DOLE Department Order No. 252-25: What Changed From the Old OSH Rules (D.O. 198-18)
In April 2025, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) quietly replaced the rulebook that every Philippine employer had used since 2018 to comply with the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) law. Department Order No. 252, Series of 2025 (D.O. 252-25) is now the governing Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 11058, and it carries real obligations for remote workers, gig-style contracting, psychosocial hazards, and progressively steeper fines for repeat violators.
This guide compares D.O. 252-25 against its predecessor, D.O. 198-18, explains what actually changed for employers and workers, and lays out the concrete steps both sides should take now.
Direct Answer
DOLE Department Order No. 252-25 is the new, revised IRR of RA 11058, replacing D.O. 198-18 effective May 16, 2025.[1] It keeps the same ₱100,000-per-day cap on administrative fines,[2] but expands coverage to remote and home-based work, adds psychosocial and climate-related hazards to the required safety program, and introduces progressive penalties that rise for repeated violations.
Key Takeaways
- D.O. 252-25 took effect on May 16, 2025, replacing D.O. 198-18, Series of 2018, as the operative IRR of RA 11058.[1]
- Coverage now explicitly reaches remote and work-from-home arrangements, homes converted into workplaces, GOCCs without an original charter, PEZA/economic-zone enterprises, and contracting or subcontracting setups in both the private and public sectors.
- Employers must now address psychosocial hazards (workplace stress, bullying, harassment), ergonomic risks for home-based work, technological risks from automation and AI-assisted machinery, and extreme-heat and climate-related exposure as part of the safety and health program.
- The maximum administrative fine for willful non-compliance remains ₱100,000 per day of uncorrected violation, as set by RA 11058 itself[2] — D.O. 252-25 did not raise that statutory ceiling.
- D.O. 252-25 introduces a progressive fine structure for repeat offenses: lower fines for a first violation, escalating for second and third offenses of the same kind.
- Safety officer competency requirements were expanded, with specialized training now expected for high-risk industries and emerging hazard categories.
- Workers’ right to refuse unsafe work and the process for a DOLE-issued Work Stoppage Order (WSO) are spelled out in more operational detail under the new rules.[1]
- There is currently no Supreme Court decision interpreting D.O. 252-25 itself — it is simply too recent. The nearest foundational authority is a 1907 case on an employer’s duty to keep a workplace safe, discussed below.
Legal Basis
| Authority | Classification | Rule Supported | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Republic Act No. 11058 (2018)[2] | Statute | Core OSH duties, worker rights, and the administrative fine structure | Still the controlling law; D.O. 252-25 implements it and cannot exceed its ₱100,000/day fine ceiling |
| D.O. 198-18 (2018, superseded) | Administrative rule (IRR), no longer current | Former operational detail for RA 11058 | Replaced in full by D.O. 252-25; citing D.O. 198-18 as current guidance is now a compliance risk |
| D.O. 252-25 (2025, current)[1] | Administrative rule (Revised IRR) | Current operational detail: coverage, hazard categories, safety programs, officer competencies, penalties | Governs day-to-day OSH compliance for every covered workplace from May 16, 2025 onward |
| Labor Code of the Philippines, Art. 128 (visitorial power) | Statute | DOLE’s authority to inspect workplaces and issue compliance or stoppage orders | Basis for DOLE labor inspectors’ enforcement powers under both the old and new IRR |
What Changed: D.O. 198-18 vs. D.O. 252-25
D.O. 198-18 translated RA 11058 into a workable rulebook for traditional, on-site workplaces. Nearly seven years later, DOLE revised it to catch up with remote work, platform-style contracting, and hazard categories that the 2018 rules did not clearly address. The table below summarizes the material differences; it is not exhaustive.
| Area | D.O. 198-18 (2018–2025) | D.O. 252-25 (current, from May 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Workplace coverage | Traditional establishments, projects and worksites in the private sector | Explicitly adds remote/home-based setups, homes converted into workplaces, GOCCs without an original charter, PEZA/ecozone enterprises, and both private- and public-sector contracting or subcontracting |
| Hazard categories in the safety program | Physical, chemical, biological, mechanical and ergonomic hazards in the traditional sense | Adds psychosocial hazards (stress, bullying, harassment), remote-work ergonomics, automation/AI-related technological risk, and climate-related exposure such as extreme heat |
| Nature of the OSH program | A program document submitted to and approved by DOLE | A dynamic, continuously reviewed program with performance metrics, not a one-time filing |
| Safety officer competency | General safety-officer training requirement | Expanded, with specialized training for high-risk industries and emerging hazards |
| Administrative fines | Up to ₱100,000 per day of uncorrected violation, as set by RA 11058[2] | Same ₱100,000/day statutory ceiling, but with a progressive schedule — lower for a first offense, higher for repeat offenses of the same kind |
| Right to refuse unsafe work | Recognized in general terms | More detailed procedure: the safety officer may order an immediate work stoppage pending DOLE validation, and workers cannot be forced back while a DOLE Work Stoppage Order (WSO) is in effect |
New Employer Obligations Under D.O. 252-25
Employers whose OSH program was built around D.O. 198-18 should treat D.O. 252-25 as a compliance refresh, not a formality. Four obligations are genuinely new or materially expanded:
1. Cover remote and hybrid workers. If any employee works from home or another off-site location, the employer’s safety and health program must now address the ergonomic and, where relevant, psychosocial risks of that arrangement — it can no longer be treated as outside the scope of OSH compliance simply because the worker is not on company premises.
2. Add psychosocial and climate hazards to the written program. Workplace stress, bullying, harassment, and extreme-heat exposure must be identified and addressed in the safety and health program required under RA 11058 Section 12,[2] alongside the traditional physical and chemical hazards.
3. Treat the OSH program as a living document. D.O. 252-25 expects periodic review and measurable safety outcomes, not a static filing that sits untouched after DOLE approval.
4. Upgrade safety officer training where the workplace is high-risk. Construction, manufacturing, and other hazardous operations should confirm that their safety officers’ training covers the specialized competencies the new order expects, not just the general safety-officer course required under the old rules.
Penalties and Enforcement
The penalty ceiling itself has not changed: RA 11058 Section 28(a) caps the administrative fine for willful failure or refusal to comply with OSH standards, or with a DOLE compliance order, at ₱100,000 per day until the violation is corrected, counted from the date the employer is notified.[2] The amount actually imposed depends on the frequency and gravity of the violation, and the maximum is reserved for violations that expose workers to a risk of death, serious injury, or serious illness.[2] A separate administrative fine of up to ₱100,000 applies if the employer obstructs a DOLE inspection, misrepresents its compliance, or retaliates against a worker who reported a violation — this is on top of, not instead of, the daily fine.[2]
What D.O. 252-25 changes is the schedule DOLE uses within that ceiling: a documented first offense draws a lower fine than a second or third offense of the same kind, so an employer that ignores a compliance order risks an escalating bill, not just a flat daily charge. DOLE labor inspectors retain the visitorial power under Labor Code Article 128 to enter a workplace, examine records, and issue a compliance order or an immediate work stoppage order where an imminent danger situation exists.[2]
What the Courts Have Said
D.O. 252-25 is too recent for the Supreme Court to have interpreted it directly, and no decision yet construes RA 11058 or either version of its IRR. Readers should not expect a body of case law on this specific order — there isn’t one yet.
The closest the Philippine Supreme Court has come to the underlying principle — an employer’s duty to keep a workplace reasonably safe — is over a century old. In Rakes v. The Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific Co., G.R. No. 1719 (January 23, 1907),[3] a laborer transporting iron rails was injured when a sagging, unrepaired track gave way after a typhoon. The Court held the employer liable in damages for failing to maintain safe working conditions, while reducing the award because the worker’s own position on the rails at the time contributed to the injury. The case predates RA 11058 by more than a century and does not interpret any OSH department order, but it remains the foundational statement in Philippine jurisprudence that an employer who fails to maintain a safe workplace can be held liable for the resulting injury — the same basic duty RA 11058 and D.O. 252-25 now codify and enforce administratively.
Worked Example
A mid-sized BPO company allows part of its workforce to work from home two days a week. Under D.O. 198-18, its OSH program covered only the physical office. Under D.O. 252-25, the company’s safety officer must now extend the hazard assessment to home workstations — checking, for example, that remote employees have been given written ergonomic guidance and a channel to report a home-workstation hazard or work-related stress — and document that review as part of the dynamic safety and health program the new order expects. If a DOLE inspection later finds the program was never updated to cover remote work at all, that gap itself can support a compliance order, and continued inaction after notice exposes the company to the daily fine under RA 11058 Section 28(a).[2]
What to Do Next
If you are an employer
- Pull your current OSH program and check whether it predates May 16, 2025 — if it was written for D.O. 198-18 and never revisited, assume it needs an update.
- Add psychosocial hazards, remote-work ergonomics, and climate/heat exposure to the written hazard assessment if your workforce includes any remote, hybrid, or outdoor workers.
- Confirm your safety officer’s training certificate covers the competencies relevant to your actual operations, not just a generic basic course.
- Review your internal escalation process so that a worker who reports a hazard or invokes the right to refuse unsafe work is routed correctly and not met with retaliation, which carries its own separate fine.[2]
- If DOLE has already issued a compliance order on an old program, correct the specific violation named in that order before the next scheduled inspection — the daily fine keeps running until it is corrected, not merely until it is filed.
If you are a worker
- If your workplace is clearly unsafe and poses imminent danger, you have the right to refuse the work without threat of reprisal; raise it with your safety officer first.[1]
- Report hazards or accidents to your employer and, if unresolved, to DOLE through the DOLE Hotline 1349 or the DOLE Regional, Provincial, Field or Satellite Office with jurisdiction over your worksite.
- If you work from home, you can still raise an ergonomic or psychosocial hazard through your employer’s safety and health program — D.O. 252-25 does not exclude remote workers from this protection.
- Keep your own written record (dates, messages, photos where safe to take) of any hazard you reported, in case a DOLE inspection or complaint later needs supporting evidence.
Employer Compliance Checklist
- Written OSH program updated and dated after May 16, 2025, covering psychosocial, remote-work and climate-related hazards where applicable
- Safety and health committee organized per RA 11058 Section 13, with worker representation
- Safety officer(s) in place, with training records matching the risk level of the operation
- PPE provided free of charge where hazard exposure requires it
- Safety signage posted in a language or dialect understood by the workforce
- Accident and hazard reporting channel known to all employees, including remote staff
- Welfare facilities (drinking water, sanitary facilities, and where applicable gender-separated and accessibility facilities) available and functioning
- Most recent DOLE compliance order, if any, fully resolved and documented as corrected
Contact the Right Agency
For an accident, hazard report, or general OSH compliance question, the Department of Labor and Employment is the primary agency. Workers and employers can call the DOLE Hotline at 1349, or contact the DOLE Regional, Provincial, Field, or Satellite Office that has jurisdiction over the worksite in question, as provided under D.O. 252-25 Section 7.[1] The LaborCode.ph directory of Philippine government labor agencies lists current DOLE regional office contact details.
The Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC), an agency attached to DOLE, plays a narrower, specialized role — primarily training, technical research, and accreditation of safety practitioners and OSH service providers — rather than first-line accident reporting. This run could not independently re-verify OSHC’s own current contact page due to an automated access block; readers should confirm OSHC’s current contact details directly on DOLE’s official site before relying on them.
| Situation | Where to go | What to bring |
|---|---|---|
| Imminent danger at work right now | Your safety officer first, then DOLE Hotline 1349 if unresolved | A description of the hazard and when it started |
| Accident or injury to report | DOLE Regional/Provincial/Field/Satellite Office with jurisdiction over the site | Incident details, date, witnesses if any |
| Employer OSH program or safety officer question | DOLE Regional Office handling labor standards for your area | Current OSH program document, safety officer training records |
| Safety officer training or OSH accreditation | Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC) — verify current contact details on DOLE’s official site | Not applicable at inquiry stage |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is D.O. 198-18 still valid?
No. D.O. 198-18 has been fully superseded by D.O. 252-25, which took effect May 16, 2025. Employers should no longer rely on D.O. 198-18 as current guidance.[1]
Did D.O. 252-25 increase the maximum fine under RA 11058?
No. The ₱100,000-per-day ceiling comes from RA 11058 Section 28(a) itself, not from the implementing rules, so D.O. 252-25 could not raise it.[2] What changed is the progressive schedule DOLE applies within that ceiling for repeat violations.
Does D.O. 252-25 apply to remote and work-from-home employees?
Yes. D.O. 252-25 explicitly extends OSH coverage to remote and home-based work arrangements, which the 2018 rules did not clearly address.
Who has to comply with D.O. 252-25?
RA 11058 covers all establishments, projects, and worksites in every branch of economic activity except the public sector in the strict constitutional sense, though D.O. 252-25 extends specific coverage to GOCCs without an original charter and to PEZA/economic-zone enterprises.[2]
What is the DOLE Hotline for reporting an unsafe workplace?
DOLE Hotline 1349 is the number cited in D.O. 252-25 Section 7 for reporting accidents and hazards, alongside the DOLE Regional, Provincial, Field, or Satellite Office with jurisdiction over the worksite.[1]
Can an employee refuse to work if the workplace is unsafe?
Yes. Both RA 11058 and D.O. 252-25 recognize a worker’s right to refuse unsafe work without threat of reprisal where an imminent danger situation exists, and D.O. 252-25 spells out the Work Stoppage Order process in more detail.[1]
Is there a Supreme Court case specifically about D.O. 252-25?
Not yet. D.O. 252-25 is too recent for the Supreme Court to have ruled on it directly. The closest related doctrine is the century-old employer-safety-duty principle from Rakes v. Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific Co., G.R. No. 1719 (1907).[3]
Ano ang pagkakaiba ng D.O. 252-25 sa D.O. 198-18?
Ang D.O. 252-25 ang bagong IRR ng RA 11058 mula Mayo 16, 2025, kapalit ng lumang D.O. 198-18. Mas malawak ang saklaw nito — kasama na ang remote work, psychosocial hazards, at climate-related risks na wala pa noong 2018.
Kailangan ba ng employer ang bagong OSH program kung work-from-home ang mga empleyado?
Oo. Dapat isama sa safety and health program ang ergonomic at psychosocial na panganib ng remote work, dahil hindi na ito itinuturing na labas sa saklaw ng OSH compliance.
Magkano ang multa kung hindi sumunod ang employer sa OSH standards?
Hanggang ₱100,000 kada araw ang multa habang hindi naaayos ang paglabag, ayon sa RA 11058 Section 28(a) — pero mas mababa ang parusa sa unang paglabag kumpara sa inulit na paglabag ayon sa D.O. 252-25.[2]
Conclusion
D.O. 252-25 is not a cosmetic update. It keeps RA 11058’s statutory penalty ceiling in place but widens what counts as a covered workplace and a covered hazard, and it rewards employers who treat OSH compliance as ongoing rather than a one-time filing. Employers whose last OSH review predates May 2025 should assume a gap exists until they check; workers gain clearer, more detailed protections for remote work and for refusing genuinely unsafe conditions. Related reading: What Is RA 11058?, DOLE Rule 1020 Registration, DOLE Labor Inspection Documents Checklist, and PPE Refusal and Dismissal Rules.
Sources and Legal Citations
- [1] Department Order No. 252-25, Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No. 11058, Department of Labor and Employment, issued April 29, 2025, effective May 16, 2025. DOLE issuance page.
Classification: Administrative rule (IRR).
Supports: current implementing framework for RA 11058, replacing D.O. 198-18.
Status: This run could not re-fetch the DOLE page directly (automated access was blocked); this URL was independently verified as the correct official source in a separate, already-published LaborCode.ph article and is used on that basis. Readers should confirm directly on dole.gov.ph if independent re-verification is needed. - [2] Republic Act No. 11058, An Act Strengthening Compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Standards and Providing Penalties for Violations Thereof, approved August 17, 2018. Full text verified via the Lawphil Arellano Law Foundation archive. Lawphil text of RA 11058.
Classification: Statute.
Supports: coverage, worker rights, employer duties, and the ₱100,000/day administrative fine structure (Section 28).
Status: verified in full this run; current and in force. - [3] Rakes v. The Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific Co., G.R. No. 1719, January 23, 1907. Lawphil text of the decision.
Classification: Supreme Court decision (En Banc).
Supports: foundational doctrine that an employer who fails to maintain a safe workplace may be held liable for a resulting injury.
Status: verified this run; cited as historical/foundational authority only — it does not interpret RA 11058 or any OSH department order.
Sources checked: November 6, 2026 (Asia/Manila) — Republic Act No. 11058 (full text, Lawphil); DOLE Department Order No. 252-25 issuance page (URL previously verified via a separate published LaborCode.ph article; direct re-fetch blocked this run); Rakes v. Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific Co., G.R. No. 1719 (Lawphil).
This article is provided for general legal information only and is not a substitute for independent legal advice on your specific situation. LaborCode.ph is an independent legal-information resource and is not DOLE, the NLRC, a court, or a law firm.
