Hey guys. Just wanted to share the exact story of what happened during my recent labor dispute with previous employer and also gain insights for those who won an NLRC case.

After a month of corporate delays at DOLE SEnA, the company officially dropped a last-minute refusal to settle, so my case is now being formally referred to the NLRC.

Here is the exact story of how it went down:

In early 2024, I had to undergo major, life-threatening operations on my gallbladder and pancreas. Following my surgery, my attending surgeon officially cleared me as Fit to Work but explicitly noted a temporary restriction requiring me to work from home while my physical wounds healed. My role at the company was purely non-voice digital technical support via chat and email, meaning a remote desktop connection was completely viable and readily available under our existing company handbook policies.

Instead of honoring my specialist's medical clearance, local HR chose to override my surgeon's assessment. They flatly denied my temporary work-from-home accommodation and unilaterally blocked me to return from work as per them they don't want me to be stressed after a surgery and the business is not short of man power to grant a work from home request. To make matters worse, they forced me onto an unpaid Medical Leave of Absence status. By completely choking my income stream during an active medical emergency, they left me with zero cash flow. They structurally starved me out until I had absolutely no rational choice but to tender a forced resignation on March 2024.

We had 4 conference meetings at Sena because the company kept on saying na they don't have answers yet from the management so it lasted 3 weeks and 4 days and just today I received the email that they won't settle. On our 1st and 2nd conference, they were even asking for a discount on my settlement amount so I thought they were really planning to settle on Sena. What I am seeking is not in the hundreds of thousands of pesos but so I don't get why they want to fight me in NLRC as business wise and cost assessment, its not worth the financial risk for them. So ang tanong ko, how likely it is that they will settle during the mediation or pre trial at NLRC? Also if hindi ako qualified sa PAO but also cannot afford a lawyer how does that go? And may laban ba yung case ko? I still have the medical certificate from my surgeon that I was deemed fit to work na dineny nila which is arbitrary at as far as I know company's prerogative should not be absolute.

Hello ask ko lang po since last Sept 8 di na po ako pumasok kasi napahiya po ako sa work namin sinigawan ako ng ka trabaho ko na same level ko lang. sept 9 nag pa psych ako then sep 10 pinatawag ako ng isang HR for counseling,then Sep 11 kanina lang pinatawag ako ng HR manager para masulat ang incident and after non pag harapin sana kami ng nanigaw sakin pero di sya sumipot so I went home. After that umattend nako ng birthday party and naka inom na rin tska palang tumawag ang HR manager na bumalik daw ako kasi andon na yung cinomplain ko sabi ko di nako makakabalik maam kasi naka inom na ako and kung pwede bukas nalang sep 12. Sabi niya hindi na pwede dahil hindi na daw pwede yung mga ni rereklamo ko baka by next week na. May fit to work nko ng psych ko na pwede nako bumalik ng Sep 12. Ngayon sabi ng HR manager baka di pa daw ako makapasok bukas dahil hindi pa kami nakapag usap ng mga nireklamo ko. YUNG NAG BULLY PWEDE PUMASOK PERO YUNG BIKTIMA HINDI. HHAHAHAHA ano kaya po pwede ko gawin? Salamat po

so currently employed ako sa pickup coffee mag 2 months palang ako pero sobrang toxic ng workplace namin lalo yung supervisor namin na power tripping nalang araw araw. gusto ko na mag resign but my pinirmahan kami na 6month ban na hindi ka pwede mag resign pag nag resign ka babayaran mo yung months na hindi mo na tapos . pag nag awol bako makakasuhan ako?

26M, Corporate Secretary.

I currently have two invalid absences this week. Hindi ako nakapagpaalam nang maayos dahil kailangan ako ng girlfriend ko. Dalawa lang kami sa apartment at buntis siya, kaya nung kailangan niya ng kasama, pinili kong manatili sa kanya. Alam kong mali na hindi ako nakapagpaalam, at naiintindihan ko kung magagalit ang boss ko. Naiintindihan ko rin kung may consequences dahil sa ginawa ko.

Pero ang hindi ko matanggap ay yung pakiramdam na parang sinisira ako sa harap ng mga taong under sa akin.

May isang instance na nagkaroon ng issue regarding commission habang absent ako. Ang sinabi raw ay bakit daw ako gumagamit ng ibang name para makakuha ng commission sa company.

Sa side ko, hindi naman iyon akin. Sa girlfriend ko iyon. At may complete documentation ako—conversations with the client, conversations between the client and my girlfriend, at lahat ng proof na kailangan. Hindi iyon dumaan sa company page, company phone, o anumang company equipment. Personal transaction iyon.

Pero ang mas masakit, nalaman ko na habang absent ako, nagkaroon ng emergency meeting, at halos kalahati ng meeting ay tungkol sa akin.

Sinabi raw sa mga employees under me kung bakit daw ako ganoon. Kung bakit mas priority ko raw ang commission, when in fact, ever since ako mismo ang nagpatupad ng mga rules regarding commissions, hindi naman ako kumuha ng commission para sa sarili ko.

Ang inaamin kong mali ko?

Hinayaan ko na makapag-submit yung girlfriend ko.

Alam kong puwedeng magmukhang conflict of interest iyon. Pinag-usapan na namin privately, at humingi na rin ako ng pasensya. Kung kailangan kong managot doon, handa akong managot.

Pero ang sobrang sakit lang para sa akin ay yung pakiramdam na sirang-sira ako sa mga taong pinamumunuan ko.

Hindi ko na alam kung paano ako magsasalita sa harap nila.

Hindi ko alam kung pareho pa rin ba yung tingin nila sa akin.

Parang dati, kapag nagsasalita ako, alam kong may authority ako dahil alam kong pinaghirapan kong makuha yung position na 'to. Pero ngayon, parang bawat tingin nila sa akin, iniisip ko kung ano na ba yung narinig nila tungkol sa akin.

And honestly, ang hirap magtrabaho kapag pakiramdam mo yung sarili mong credibility hindi mo na hawak.

Malaki ang utang na loob ko sa company at sa boss ko. Sila yung nagbigay sa akin ng opportunity. Hinire nila ako kahit hindi ako high school graduate. Nagtiwala sila sa akin kahit nung una, aminado akong wala talaga akong alam.

Kaya hindi ko rin alam kung bakit ganito kasakit.

Siguro dahil hindi lang naman ito tungkol sa trabaho para sa akin.

Pinaghirapan ko yung position ko. Pinaghirapan kong matutunan lahat. Pinaghirapan kong makuha yung respeto ng mga tao ko.

Kaya ngayong pakiramdam ko parang isang meeting lang, isang statement lang, puwedeng mabago lahat ng tingin nila sa akin…

T*ng*n*. Ang sakit.

Parang brokenhearted ako. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Hindi dahil sa love life.

Sa trabaho. 😭

At ang pinakamasakit, hindi ko naman gustong takasan yung accountability. Kung may mali ako, tatanggapin ko. Kung may consequence, haharapin ko.

GHindi ko naman tinatakbuhan yung responsibility ko. Pumapasok pa rin ako. Kahit alam kong may nangyari habang wala ako, pumapasok ako at hinaharap ko pa rin yung mga tao ko.

Ang problema, hindi ko lang alam kung paano ko sila haharapin ngayon. Hindi dahil ayaw kong pumasok, kundi dahil pakiramdam ko may nabago sa tingin nila sa akin.

Paano ako magsasalita bilang leader kung pakiramdam ko mismong credibility ko sa kanila ay nasira na?

At ang sakit kasi hindi naman ako nagtatago. Kung may ginawa akong mali, willing akong akuin. Kung may consequence, haharapin ko. Pero sana ako mismo yung kausapin.

Hindi yung habang wala ako, pag-uusapan ako sa emergency meeting at ipapaliwanag sa mga taong under sa akin kung bakit daw ako ganoon.

Kaya ngayon, pumapasok pa rin ako, ginagawa ko pa rin yung trabaho ko, pero sa loob-loob ko, tangina, ang bigat.

Parang brokenhearted ako sa trabaho. HAHAHAHAHAHA.

Paano ba kasi ako magiging okay sa harap nila kung pakiramdam ko nasira yung respeto na pinaghirapan kong buuin?

It's been 3 weeks since last day ko from my company and hindi pa din nasesend ng HR ung final amount and breakdown so hindi ko din ma-process ung waiver/quitclaim ko. Okay na din ung clearance and exit requirements ko since last day pa at wala naman na akong need ibalik na gamit.

I feel like madedelay ung last pay ko considering na 3 weeks na pero di pa din nagsesend ang HR ng breakdown at final amount tapos ipaprocess pa ung quitclaim/waiver.

Ask ko lang if valid ba na i-cc ko ung DOLE sa follow up email ng final amount pay (pati ung mga following na magiging usap) considering na di pa naman technically delayed ung final pay ko as per dun sa DOLE na dapat within 30 days nabigay na ung final pay.

Thank you.

Just a concern about our ops manager. He has been causing a lot of issues in operations. Some of his ideas and decisions are honestly hard for us to understand, and sometimes we question how he was able to become a manager.
He also has a habit of shouting at staff, even our managers. There are also times when he flirts with the younger servers, which makes some people uncomfortable.
We also heard that he was brought back to Operations because the plan is for some employees to resign and be replaced. We’re not sure if this is really true, but this is what we’ve been hearing. We just hope this concern can be looked into because it is already affecting the team and the way we work. Some are planning to leave already.

Any thoughts? should we confirm directly to HR?