Quick answer

Report workplace harassment or bullying in writing to the office named in your employer’s policy—usually the Committee on Decorum and Investigation (CODI), HR, an ethics or compliance office, or a higher manager who is not involved. Describe specific acts, dates, places, witnesses, evidence, and the protection or corrective action you need. Keep proof that the report was received.

For sexual or gender-based harassment, Philippine law requires employers to maintain an independent complaint mechanism or CODI, protect complainants from retaliation, observe due process, and preserve confidentiality as far as possible. An internal complaint does not prevent a separate labor, administrative, civil, or criminal case.

If there is violence, stalking, a credible threat, sexual assault, or immediate danger, prioritize safety: leave the area, call 911, seek medical care when needed, and report to the police. You do not have to wait for HR to finish—or even begin—an investigation before seeking emergency or law-enforcement assistance.

First identify what happened

“Workplace harassment” and “bullying” can describe many different acts, but the proper legal remedy depends on the facts.

Possible examples include:

Repeated insults, shouting, humiliation, threats, intimidation, or malicious rumors
Deliberately isolating a worker, withholding necessary information, sabotaging work, or setting someone up to fail
Abusive messages, posts, group chats, emails, or video calls connected with work
Unwanted sexual comments, touching, propositions, jokes, images, or requests for sexual favors
Sexist, misogynistic, homophobic, or transphobic remarks
Threats to a person’s schedule, evaluation, promotion, pay, contract, or continued employment
Retaliation after a complaint, such as an unexplained transfer, reduced hours, withheld pay, hostile evaluation, exclusion, suspension, or dismissal
Physical assault, stalking, coercion, or threats against the worker or the worker’s family

Not every disagreement, strict instruction, poor evaluation, investigation, transfer, or unpleasant management decision is automatically unlawful bullying. Employers may supervise performance and impose lawful discipline. The important questions are whether the conduct violates company policy or a specific law, is discriminatory or retaliatory, creates a safety or health hazard, or makes continued employment objectively unbearable.

The Philippines does not have one all-purpose statute that creates a single “workplace bullying” case for every private-sector incident. Nonsexual bullying is commonly addressed through company rules, collective bargaining agreements, occupational safety and health obligations, mental-health policies, labor remedies, or—when the acts independently constitute an offense—criminal and civil law.

Sexual harassment has specific legal protection

Two laws are especially important.

Harassment involving authority or influence

Under the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995, Republic Act No. 7877, work-related sexual harassment may be committed by a person with authority, influence, or moral ascendancy who demands, requests, or requires a sexual favor in circumstances affecting employment rights, opportunities, or the working environment.

The law applies even if the victim rejects the request. Employers must issue rules, establish a CODI, and provide procedures for resolving complaints. Administrative discipline does not bar prosecution in court. An employer that is informed by the offended party but takes no immediate action may be solidarily liable for resulting damages.

Upon conviction under RA 7877, the statutory penalty is imprisonment of one to six months, a fine of ₱10,000 to ₱20,000, or both. An action arising from a violation prescribes in three years.

Peer, subordinate, gender-based, and technology-facilitated harassment

The Safe Spaces Act, Republic Act No. 11313, covers gender-based sexual harassment in the workplace, including qualifying unwelcome sexual or sex-based conduct done verbally, physically, or through technology. Unlike RA 7877, it can apply between peers and when a subordinate harasses a superior.

The workplace is not limited to the main office. Depending on the circumstances, it may include sites where work is performed, work trips, employer-controlled events, and work-related digital communications.

The Safe Spaces Act requires the employer’s internal mechanism or CODI to:

Represent management, supervisory employees, rank-and-file employees, and the union, if any
Be headed by a woman, with women comprising at least half of the membership
Have impartial members who are not connected or related to the alleged perpetrator
Investigate and decide the complaint within 10 days or less from receipt
Observe due process
Protect the complainant from retaliation
Maintain confidentiality to the greatest extent possible

The employer must also disseminate a workplace policy describing the procedure and administrative penalties. Reports may be made to the employer or its agent. According to the Philippine Commission on Women’s official Safe Spaces Act guidance, a report may be anonymous, although the employer must verify it and refer the matter to the CODI. A complaint made by the victim in the victim’s own name is treated as a formal complaint and may be submitted directly to the CODI.

Failure to implement the employer’s statutory duties is punishable, upon conviction, by a fine of ₱5,000 to ₱10,000. Failure to act on a reported incident is punishable by a fine of ₱10,000 to ₱15,000. Actions arising from workplace gender-based sexual harassment under Section 16 prescribe in five years.

How to make an effective internal report

1. Find the correct reporting channel

Check the employee handbook, code of conduct, anti-sexual-harassment policy, collective bargaining agreement, onboarding materials, intranet, or posted workplace notices.

For sexual or gender-based sexual harassment, look specifically for the CODI or independent internal mechanism. For other bullying, the proper channel may be HR, employee relations, ethics, compliance, the safety and health committee, or a grievance committee.

If the person complained of controls the usual channel, send the report to an uninvolved higher authority, the CODI chair, company legal or compliance office, board-level whistleblowing channel, or union representative. State the conflict of interest in the complaint.

2. Report in writing

A verbal report can be valid, but a written report is easier to prove. Use an official email, complaint portal, or signed letter. If the report is handed over physically, ask the receiving office to stamp and date your copy.

Include:

Your name, position, department, and safe contact details
The respondent’s name, position, and relationship to you
A chronological account of each incident
Dates, approximate times, places, work platforms, and exact words or actions as accurately as you remember them
Whether the conduct was unwelcome and whether you communicated that, if applicable
Witnesses and what each witness personally saw or heard
Relevant messages, emails, photographs, records, or other attachments
Effects on your work, health, pay, opportunities, or safety
Earlier reports and the employer’s response
Any ongoing risk of retaliation or evidence destruction
The action requested

Useful requests may include an impartial investigation, preservation of CCTV or digital logs, a temporary no-contact arrangement, protection from retaliation, a change in reporting line, schedule, or workstation, and written notice of the result. Interim measures should protect the complainant without effectively punishing the complainant or pre-judging the respondent.

Avoid broad labels alone. “My supervisor is a bully” is less useful than a dated account of what the supervisor said or did, who was present, and how it affected employment.

3. Ask for acknowledgment and the procedure

Request:

Written confirmation of receipt
The complaint or reference number
The names or positions of the investigators
The applicable policy and timetable
Information about available support and interim protection
Notice of material developments and the final action permitted to be disclosed

Confidentiality is not absolute. Relevant information may have to be disclosed to the respondent, witnesses, investigators, or authorities to provide due process. It should nevertheless be shared only as necessary and protected to the greatest extent possible.

Evidence to preserve

Preserve evidence promptly, particularly CCTV footage and system logs that may be overwritten.

Keep:

Original emails, texts, chat messages, voice messages, call logs, and social-media links
Full screenshots showing the account, date, time, surrounding conversation, and URL when available
Copies of schedules, evaluations, notices to explain, memoranda, transfers, pay records, and attendance records
A contemporaneous incident log
Names and personal contact details of witnesses, if they voluntarily provide them
Medical records, prescriptions, fit-to-work documents, or psychological assessments relevant to harm suffered
Copies of complaints, follow-ups, acknowledgments, meeting invitations, and investigation results
A record of later retaliation or unusual employment action

Keep original electronic files where possible; do not rely only on cropped or edited screenshots. Store lawful copies in a secure personal location, but do not take unrelated customer information, trade secrets, personnel files, or confidential company data merely to build a case.

Do not secretly record a private conversation without obtaining specific legal advice. The Anti-Wiretapping Act, Republic Act No. 4200, generally prohibits secretly recording a private communication or spoken word without authorization from all parties. Also avoid publicly posting accusations or private evidence. Public disclosure can expose victims, compromise an investigation, or create separate privacy and defamation issues.

Where private-sector workers can go outside the company

DOLE’s Single Entry Approach

A worker, group of workers, union, or other eligible requesting party may file a Request for Assistance under the Single Entry Approach or SEnA. It provides conciliation-mediation for labor and employment disputes.

Requests may be filed:

Online through the official DOLE Assistance for Request Management System
Onsite at a DOLE regional, provincial, or field office
At participating Single Entry Assistance Desks of the National Labor Relations Commission or National Conciliation and Mediation Board

SEnA is generally a settlement process, not an automatic finding that harassment occurred. If the dispute is unresolved and involves a matter within the NLRC’s jurisdiction—such as illegal or constructive dismissal or related monetary claims—the case may be endorsed to the proper office. DOLE’s current hotline is listed on its official contact page as 1349.

A unionized worker should also review the collective bargaining agreement and consult the union. The agreement may require grievance machinery and, if unresolved, voluntary arbitration for covered disputes.

Occupational safety and mental health concerns

The Occupational Safety and Health Standards Act, Republic Act No. 11058, requires employers to provide a workplace free from hazardous conditions likely to cause death, illness, or physical harm. Workers may report hazards to the employer, DOLE, and other competent agencies.

The right to refuse unsafe work applies only when DOLE determines that an imminent-danger situation capable of causing illness, injury, or death exists and corrective action has not been taken. A worker should not assume that every stressful or hostile interaction automatically satisfies this threshold.

The Mental Health Act, Republic Act No. 11036, also requires employers to develop workplace mental-health policies and programs, address stigma and discrimination, support affected individuals, and facilitate access to treatment and psychosocial support. These duties do not automatically make every bullying incident a separate criminal offense, but they may be relevant when an employer ignores serious psychosocial risks.

Reporting in government offices

For government employees, sexual-harassment complaints should generally be filed with the agency or department where the respondent works and referred to its CODI.

Under the 2025 Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service, the CSC may take cognizance of a sexual-harassment complaint instead of merely remanding it when:

The agency has no CODI
The complainant is a CODI member
The disciplining authority is the respondent
The respondent is a CODI member
There is unreasonable delay—defined for this purpose as an applicable period lapsing by more than 30 days without justifiable reason

For a general administrative complaint, the 2025 rules normally require a clear, written, subscribed, and sworn complaint containing the parties’ identifying details, a chronological narrative, supporting evidence and witness affidavits if any, and a certification or statement of non-forum shopping. It may generally be filed with the agency, the CSC, or a CSC regional office, subject to special jurisdictional rules.

Anonymous administrative complaints in the civil service are subject to stricter conditions. They are not ordinarily entertained unless the alleged acts are public knowledge, verifiable, supported by sufficient documentary or direct evidence, or investigated and referred by an agency.

Nonsexual bullying by a public official or employee may, depending on proven facts, fall under an administrative offense such as oppression, misconduct, discourtesy, or violation of reasonable office rules. The proper charge and penalty should be determined by the disciplining authority or CSC rather than guessed by the complainant.

When police or cybercrime authorities should be involved

Contact law enforcement promptly when the conduct may involve assault, sexual assault, stalking, grave threats, coercion, extortion, unlawful recording, or another criminal offense.

The Safe Spaces Act directs PNP Women and Children’s Desks to act on complaints covered by the law. Gender-based online sexual harassment may also be reported to the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group, the NBI Cybercrime Division, or a Department of Justice prosecution office. The NBI provides an online complaint page and official investigative-assistance guidance for computer-crime victims.

For online incidents:

Do not delete the conversation or account before preserving it
Save complete screenshots, URLs, usernames, dates, and timestamps
Export or download account data when the platform permits
Report the content to the platform after preservation
Do not forward intimate images except to a lawyer, investigator, or authorized complaint body when necessary
Ask law enforcement promptly about preservation of provider data

An internal company complaint and a police or prosecutor complaint can proceed separately. Company discipline is not a substitute for criminal investigation, and criminal reporting does not prevent the employer from enforcing workplace rules with due process.

Retaliation and constructive dismissal

For gender-based sexual harassment, the employer’s internal mechanism must protect the complainant from retaliation. Protection may also extend to witnesses under company policy.

Document any action that follows the complaint, including:

Sudden schedule, assignment, or reporting-line changes
Reduction of hours, wages, commissions, or benefits
Unfounded notices to explain or disciplinary charges
Exclusion from meetings, systems, training, or opportunities
Pressure to withdraw the complaint or sign a resignation or quitclaim
Threats involving references, regularization, promotion, or contract renewal
Dismissal or a forced transfer

Do not resign impulsively if you intend to claim constructive dismissal. Constructive dismissal is fact-sensitive: the question is generally whether the employer made continued employment impossible, unreasonable, or unlikely, or created conditions so harsh, hostile, or unfavorable that a reasonable person would feel compelled to leave.

In LBC Express-Vis, Inc. v. Palco, the Supreme Court held an employer liable for constructive dismissal where its failure to respond promptly and appropriately reinforced a hostile environment created by sexual harassment. This does not mean every unresolved complaint automatically proves constructive dismissal. Employer knowledge, conduct, delay, protection offered, severity, and the surrounding evidence all matter.

Before resigning, signing a quitclaim, accepting a transfer, or refusing to report for work, consult a labor lawyer, union representative, or legal-aid office when possible.

Important time limits

Act promptly even when the legal prescriptive period is longer. Company policies may impose shorter internal reporting periods, and evidence can disappear quickly.

Potential deadlines include:

RA 7877: Actions arising from a violation prescribe in three years.
Safe Spaces Act workplace harassment: Actions under Section 16 prescribe in five years.
Illegal or constructive dismissal: The generally applicable prescriptive period is four years from dismissal.
Ordinary money claims arising from employment: These generally prescribe in three years from accrual.

Different civil, criminal, administrative, contractual, or special-law claims may have different starting dates, interruption rules, and deadlines. Filing only an internal grievance does not necessarily stop every statutory period. Seek individualized advice early if substantial time has passed.

Common mistakes to avoid

Reporting only verbally and keeping no proof of notice
Using labels without describing specific conduct
Editing, cropping, deleting, or publicly posting evidence
Waiting until CCTV, chats, or system logs are gone
Secretly recording private conversations without legal advice
Sending the complaint only to the alleged harasser
Assuming confidentiality means the respondent will never learn the allegations
Demanding immediate punishment without allowing an impartial investigation and due process
Accepting an informal promise without documenting the agreement
Signing a resignation, settlement, or quitclaim without understanding its effect
Ignoring retaliatory acts because they appear minor when viewed separately
Assuming an HR process is the only available remedy
Missing an internal or statutory deadline while waiting for the employer

When help is urgent

Seek immediate assistance if:

There is physical violence, confinement, stalking, or a credible threat
The alleged harasser has access to weapons or has threatened family members
Sexual assault or forced sexual contact occurred
Intimate images are being threatened, shared, or used for coercion
Evidence is being destroyed
The employer is pressuring you to resign or sign documents immediately
You have been dismissed, suspended, placed on forced leave, or deprived of pay after reporting
Your health has deteriorated or you are at risk of harming yourself
A filing deadline may be near

In an emergency, go to a safe place and call 911. For non-emergency legal help, consider the Public Attorney’s Office if financially qualified, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines’ legal-aid services, a union lawyer, or private counsel experienced in labor, civil-service, or criminal law.

Frequently asked questions

Must I confront the harasser before reporting?

No general rule requires a worker to confront the alleged harasser first. Do not confront the person if doing so could be unsafe or lead to

Quick answer

Report workplace harassment or bullying in writing as soon as it is safe to do so. Follow your employer’s policy, but send the report to the proper independent body:

For sexual or gender-based harassment, report directly to the employer’s Committee on Decorum and Investigation (CODI) or other independent internal mechanism.
For nonsexual bullying, report to HR, the ethics or grievance office, a higher manager who is not involved, or the union.
If the conduct creates a safety or health risk, also notify the safety officer or occupational safety and health committee.
If management is involved, the internal body is compromised, retaliation begins, or the employer does nothing, contact the appropriate government agency.
Threats, stalking, physical or sexual assault, coercion, and certain online acts may be reported to law enforcement without waiting for the company investigation.

Keep proof that the employer received your report. State what happened, when and where it happened, who was involved, who witnessed it, how it affected your work or safety, and what protection you need. Preserve messages, emails, records, CCTV, medical documents, and employment records.

Is workplace bullying illegal in the Philippines?

There is no single, all-purpose Philippine statute that defines and punishes every form of “workplace bullying” in every private workplace. The correct remedy depends on what was done, why it was done, who did it, and what happened after it was reported.

Bullying may nevertheless violate:

The employer’s code of conduct, anti-bullying policy, grievance procedure, employment contract, or collective bargaining agreement;
The Safe Spaces Act, Republic Act No. 11313, if the conduct is sexual or based on sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression;
The Anti-Sexual Harassment Act, Republic Act No. 7877, when a person with authority, influence, or moral ascendancy demands, requests, or requires a sexual favor in an employment-related setting;
Occupational safety and health rules, where the conduct creates or contributes to a danger of illness, injury, or physical harm;
The Mental Health Act, Republic Act No. 11036, which requires employers to develop workplace mental-health policies and support and referral mechanisms;
Civil service disciplinary rules, if the respondent is a government official or employee;
Laws against discrimination, violence, threats, coercion, stalking, sexual offenses, or unlawful online conduct, depending on the facts.

Conduct commonly described as bullying includes repeated humiliation, shouting, threats, malicious rumors, degrading messages, deliberate isolation, work sabotage, intimidation, discriminatory ridicule, or the abusive use of authority. But a disagreement, an unfavorable evaluation, a lawful investigation, or reasonable performance management is not automatically bullying merely because it is stressful or unwelcome. The manner, purpose, consistency, evidence, and employment consequences matter.

Sexual and gender-based harassment have special rules

Harassment involving authority or moral ascendancy

Republic Act No. 7877 applies when an employer, manager, supervisor, agent, or another person with authority, influence, or moral ascendancy demands, requests, or requires a sexual favor and the conduct:

Is connected to hiring, continued employment, compensation, promotion, benefits, or favorable working conditions;
Impairs an employee’s rights under labor law; or
Creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment.

The employee does not have to accept the demand for the law to apply.

An employer must establish workplace rules and a CODI. If the offended employee informs the employer and the employer takes no immediate action, the employer may be solidarily liable for resulting damages. An internal administrative case does not prevent a separate criminal prosecution or civil action.

Harassment by peers, subordinates, or through technology

The Safe Spaces Act is broader. Workplace gender-based sexual harassment can be committed by a superior, co-worker, peer, or subordinate and can occur verbally, physically, through email, text, chat, videoconferencing, social media, or another information system. It can include:

Unwelcome sexual advances or demands;
Sexual conduct that affects employment conditions, performance, or opportunities;
Unwelcome and offensive conduct of a sexual nature or conduct based on sex;
Pervasive conduct creating an intimidating, hostile, or humiliating environment.

A “workplace” is not limited to the main office. Depending on the circumstances, it can include work sites, field assignments, employer-controlled events, work travel, remote-work channels, and other places an employee must go because of work.

Under Section 17 of the Safe Spaces Act, the employer’s internal mechanism or CODI must be impartial, protect the complainant from retaliation, preserve confidentiality to the greatest extent possible, observe due process, and investigate and decide complaints within 10 days or less from receipt. The employer must also issue a workplace policy describing the procedure and administrative penalties.

Official guidance from the Philippine Commission on Women states that a workplace report may be made to the employer or its agent. A report may be anonymous, although the employer must verify it and refer it to the CODI. A complaint filed by the victim in their own name is treated as a formal complaint and may be submitted directly to the CODI.

Confidentiality is not absolute secrecy. Information may need to be disclosed to investigators, the respondent, witnesses, or authorities to provide due process and resolve the case.

How to make an effective internal report

1. Find the correct policy and reporting body

Look for the following in the employee handbook, intranet, bulletin board, employment contract, collective bargaining agreement, or onboarding materials:

Anti-harassment or anti-bullying policy;
Code of conduct;
CODI manual and membership;
Grievance or whistleblowing procedure;
Ethics, compliance, or speak-up channel;
Safety and health program;
Deadlines and appeal procedures.

For sexual or gender-based harassment, ask specifically for the CODI or independent internal mechanism—not merely an informal meeting with the accused person’s manager.

If the person complained of controls the normal channel, send the complaint to the CODI, a higher officer, the board or owner, compliance office, or another independent recipient identified in the policy. Identify the conflict of interest in writing.

2. Put the report in writing

A written complaint should contain:

Your name, position, department, and contact details, unless you are using an allowed anonymous channel;
The respondent’s name, position, and relationship to you;
A chronological account of each incident;
Dates, approximate times, places, work platforms, and exact words or actions as accurately as you can recall;
The names of witnesses and what each may have observed;
Relevant messages, documents, photos, recordings lawfully obtained, or other evidence;
The effect on your work, pay, assignments, health, safety, or employment opportunities;
Earlier verbal or written reports and management’s response;
Any continuing threat, retaliation, or risk of evidence being erased;
The specific interim protection you are requesting.

Separate facts you personally observed from information another person told you. If a date or quotation is approximate, say so instead of guessing.

A concise opening may read:

I am submitting a formal workplace-harassment complaint concerning the incidents described below. Please refer this complaint to the proper independent investigating body, preserve all relevant records, protect me and the witnesses from retaliation, and confirm receipt and the applicable procedure in writing.

3. Ask for immediate protective measures when necessary

Depending on the risk, request measures such as:

A no-contact instruction;
A temporary change in reporting line, workstation, shift, or access permissions;
Preservation of CCTV, access logs, emails, chats, and personnel records;
A neutral contact person;
Protection for witnesses;
Permission to bring a union representative or support person where policy permits;
Medical, psychological, or employee-assistance support.

Protective measures should not operate as a punishment against the complainant. If the proposed arrangement reduces your pay, rank, benefits, opportunities, or preferred assignment, object in writing and request a less harmful measure.

4. Obtain proof of receipt

Submit through a channel that produces a reliable record. Keep:

The sent email and attachments;
A portal reference number;
A receiving copy stamped and dated;
A courier receipt;
A written acknowledgment from the recipient.

If you report verbally because the matter is urgent, send a same-day follow-up email summarizing what you reported, to whom, and what response was given.

Where private-sector workers can go outside the company

DOLE Single Entry Approach

An aggrieved worker, group of workers, union, kasambahay, or employer may file a Request for Assistance under the Single Entry Approach or SEnA. This is a conciliation-mediation process, not an automatic ruling that harassment occurred.

Requests may be submitted online through the DOLE Assistance for Request Management System or onsite at participating DOLE regional, provincial, or field offices and Single Entry Assistance Desks of the National Labor Relations Commission or National Conciliation and Mediation Board. DOLE’s current hotline and office information are available on its official contact page.

A SEnA request is useful when:

The employer will not receive or act on a complaint;
There is no CODI or workplace policy;
Retaliation, forced resignation, loss of pay, transfer, suspension, or dismissal has occurred;
The worker needs assistance resolving an employment dispute;
A labor claim may need referral to the proper office.

If the matter is unresolved and falls within the Labor Arbiter’s jurisdiction—such as illegal or constructive dismissal or related employment claims—it may proceed to the appropriate NLRC Regional Arbitration Branch under the 2025 NLRC Rules of Procedure.

Union grievance machinery

If a union or collective bargaining agreement covers the employee, notify the union and check the grievance machinery immediately. CBA deadlines can be short. A union representative can help preserve the grievance, attend meetings where permitted, and assess whether the issue must proceed to voluntary arbitration.

Occupational safety and health reporting

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Act, Republic Act No. 11058, workers may report workplace hazards to the employer, DOLE, or another competent agency. Employers must provide a workplace free from hazardous conditions likely to cause death, illness, or physical harm.

The right to refuse unsafe work applies only when DOLE determines that an imminent-danger situation exists, the danger may cause illness, injury, or death, and corrective action has not been taken. Do not assume that every hostile interaction automatically gives a legal right to stop reporting for work.

Reporting in a government office

Sexual harassment

Under the 2025 Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service, a sexual-harassment complaint should generally be filed with the agency or department where the respondent is employed and referred to its CODI.

The Civil Service Commission may take cognizance of the case when:

The agency has no CODI;
The complainant is a CODI member;
The disciplining authority is the subject of the complaint;
The respondent is a CODI member; or
A prescribed investigation or adjudication period has lapsed by more than 30 days without justifiable reason.

The government CODI must protect the complainant from retaliation and preserve confidentiality to the greatest extent possible. Under the 2025 rules, it must submit its findings and recommendation to the disciplining authority within 10 days after the investigation ends.

Nonsexual bullying or abusive conduct

The facts may constitute oppression, misconduct, discourtesy, conduct prejudicial to the service, a violation of office rules, or another administrative offense. The correct charge depends on the evidence; a complainant should describe the conduct accurately instead of choosing an offense based only on its name.

A regular civil-service administrative complaint generally must be written, subscribed, and sworn. It should include:

The parties’ names, addresses, positions, and offices;
A chronological factual narrative;
Legible duplicate originals or certified true copies of documentary evidence;
Witness affidavits, if available; and
A certification or statement of non-forum shopping.

It may be filed with the agency’s disciplining authority, the CSC, or the appropriate CSC Regional Office, subject to the special rules governing particular officials and sexual-harassment cases.

When to report to police or another investigative agency

Do not wait for HR or CODI if there is immediate danger or the conduct may be criminal. Call the nationwide Unified 911 emergency hotline, go to the nearest police station, or seek emergency medical care.

The PNP Women and Children’s Protection Desk in every police station is directed by the Safe Spaces Act to attend to complaints covered by that law. Criminal complaints may also require a sworn complaint-affidavit and supporting evidence before the proper city or provincial prosecutor.

For gender-based online sexual harassment, complaints may be brought to the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group, the NBI Cybercrime Division, or a prosecution office. The NBI provides an online complaint page and information on investigative assistance for computer-crime victims.

An internal case and a criminal complaint may proceed separately. Company discipline does not replace a police investigation or court case, and an acquittal or dismissal in one forum does not automatically decide every issue in another because the applicable offenses, procedures, and standards of proof may differ.

Evidence to preserve

Preserve relevant evidence promptly and lawfully:

Emails, texts, chat messages, direct messages, and social-media posts;
Original files, full conversation threads, URLs, account names, timestamps, and message headers where available;
Screenshots showing context—not only a cropped sentence;
Work schedules, assignments, performance reviews, notices to explain, memoranda, transfer orders, payslips, attendance records, and resignation drafts;
A contemporaneous incident log;
Names and contact details of witnesses;
Medical certificates, consultation records, prescriptions, and receipts;
Photographs of injuries or damaged property;
Security, building-access, meeting, or videoconference records;
Copies of earlier reports and the employer’s responses.

Ask the employer in writing to preserve CCTV immediately because footage may be overwritten. Keep a working copy of your evidence outside an employer-controlled account or device, while respecting lawful confidentiality obligations. Do not take unrelated trade secrets, customer data, personnel files, or confidential company records merely because they may be accessible.

Avoid secretly recording a private conversation without legal advice. The Anti-Wiretapping Act, Republic Act No. 4200 generally prohibits secretly recording a private communication or spoken words without authorization from all parties. Screenshots and messages you lawfully received are different from secretly intercepting or recording a private conversation, but authenticity, privacy, and admissibility must still be considered.

Do not edit original files, impersonate another person to obtain evidence, access someone else’s account, or publicly post intimate or personal material. Public posting can create separate privacy, defamation, workplace, or evidentiary problems.

What the employer should do after receiving a report

A proper response normally includes:

Prompt referral to the correct independent body;
A documented risk assessment and suitable interim protection;
Preservation of evidence;
Notice to the respondent and a fair opportunity to answer;
Impartial interviews and evaluation of documents;
Protection from retaliation;
Confidential handling to the greatest extent possible;
A reasoned outcome and implementation of appropriate corrective measures;
Monitoring for recurrence or retaliation.

The employer should not require visible injury, an eyewitness, or a contemporaneous protest before receiving a sexual-harassment complaint. In LBC Express-Vis, Inc. v. Palco, the Supreme Court stressed that dismissing a complaint as weak merely because there were no witnesses or bruises is insensitive and can discourage reporting. The Court found constructive dismissal on the particular facts because the employer’s delayed and inadequate response reinforced a hostile work environment.

That decision does not mean every delayed investigation or workplace conflict is automatically constructive dismissal. The evidence must show that a reasonable person in the employee’s position would have felt compelled to leave because continued employment had become impossible, unreasonable, or unlikely, or because employer-attributable discrimination, insensibility, or disdain had become unbearable.

Retaliation and forced resignation

Retaliation may include:

Threats or pressure to withdraw the complaint;
Sudden negative evaluations unsupported by earlier records;
Exclusion from work, meetings, or systems;
Punitive transfers or schedule changes;
Reduction of pay, benefits, duties, rank, or opportunities;
Selective discipline;
Threats against witnesses;
Suspension, dismissal, or pressure to resign.

Report each retaliatory act separately and connect it to the earlier complaint using dates and documents. Keep copies of notices, evaluations, schedules, and pay records from before and after the report.

Do not resign impulsively if you may need to claim constructive dismissal. A resignation letter stating that the decision was voluntary or personal may later become important evidence. Obtain individual legal advice before signing a resignation, quitclaim, settlement, affidavit of desistance, confidentiality agreement, or document admitting misconduct.

Important time limits

Report promptly even if the law provides a longer prescriptive period. Company and CBA grievance deadlines may be much shorter than statutory periods.

Key statutory periods include:

An action under Republic Act No. 7877 prescribes in three years.
An action involving workplace gender-based sexual harassment under Section 16 of Republic Act No. 11313 prescribes in five years.
Ordinary money claims arising from employment generally prescribe in three years from accrual.
Illegal- or constructive-dismissal claims generally prescribe in four years from dismissal.

Different periods may govern physical injuries, threats, online offenses, civil damages, discrimination claims, government administrative cases, or local-ordinance violations. The starting date and any interruption or tolling of a period can be legally complex. Seek advice early instead of filing near the deadline.

Common mistakes to avoid

Reporting only verbally and keeping no proof of notice;
Sending a vague accusation without dates, incidents, witnesses, or supporting records;
Calling conduct “bullying” without describing the actual words, acts, frequency, motive, and employment consequences;
Confronting the respondent alone despite a safety risk;
Resigning or signing a quitclaim before understanding the effect;
Editing screenshots or deleting the original messages;
Secretly recording private conversations without checking Republic Act No. 4200;
Posting accusations or evidence publicly while an investigation is pending;
Taking unrelated confidential company or personal information;
Assuming HR is the only possible reporting channel;
Waiting for the internal case to end despite an immediate threat or approaching legal deadline;
Treating the 10-day Safe Spaces Act period as a guarantee that every related labor, civil, administrative, or criminal proceeding will also finish within 10 days.

When legal help is urgent

Consult a lawyer, union representative, Public Attorney’s Office where eligibility and case requirements are met, or an appropriate worker-support organization promptly if:

You have been threatened, stalked, assaulted, touched without consent, or coerced;
Intimate images or sexual material were recorded, threatened, or shared;
The respondent owns the business or controls HR, CODI, or management;
You are being pressured to resign or sign a settlement;
You received a notice to explain, suspension, transfer, pay reduction, or termination after reporting;
The employer refuses to form a CODI or preserve evidence;
A filing deadline may be approaching;
Your health or ability to work is seriously affected;
The conduct involves a minor, a person with impaired capacity, multiple victims, weapons, or credible threats of serious harm.

Frequently asked questions

Must I confront the person before filing a complaint?

No general rule requires you to confront the respondent first. Do not do so if it may be unsafe, invite retaliation, or destroy evidence. Follow the formal reporting procedure.

Can I report conduct that happened in a work group chat or during remote work?

Yes. Sexual or gender-based workplace harassment may be committed through texts, email, chat, videoconferencing, social media, and other information systems. Preserve the full exchange, account details, and timestamps.

Can a man or an LGBTQIA+ employee file a sexual-harassment complaint?

Yes. The laws are not limited to women. The Safe Spaces Act expressly recognizes conduct involving diverse sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.

What if the harasser is my co-worker or subordinate?

Republic Act No. 7877 focuses on authority, influence, or moral ascendancy. The Safe Spaces Act additionally covers workplace gender-based sexual harassment between peers and conduct by a subordinate against a superior.

Can a witness report the incident?

Yes. The Safe Spaces Act directs employees and co-workers to report workplace gender-based sexual harassment they witness. A witness should distinguish firsthand observations from information received from others.

Can I report anonymously?

For workplace gender-based sexual harassment, official Safe Spaces Act guidance allows an anonymous report, which the employer should verify and refer to the CODI. Anonymity may limit fact-finding if the evidence cannot otherwise be verified. Different rules apply to formal civil-service, labor, civil, and criminal complaints.

Can I file externally without completing the company process?

Yes, particularly for possible crimes, immediate danger, retaliation, or approaching deadlines. Internal discipline does not bar a separate criminal or civil action. The exact labor procedure may still require SEnA before an NLRC complaint, subject to applicable exceptions.

Is a single incident enough?

It can be, depending on the act and the applicable law. Some Safe Spaces Act provisions refer to an act or series of acts, while one hostile-environment category requires unwelcome and pervasive conduct. A single assault, threat, coercive demand, or serious sexual act should be reported immediately even if repetition has not occurred.

Will an employer be liable whenever a co-worker harasses someone?

Not automatically. Liability depends on the applicable law and facts, including the respondent’s role, whether the employer was notified, what policies and internal mechanisms existed, and whether the employer acted promptly and adequately.

Can I simply stop going to work?

Do not assume that harassment automatically excuses an unexplained absence. Notify the employer of the danger and request protective measures or appropriate leave. The statutory right to refuse unsafe work under Republic Act No. 11058 has specific imminent-danger and DOLE-determination requirements.

Official references

This article provides general legal information, not legal advice or a prediction of any case’s outcome. Rights and procedures depend on the specific acts, documents, employment status, workplace policy, forum, and applicable local rules. Sources and government filing channels were checked as of August 1, 2026.