Quick answer

Begin by filing a Request for Assistance (RFA) under the Single Entry Approach, or SEnA. You may file online through DOLE ARMS or onsite at a SEnA desk of DOLE, the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB), or the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC).

An RFA starts a free conciliation-mediation process. It is not yet a formal NLRC complaint. If the dispute is not settled, obtain the SEnA referral and file the formal case with the office that has jurisdiction. Illegal dismissal, reinstatement, unfair labor practice, employment-related damages, and most substantial money claims belong before an NLRC Labor Arbiter.

Do not wait for the employer to finish an internal investigation, release final pay, or respond to messages if a filing deadline may be running.

Which office should handle the problem?

Office or process	Matters it generally handles
SEnA at DOLE, NCMB, or NLRC	The usual first step for labor and employment disputes; it attempts voluntary settlement
DOLE Regional Office	Labor-standards inspection and enforcement, occupational safety and health concerns, and certain simple money claims not exceeding ₱5,000 per employee when reinstatement is not requested
NLRC Labor Arbiter	Illegal or constructive dismissal, termination disputes, unfair labor practice, reinstatement, employment-related damages, most other claims exceeding ₱5,000, covered OFW money claims, and enforcement of certain breached SEnA settlements
NCMB	Actual or threatened strikes or lockouts, notices of strike or lockout, and preventive mediation
Grievance machinery and voluntary arbitration	Interpretation or implementation of a collective bargaining agreement, or interpretation or enforcement of company personnel policies
Another government agency	SSS, GSIS, PhilHealth, Employees’ Compensation, licensing, immigration, and other matters assigned by law to a different agency

DOLE’s enforcement authority and the NLRC’s adjudicatory jurisdiction sometimes overlap in appearance but not in law. The proper forum can depend on the relief requested, whether employment is ongoing, whether an employer-employee relationship is disputed, and whether the matter requires inspection or adjudication. If uncertain, accurately describe every issue in the RFA so the SEnA officer can make the proper referral.

When SEnA is required

The general rule under Republic Act No. 10396 and DOLE Department Order No. 249, Series of 2025 is that labor and employment issues undergo mandatory conciliation-mediation before being formally heard by the office with jurisdiction.

The 2025 SEnA Rules exclude matters governed by separate procedures, including:

Actual strikes or lockouts, notices of strike or lockout, and notices of preventive mediation;
Collective-bargaining and company-policy disputes that belong in the grievance machinery;
Applications for exemption from wage orders;
Certain child-labor, permit, licence, accreditation, and contractor-registration violations;
Occupational safety and health cases involving imminent danger, dangerous occurrences, disabling injury, or absent or inadequate personal protective equipment;
Claims under social-security and welfare legislation;
Claims already covered by a SEnA settlement and quitclaim; and
Inter- and intra-union disputes.

Either or both parties may pre-terminate conciliation-mediation and request referral to the appropriate office. This may be necessary when settlement is unlikely or a prescriptive period is close.

How to file a SEnA Request for Assistance

Online

File through the official DOLE Assistance for Request Management System. The portal accepts RFAs from individual workers, groups of workers, kasambahays, OFWs, unions, federations, workers’ associations, and employers.

Provide accurate information about:

Your identity and active contact details;
The employer’s complete legal or business name;
The employer’s principal and workplace addresses;
Any contractor, agency, principal, recruiter, or other company involved;
Your position, rate of pay, employment dates, and work location;
What happened, including relevant dates;
Each payment, benefit, or other remedy requested; and
Any urgent safety issue or approaching deadline.

Save the confirmation, reference number, email, and screenshots showing successful submission. You will need the reference or docket number to track the RFA.

Onsite

An RFA may be filed personally at a SEnA desk of:

A DOLE Regional, Provincial, Field, or Satellite Office;
The NCMB or one of its Regional Conciliation and Mediation Branches; or
The NLRC or one of its Regional Arbitration Branches.

Under the 2025 SEnA Rules, the requesting party may generally choose the office nearest their residence, the place where the union or workers’ organization operates, or the employer’s principal place of business. If the parties are in different regions, the offices may coordinate the conferences.

Bring:

One accomplished RFA form;
A valid government-issued ID;
The employer’s correct name and service address;
A brief chronology of events;
A preliminary computation of money claimed; and
Copies of the most important supporting documents.

Personal appearance is ordinarily required. If the aggrieved person is absent or incapacitated, an immediate family member or authorized representative may file with a Special Power of Attorney. Different documentary requirements apply when the worker has died or the requesting party is a corporation or juridical entity.

There is no filing fee for an RFA.

What happens after the RFA is filed?

The SEnA officer interviews the requesting party, validates the issues, and determines whether the matter is suitable for conciliation-mediation. If it is, the request is docketed and assigned to a SEnA officer. Otherwise, the requesting party should receive technical assistance or a referral to the proper office.

For an onsite filing, the initial conference date should be set on the filing date. For an online RFA, the date should be set within two days after assignment to the SEnA officer. The initial conference should be conducted within five calendar days—or on the earliest available date not exceeding ten days—from assignment.

The mandatory conciliation-mediation period is generally 30 calendar days, beginning with the initial conference at which both parties appear. If settlement remains possible, the parties may mutually agree to an extension of no more than 15 calendar days.

Conferences may be face-to-face or conducted through an available digital platform. SEnA is non-litigious: the parties normally represent themselves, and lawyers are not encouraged unless they are a party or a duly authorized representative.

Information and statements exchanged during conciliation are generally confidential and privileged. The 2025 SEnA Rules prohibit parties from using audio, video, or electronic recording devices during the proceedings.

If the responding party fails to appear at two consecutive scheduled conferences despite proper notice, or if settlement fails, request the written referral needed for the appropriate formal proceeding.

Before agreeing to a settlement

A SEnA settlement should be written in a language or dialect understood by the parties, signed by both sides, and attested by the SEnA officer. It should state:

Every issue covered;
The exact amount to be paid;
The payment method;
Each instalment amount and due date, if payment is staggered;
Any reinstatement, lifting of suspension, document release, correction of records, or other required act;
The scope of any waiver or quitclaim; and
When the settlement is considered fully performed.

Do not sign:

A blank or incomplete form;
A computation you have not checked;
A document stating that full payment was received when it was not; or
A broad quitclaim without understanding which claims are being waived.

Where the settlement requires instalment payments, reinstatement, lifting of suspension, or another positive act, the responding party must report compliance to the SEnA officer. The rules contemplate issuance of the waiver and quitclaim only upon full compliance.

A valid SEnA settlement is final and immediately executory. If the other party defaults, report it promptly to the SEnA officer. After efforts to obtain voluntary compliance fail, request referral to the DOLE Regional Office or NLRC Regional Arbitration Branch and file the proper motion for execution.

How to file a formal NLRC complaint

If SEnA does not resolve a dispute within NLRC jurisdiction, file at the proper NLRC Regional Arbitration Branch. According to the NLRC Citizen’s Charter 2025, Second Edition, the usual initial requirements are:

One SEnA referral slip;
One valid government-issued ID, with the original and a photocopy; and
One duly accomplished complaint form provided by the NLRC Complaint Unit.

The complaint must:

Name all complainants and respondents;
State their complete addresses;
Include all causes of action arising from the employment relationship;
Be signed by every complainant;
Be verified under oath; and
Include the required certification against forum shopping.

Personal appearance is generally required. If appearance is impossible because of a qualifying medical condition, absence from the country, death, or another recognized circumstance, a representative may need a Special Power of Attorney and supporting medical, travel, civil-registry, or other documents. Confirm the exact requirements with the Regional Arbitration Branch before sending a representative.

Initial complaint filing is free.

Where to file the NLRC case

Under the 2025 NLRC Rules of Procedure, a case within a Labor Arbiter’s authority may generally be filed in the Regional Arbitration Branch with jurisdiction over either:

The complainant’s residence; or
The workplace, at the complainant’s option.

For this purpose, “workplace” may include:

The place where the employee is assigned;
The place where the employee reports after a temporary assignment or trip;
The location where a field, mobile, ambulant, intermittent, or itinerant worker receives instructions or wages and reports results; or
A telecommuting employee’s alternative workplace.

An OFW case may generally be filed where the complainant resides or where a respondent’s principal office is situated.

If more than one branch could hear the case, the branch where the complaint is first filed excludes the others. An objection to venue must ordinarily be raised on or before the first scheduled mandatory conference.

What happens after NLRC filing?

The complaint is docketed and assigned to a Labor Arbiter by raffle. The Labor Arbiter should issue summons within two working days after receiving the complaint or amended complaint. The summons identifies two settings for mandatory conciliation and mediation.

If the parties do not settle, the Labor Arbiter will define the issues and direct them to submit verified position papers with supporting documents and affidavits. The position-paper deadline must be set within ten calendar days after termination of the mandatory conference.

A reply may be filed within ten calendar days after receipt of the opposing position paper, on the agreed or scheduled date. A reply cannot be used to introduce a new cause of action omitted from the original or amended complaint.

The Labor Arbiter may call a clarificatory conference if necessary, but cases are commonly decided from the written record. Affidavits attached to the position paper generally take the place of direct testimony.

The rules direct the Labor Arbiter to decide the case within 30 calendar days after it is submitted for decision. Covered OFW cases are subject to a 90-calendar-day period from filing. These are periods stated in the rules, not a guarantee that a particular case will finish on a specific date.

Why attendance and submissions matter

If the complainant fails to appear at both mandatory-conference settings despite notice, the case may be dismissed without prejudice. A second dismissal caused by unjustified non-appearance may be with prejudice.

If the respondent misses the first conference, the second setting proceeds. Failure to appear at the second setting despite valid service may waive the respondent’s right to file a position paper. The Labor Arbiter may then decide from the available record—but the complainant must still prove the claim with substantial evidence.

Failure to file a required position paper can also cause dismissal or waiver. Never assume that a pending settlement discussion excuses attendance or extends a deadline unless the Labor Arbiter issues or approves the necessary order.

How to follow up a SEnA RFA

For an online RFA:

Open DOLE ARMS;
Choose Track RFA Status;
Select reference number or docket number;
Enter the number exactly; and
Save a screenshot of the result.

For an onsite or already assigned RFA, contact the handling SEnA desk or officer. Give the reference or docket number and ask:

Has the RFA been validated and docketed?
Who is the assigned SEnA officer?
Was notice served on the responding party?
What is the next conference date and mode?
Has the 30-day period begun or expired?
Has the employer missed two consecutive conferences?
Is a referral ready for release?
Has a reported settlement default been acted upon?

Keep written proof of every important follow-up. A phone call does not extend a prescriptive period or prove that a pleading was filed.

How to follow up an NLRC case

Contact or visit the Complaint Unit or the office of the assigned Labor Arbiter at the Regional Arbitration Branch where the case was filed. Always provide the complete case title and docket number.

Ask specifically:

Who is the assigned Labor Arbiter and Labor Arbitration Associate?
What was the latest order or process issued?
Was summons successfully served?
When is the next conference or submission deadline?
Is a position paper, reply, or other pleading due?
Has the case been submitted for decision?
Has a decision been issued or mailed?
Has the decision become final?
Has a writ of execution been issued?

Submit important follow-ups in writing and keep the stamped received copy, courier tracking, registered-mail receipt, or email confirmation.

Immediately report any change in postal address, email address, phone number, counsel, or authorized representative. Service on the address or representative of record may start a short appeal period even if the party did not regularly check mail or messages.

Use the NLRC contact page, the office list in the Citizen’s Charter, or the official DOLE contact directory to locate the correct office. DOLE Hotline 1349 may help identify where to direct a concern, but case filings and docket-specific follow-ups should go to the office actually handling the matter.

Time limits for bringing claims

Different claims have different prescriptive periods:

Ordinary money claims arising from employment—such as unpaid salary, overtime, holiday pay, service incentive leave pay, salary differentials, bonuses already legally or contractually due, and illegal deductions—generally must be filed within three years from accrual.
An illegal-dismissal action generally prescribes in four years from accrual.

The Supreme Court has held that backwages and damages sought as consequences of illegal dismissal follow the four-year period, while independent unpaid-salary claims remain subject to the three-year rule. See Arriola v. Pilipino Star Ngayon, Inc..

The date a claim accrued—and whether prescription was legally interrupted—can depend on the facts and documents. Do not assume that an internal grievance, informal negotiation, demand letter, or RFA automatically preserves every claim. If the oldest unpaid benefit is nearing three years or the dismissal is nearing four years, obtain case-specific legal advice and complete the required filing promptly.

Deadlines after a decision

Some of the shortest and most consequential deadlines begin upon receipt of a decision:

Labor Arbiter decision: appeal to the NLRC Commission within 10 calendar days;
DOLE Regional Director decision under Article 129: appeal within 5 calendar days; and
NLRC Commission decision or resolution: a motion for reconsideration based on palpable or patent error must be filed within 10 calendar days, with only one such motion allowed from the same party.

The 2025 NLRC Rules do not allow an extension of the Labor Arbiter or Regional Director appeal period. If the final day falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, the deadline moves to the next working day.

An appeal requires more than a notice of appeal. It must comply with the prescribed form, verification, fees, proof of service, and other requirements. When an employer appeals a monetary award, it must generally post a cash or accredited surety bond equivalent to the monetary award, excluding damages and attorney’s fees.

Seek legal help immediately upon receiving any decision. Do not wait for the agency to answer a follow-up before calculating the deadline.

Evidence to preserve

Keep the originals safe and prepare organized copies of:

Employment contracts, job offers, agency agreements, and company IDs;
Payslips, payroll records, bank-credit records, and proof of cash payments;
Daily time records, biometric logs, schedules, dispatch records, and work assignments;
Emails, text messages, chat threads, memoranda, and work instructions;
Notices to explain, written explanations, suspension or dismissal notices, and resignation documents;
Performance evaluations and disciplinary records;
Company policies, handbooks, and collective bargaining agreements;
SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, tax, or insurance records relevant to employment and compensation;
Certificates of employment and final-pay computations;
Medical records relevant to an injury, illness, disability, or absence;
Photographs or videos lawfully obtained;
Names and contact details of witnesses;
Records identifying contractors, agencies, principals, or recruiters; and
Proof of every filing, conference, payment, settlement, and follow-up.

Export complete message threads rather than relying only on cropped screenshots. Preserve sender details, dates, attachments, metadata, and original files. Do not alter records or access an employer’s account or device without authority.

Prepare a chronology listing each date, event, person involved, supporting document, and amount claimed. For wage claims, compute each affected pay period separately where possible.

Common mistakes

Treating an RFA reference number as an NLRC case number;
Waiting for final pay, clearance, or an internal appeal while prescription runs;
Naming only a supervisor instead of the correct employer, contractor, agency, or corporation;
Giving an address where summons cannot be served;
Leaving a contractor, principal, or recruitment agency out of a case when its participation is material;
Omitting a claim from the complaint and trying to introduce it only in the reply;
Missing a conference because the employer promised a private settlement;
Ignoring registered mail, courier notices, email, or instructions from the Labor Arbiter;
Submitting only conclusions without dates, computations, affidavits, or records;
Secretly recording a SEnA conference;
Signing a quitclaim before receiving the promised payment;
Accepting an instalment arrangement without exact amounts and due dates;
Failing to update contact information; and
Relying on verbal follow-ups without keeping written proof.

When help is urgent

Seek immediate assistance from a Philippine labor lawyer, qualified legal-aid office, union representative, or the proper government agency if:

A three-year or four-year prescriptive period may be close;
You received a decision from a Labor Arbiter, DOLE Regional Director, or the NLRC Commission;
A position paper, appeal, motion, or bond is due within days;
The employer is closing, disposing of assets, leaving the Philippines, or cannot be located;
A SEnA settlement has been breached;
Several contractors, agencies, or related companies are involved;
The employer disputes that an employment relationship existed;
A worker suffered a serious injury or faces imminent workplace danger;
The dispute involves an actual or threatened strike or lockout;
The worker is a minor or an OFW needing urgent protection, repatriation, or assistance;
Violence, trafficking, coercion, retaliation, or confiscation of documents is involved; or
You are being pressured to sign a resignation, release, or quitclaim that you do not understand.

FAQ

Must I go to DOLE before going to the NLRC?

The general requirement is SEnA conciliation-mediation, but the RFA may be filed at a SEnA desk of DOLE, NCMB, or the NLRC. It is therefore not always necessary to visit a DOLE Regional Office before approaching the NLRC. The recognized SEnA exceptions follow their own procedures.

Can I file online?

A SEnA RFA may be filed and tracked through DOLE ARMS. The current NLRC Citizen’s Charter describes the initial formal complaint as a personal filing at the proper Regional Arbitration Branch. Do not assume that emailing a complaint formally dockets it.

Do I need a lawyer?

No lawyer is required to file an RFA or initial NLRC complaint. Legal assistance becomes particularly important when prescription, employment status, multiple respondents, a position paper, an appeal, an appeal bond, or judicial review is involved.

What happens if the employer ignores SEnA?

If the responding party fails to attend two consecutive scheduled conferences despite proper notice, request referral to the office with jurisdiction. The employer’s absence does not automatically prove the claim.

What happens if the employer ignores an NLRC summons?

The second mandatory-conference setting proceeds. A second non-appearance despite valid service may waive the respondent’s right to file a position paper. The Labor Arbiter may decide from the record, but the complainant must still submit sufficient evidence.

Is filing free?

There is no fee for a SEnA RFA or initial NLRC complaint under the current Citizen’s Charter. Expenses may arise for notarization, copying, service, legal representation, appeals, and an employer’s appeal bond.

Can a complaint be settled after NLRC filing?

Yes. The Labor Arbiter must continue attempting settlement during the mandatory conferences. Any agreement should be written, fully explained, voluntarily executed, and approved in accordance with the NLRC Rules.

What if a SEnA settlement is not paid?

Report the default to the SEnA officer immediately. If voluntary compliance cannot be obtained, request referral to the DOLE Regional Office or NLRC Regional Arbitration Branch and file the appropriate motion for execution.

What should I provide when following up?

Give the complete reference or docket number and case title. Bring a valid ID, prior notices or orders, proof of filing, and any document relevant to the specific status request. Record the date, office, and name of the person who assisted you.

Official sources

This article provides general legal information, not advice for a particular case. Jurisdiction, prescription, available remedies, and filing requirements may depend on the facts and documents. Official sources and procedures were checked as of 18 August 2026.