
If unresolved within seven (7) calendar days, the grievance is elevated to the next higher level or to voluntary arbitration if stipulated in the CBA.

For non-unionized establishments: The employee must submit a formal written complaint to the Human Resources Department or the highest management official, detailing the facts, the specific right violated, and the relief sought. Management must be given a reasonable period—customarily five (5) to ten (10) working days—to investigate and reply. Only after denial or inaction may the employee proceed externally.

Failure to exhaust internal remedies may result in outright dismissal of the complaint on jurisdictional grounds, except in cases of illegal dismissal where the Supreme Court has consistently held that technicalities must yield to substantive justice.

III. Types of Actionable Causes and Proper Forum

Cause of Action	Primary Forum	Governing Law / Rule	Prescription Period
Illegal / Constructive Dismissal	NLRC Regional Arbitration Branch	Labor Code Art. 279–297	4 years
Unfair Labor Practice (ULP)	NLRC	Labor Code Art. 248–249	4 years
Money Claims (wages, overtime, 13th month, holiday pay, service incentive leave, etc.)	DOLE Regional Office (if ≤ ₱5,000 per employee) or NLRC	Labor Code Art. 129 & 217	3 years
Labor Standards Violations (general inspection)	DOLE Regional Office	Labor Code Book III; DOLE Department Orders	3 years
Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Violations	DOLE-Bureau of Working Conditions	RA 11058 (OSH Law) & IRR	No fixed period; immediate if imminent danger
Sexual Harassment in the Workplace	Employer’s Committee → DOLE or Court	RA 7877 (as amended by RA 11313)	3 years (civil); 6 months for administrative
Discrimination (age, disability, gender)	NLRC or DOLE	RA 10911 (Anti-Age Discrimination); RA 7277 (Magna Carta for PWDs); RA 11313	4 years / 3 years
Non-remittance of SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG contributions	Respective agencies (SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG)	Social Security Act, PhilHealth Act, etc.	Varies (usually 3–10 years)
Kasambahay (Domestic Worker) Disputes	DOLE Regional Office or Barangay	RA 10361 (Batas Kasambahay)	3 years
Government Employees (CSC-covered)	Civil Service Commission	CSC Rules; EO 292	15 days for appeal

IV. Single Entry Approach (SEnA) – The Mandatory Conciliation Gateway

Since 2016, all labor and employment disputes (except illegal dismissal with prayer for reinstatement and cases involving certified bargaining agents) must undergo the Single Entry Approach (DOLE Department Order No. 151, series of 2016, as amended).

Procedure:

File a Request for Assistance (RFA) at any DOLE Regional/Provincial/Field Office, One-Stop Shop, or online via the DOLE website portal.
The SEnA Desk Officer assigns a Conciliator-Mediator within one (1) day.
Mandatory conference within three (3) working days; total process must not exceed thirty (30) calendar days (extendible by mutual agreement for another thirty (30) days).
If settled: Settlement Agreement (Compromise) is executed, notarized, and becomes final and executory.
If not settled: Endorsement to the proper forum (NLRC, NCMB, OSHC, etc.) with a Certificate of Non-Settlement.

SEnA is free, non-litigious, and confidential. Refusal to undergo SEnA may lead to dismissal of the subsequent complaint.

V. Filing a Verified Complaint before the NLRC

For cases falling under the exclusive original jurisdiction of Labor Arbiters (Labor Code Art. 224):

Contents of the Complaint:

Caption and docket number (if known)
Names and addresses of all complainants and respondents
Statement of material facts, causes of action, and supporting evidence
Specific reliefs prayed for (reinstatement, full backwages, separation pay, moral damages, exemplary damages, attorney’s fees, legal interest)
Verification and Certification of Non-Forum Shopping (must be signed by the complainant personally or by counsel with Special Power of Attorney)
Proof of payment of filing fees (waived for indigent litigants upon proper motion and affidavit of indigency)

Venue: Regional Arbitration Branch where the workplace is located, where the employee resides, or where the respondent principally operates—at the complainant’s option.

Number of Copies: Original plus as many copies as there are respondents, plus two (2) extra copies for the NLRC.

Supporting Documents (must be attached as annexes):

Employment contract or appointment
Payslips, time records, or certification of employment
Notice of termination / resignation letter
Demand letter or proof of internal grievance
Affidavits of witnesses
Medical certificates (if health-related)
Any other documentary or object evidence

VI. Post-Filing Proceedings before the Labor Arbiter

Issuance of Summons (within 2 days) – respondent has 10 calendar days to file Position Paper.
Mandatory Conciliation and Mediation Conference (within 30 days from filing).
If no settlement: Submission of verified Position Papers, Replies, and Rejoinders (strict 10-day periods each).
Formal hearing only when necessary (clarificatory questions or to resolve factual issues).
Labor Arbiter’s Decision – must be rendered within 30 calendar days from submission of the case for resolution (extendible only for meritorious reasons).

Decisions of Labor Arbiters are final and executory after 10 calendar days unless a Memorandum of Appeal is filed with the NLRC.

VII. Appeal and Judicial Review

To NLRC (Commission Proper): Verified Memorandum of Appeal within 10 calendar days from receipt of decision; pay appeal fee and post cash or surety bond equivalent to the monetary award (bond requirement waived only for employees appealing dismissal without monetary award).
To Court of Appeals: Petition for Certiorari under Rule 65 within 60 days from receipt of NLRC Resolution (only questions of jurisdiction or grave abuse of discretion).
To Supreme Court: Petition for Review on Certiorari under Rule 45 within 15 days from CA decision.

Execution pending appeal is allowed upon posting of bond by the employer (Labor Code Art. 223, as amended).

VIII. Special Remedies and Interim Reliefs

Preliminary Injunction or Restraining Order: Available from NLRC or regular courts in ULP cases involving union activities.
Writ of Execution: Issued by the Labor Arbiter; enforced by Sheriff through levy on assets, garnishment of bank accounts, or contempt proceedings.
Criminal Prosecution: Separate filing with the Prosecutor’s Office or Ombudsman (for government) for violations punishable under the Labor Code (e.g., illegal recruitment, non-payment of wages under Art. 116) or Revised Penal Code (estafa, falsification).

IX. Legal Representation and Assistance

Employees may appear in person or through counsel.
Authorized representatives: Union officers, DOLE accredited paralegals, or PAO lawyers (free for qualified indigents).
Attorney’s fees: Recoverable at 10% of the total monetary award when the employee prevails (Labor Code Art. 111).

X. Available Reliefs and Awards

Reinstatement without loss of seniority rights, or separation pay (one month per year of service) if reinstatement is no longer feasible due to strained relations.
Full backwages computed from date of dismissal until actual reinstatement, inclusive of allowances and 13th-month pay.
Moral damages (₱20,000–₱100,000 typical range) upon proof of bad faith, fraud, or wanton manner.
Exemplary damages when the employer acted in a wanton, fraudulent, reckless, oppressive, or malevolent manner.
Legal interest at 6% per annum on all monetary awards from the date of filing until full satisfaction.
Attorney’s fees and litigation expenses.

XI. Employer Liabilities and Sanctions

Administrative fines imposed by DOLE (₱5,000–₱50,000 per violation under RA 11058 for OSH; higher under new IRR).
Criminal liability: Fine and/or imprisonment for willful violations.
Solidary liability of corporate officers who acted with bad faith.
Blacklisting from government contracts for repeated violations.

XII. Special Sectors and Recent Statutory Nuances

Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs): Recruitment violations before POEA/DMLE; employment disputes before NLRC after repatriation.
Kasambahay: Simplified procedure before DOLE or barangay; mandatory written contract.
Contractual Employees (endo): Prohibited under DOLE Department Order No. 174, series of 2017; complaints treated as illegal dismissal.
Telecommuting / Flexible Work: DOLE guidelines on fair treatment and record-keeping apply equally.

Every employee is presumed to have acted in good faith; the burden of proving just cause for dismissal or compliance with labor standards rests heavily on the employer (Omnibus Rules Implementing the Labor Code, Book VI, Rule I, Section 2). Courts and quasi-judicial bodies consistently apply the “two-notice rule” and “twin requirements of due process” in termination cases.

This framework constitutes the complete universe of remedies available under Philippine labor law as of the latest codal and jurisprudential developments. Strict adherence to procedural timelines and evidentiary requirements is indispensable to secure the reliefs guaranteed by the Constitution and the Labor Code.