Quick answer

Start with a Request for Assistance (RFA) under DOLE’s Single Entry Approach (SEnA). You may file online through the official DOLE Assistance for Request Management System (ARMS) or in person at a DOLE regional or provincial office, an NCMB office, or an NLRC office or Regional Arbitration Branch.

SEnA is generally a mandatory conciliation-mediation step before a formal labor complaint may proceed. It ordinarily runs for up to 30 calendar days, but either party may ask to pre-terminate the proceedings and have the unresolved dispute referred or endorsed to the government office with jurisdiction.

If settlement fails:

A case involving illegal or constructive dismissal, reinstatement, unfair labor practice, employment-related damages, or most claims exceeding ₱5,000 per worker generally goes to an NLRC Labor Arbiter.
A simple wage or benefit claim of ₱5,000 or less per worker, with no claim for reinstatement, may fall under the DOLE Regional Director’s summary jurisdiction.
Labor-standard violations involving current employees may also lead to a DOLE inspection and compliance proceeding. This is different from an individual NLRC case and is not limited automatically by the ₱5,000 threshold.

Do not wait for the employer’s internal investigation or promises if a filing deadline may expire.

DOLE and the NLRC do different jobs

DOLE is the department responsible for labor administration and enforcement. It operates SEnA, conducts labor inspections, and handles certain summary money claims through its regional offices.

The NLRC is a quasi-judicial agency attached to DOLE. Its Labor Arbiters hear cases such as:

Illegal or constructive dismissal
Claims for reinstatement
Unfair labor practice cases
Employment-related claims for actual, moral, exemplary, or other damages
Wage and benefit claims exceeding ₱5,000 per worker
Other claims assigned to Labor Arbiters by the Labor Code or special laws

The NLRC Commission generally reviews Labor Arbiter decisions on appeal. It is therefore inaccurate to treat DOLE and the NLRC as interchangeable offices, even though both participate in SEnA and labor-dispute resolution.

Step 1: Identify the employer and the problem clearly

Before filing, write down:

Your employer’s complete legal or business name
The names of any agency, contractor, principal, recruiter, or responsible company that may be involved
The employer’s business and last known service addresses
Your job title, work location, hiring date, salary, and usual schedule
What happened, in chronological order
The date of dismissal, suspension, nonpayment, forced resignation, or other violation
The relief you want, such as unpaid wages, final pay, reinstatement, separation pay, backwages, or issuance of employment records

Include all potentially responsible employers if the facts involve an agency, contractor, franchisee, affiliate, or labor-only contracting arrangement. Naming the wrong entity—or only a supervisor when the company is the employer—can delay service and resolution.

Do not exaggerate your claims. A concise, date-based account is more useful than broad accusations.

Step 2: Preserve evidence before access disappears

Save copies outside your work phone, email account, or company device. Useful evidence may include:

Employment contract, appointment letter, or job offer
Company ID and personnel records
Payslips, payroll records, bank credits, and remittance notices
Daily time records, biometric logs, schedules, and attendance reports
Notices to explain, suspension or termination letters, and return-to-work directives
Performance evaluations, memoranda, and company policies
Emails, text messages, and workplace-chat conversations
Resignation letters, quitclaims, settlement documents, and proof of payment
SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, and BIR records
Certificates of employment and final-pay computations
Names and contact details of witnesses
Photos or documents showing actual duties, work location, or working conditions
Medical records when illness, injury, pregnancy, disability, or workplace safety is relevant

Keep the original files where possible. Preserve full message threads, dates, sender information, and attachments instead of relying only on cropped screenshots.

If you were blocked from work or told orally that you were dismissed, make a contemporaneous written record. A calm email or message asking the employer to confirm your employment status or permit you to report for work may become important evidence. Do not fabricate a record or secretly alter a document.

Step 3: File the SEnA Request for Assistance

Online filing

Use DOLE ARMS. The system accepts RFAs from individual workers, groups of workers, kasambahays, OFWs, unions, federations, workers’ associations, and employers.

Enter complete and accurate contact information. Describe each issue specifically—for example, “unpaid wages for 1–15 July 2026,” “dismissed without written notice on 20 July 2026,” or “final pay and certificate of employment not released.”

After submission:

Save the confirmation page.
Record the reference or docket number exactly.
Keep the confirmation email or text message.
Use ARMS’ Track RFA Status function to monitor the request.
Update the assigned office promptly if your phone number, email, or address changes.

Onsite filing

An RFA may also be filed at:

A DOLE regional or provincial office
The NCMB Central Office or a regional conciliation and mediation branch
The NLRC Central Office or a Regional Arbitration Branch

Bring identification, your evidence, the employer’s address, and copies of documents you want the officer to review. Ask for a stamped receiving copy or written acknowledgment showing the filing date and docket or reference number.

A worker may personally file. If the aggrieved person is absent or incapacitated, DOLE ARMS states that an immediate family member may file with a Special Power of Attorney. Legitimate heirs may file when the worker has died.

What happens during SEnA

The Single Entry Assistance Desk Officer or conciliator-mediator will notify the parties and attempt to help them reach a voluntary settlement. The officer does not ordinarily decide the merits as a Labor Arbiter would.

Prepare a short computation and settlement position:

What amounts are admitted or undisputed?
What documents support each claim?
Do you want to return to work?
If not, what lawful monetary relief are you seeking?
Can payment be made immediately, or must it be scheduled?

SEnA generally lasts no more than 30 calendar days. Under Republic Act No. 10396, either party may ask to pre-terminate conciliation and request referral or endorsement to the proper DOLE office or Labor Arbiter. The Supreme Court has confirmed that this conciliation-mediation process is generally a condition precedent to an NLRC complaint.

Attend every scheduled conference or promptly explain any genuine inability to attend. Keep copies of notices, minutes, offers, and messages from the assigned officer.

Before signing a settlement or quitclaim

Read every provision and verify:

The exact gross and net amounts
What each payment covers
The payment date and method
Whether taxes or deductions are identified
Whether reinstatement, resignation, or separation is part of the agreement
Whether the release covers only listed claims or purports to waive everything
What happens if payment is late or a check is dishonored

Do not sign a document with blank spaces or accept an oral promise that contradicts the written agreement. Ask for your own signed copy before leaving.

A quitclaim is not automatically invalid merely because an employee signed it. A voluntary agreement supported by reasonable consideration and entered into with full understanding may be binding. Conversely, fraud, coercion, an unconscionable amount, or a settlement contrary to law or public policy can affect enforceability. The result depends on the documents and circumstances. The Supreme Court discusses these principles, as well as SEnA’s relationship to a later NLRC case, in Naldo v. CORPS Security Agency, Inc..

If the employer does not perform a settlement, immediately notify the office that handled it and seek advice on enforcement or referral. Do not assume that an unfulfilled promise has extended every filing deadline.

Step 4: Obtain the referral or endorsement if the dispute remains unresolved

When SEnA does not produce a complete settlement, request the appropriate referral or endorsement. Keep the original or a certified copy because it establishes completion or pre-termination of the mandatory conciliation stage.

Confirm which office has jurisdiction. This may be:

An NLRC Regional Arbitration Branch
A DOLE regional office
The NCMB or a voluntary arbitrator for certain disputes covered by a collective bargaining agreement
Another specialized agency for claims outside ordinary NLRC jurisdiction

Government personnel should generally be directed to the Civil Service Commission or the proper administrative forum rather than the NLRC. Claims for SSS, Employees’ Compensation, PhilHealth, or similar statutory benefits may also belong to the agency specifically authorized to decide them.

OFW, recruitment, and seafarer cases can involve special laws and filing rules. Seafarer disability claims, in particular, may require compliance with contractually and statutorily prescribed medical and third-doctor procedures. Obtain specialized advice early.

Step 5: File the formal NLRC complaint

File at the Regional Arbitration Branch that has proper jurisdiction and venue. Venue commonly relates to the workplace where the complainant regularly worked when the cause of action arose, subject to the NLRC Rules and special provisions. OFW and seafarer cases may have different venue options. Confirm the correct branch before filing through the NLRC’s official office directory and contact page.

Bring or prepare:

The SEnA referral or endorsement
The accomplished NLRC complaint form
Complete names and service addresses of all parties
A clear list of causes of action and requested remedies
Supporting documents
Valid identification
Any required verification or certification against forum shopping
Authority documents if filing for another person, a group, an estate, or an organization

List every material cause of action at the beginning. Adding a new claim becomes more difficult after position papers have been filed.

Ask the receiving branch for a stamped copy showing the case number and filing date. Use only filing channels officially accepted by the particular branch. Sending a complaint to a general email address does not necessarily constitute valid filing.

What happens after an NLRC complaint is filed

The Labor Arbiter will issue summons and schedule mandatory conciliation and mediation conferences. Settlement remains possible even after the formal case begins.

Under the NLRC procedural rules, a complainant’s failure to appear at the two scheduled mandatory conciliation conferences may result in dismissal, generally without prejudice. A respondent’s nonappearance does not automatically give the complainant a win; the case may proceed based on the pleadings and evidence.

If no settlement is reached, the Labor Arbiter normally orders simultaneous submission of verified position papers, with supporting documents and witness affidavits. The evidence should establish each element of the claim. A reply may then be allowed under the applicable schedule.

Labor proceedings are less technical than ordinary court litigation, but deadlines and proof still matter. Allegations alone may be insufficient.

How to follow up a DOLE SEnA request

Use the reference or docket number issued upon filing.

Check the Track RFA Status function on DOLE ARMS.
Review your email, text messages, and spam folder for conference notices.
Contact the DOLE, NCMB, or NLRC office where the RFA was assigned.
State your full name, employer’s name, reference number, filing date, and the last action taken.
Ask whether a conference has been scheduled, whether service on the employer was successful, and whether additional information is required.
Keep a log of calls, emails, visits, names of personnel contacted, and responses received.

If the employer’s address is wrong or service has failed, promptly provide a more accurate address. Do not open duplicate RFAs merely because an update is slow; ask the assigned office first.

For technical issues with ARMS, the official portal lists support@dole.gov.ph. Do not send confidential evidence indiscriminately to unverified social-media accounts or unofficial addresses.

How to follow up an NLRC case

Use the complete NLRC case number and contact the Regional Arbitration Branch where the complaint is pending.

Check:

Whether summons was served
The date and mode of the next conference
Whether an order requiring position papers has been issued
The deadline stated in each order
Whether a decision or resolution has been released
Whether service was made on you or your counsel
Whether the decision has become final
Whether execution must be requested or is already underway

Maintain one physical or digital case folder containing every pleading, order, proof of filing, receiving stamp, courier receipt, and email. If represented, confirm that counsel has your current contact details. Receipt by counsel can start a deadline even if the client reads the decision later.

The NLRC’s official website publishes contact information, issuances, rules, and downloadable materials.

Filing deadlines and prescription

Deadlines depend on the type of claim.

Money claims

Under Article 306 of the renumbered Labor Code, ordinary money claims arising from employer-employee relations generally must be filed within three years from accrual. Repeated underpayments may accrue separately, so older portions can prescribe even when recent underpayments remain actionable.

Illegal dismissal

An illegal-dismissal action is generally treated as an action based on injury to rights and is ordinarily subject to a four-year prescriptive period under Article 1146 of the Civil Code. The precise accrual date and characterization can be disputed, so filing promptly is safer.

Unfair labor practice

The Labor Code generally imposes a one-year prescriptive period for unfair labor practice cases.

Offenses and specialized claims

Labor offenses and claims under special laws can have different periods. Collective bargaining disputes, OFW claims, seafarer disability claims, discrimination cases, and benefit claims may involve additional notice, grievance, medical, or administrative deadlines.

SEnA proceedings may affect prescription under governing rules, but do not rely on informal negotiations, an internal grievance, or an employer’s promise to pay without obtaining advice about the exact deadline.

Appeals and post-decision deadlines

A Labor Arbiter’s decision generally becomes final unless a proper appeal is filed with the NLRC within 10 calendar days from receipt. This is a short, strict period—not ten working days.

An appeal must state a recognized ground, such as:

Prima facie abuse of discretion by the Labor Arbiter
Fraud or coercion in obtaining the decision
A pure question of law
Serious factual errors that would cause grave or irreparable injury

When an employer appeals a monetary award, perfection of the appeal ordinarily requires a cash or valid surety bond equivalent to the monetary award, subject to the governing rules and jurisprudence. A motion to reduce bond does not automatically suspend the deadline or dispense with the required reasonable bond.

A party challenging an NLRC Commission decision must ordinarily first file a timely motion for reconsideration before seeking judicial review. Review in the Court of Appeals is generally through a petition for certiorari under Rule 65—not an ordinary appeal—and ordinarily must be filed within 60 days from notice of the denial of the timely motion for reconsideration. Court proceedings have separate service, form, verification, and attachment requirements.

If you receive an adverse decision, consult a labor lawyer immediately. Waiting several days can leave too little time to obtain the record, prepare the pleading, and comply with bond or service requirements.

Common mistakes to avoid

Filing against an incomplete or incorrect employer name
Giving an address where summons cannot be served
Treating an online inquiry or email as a formally filed case
Losing the SEnA reference number or NLRC case number
Missing conferences because contact details were outdated
Failing to request referral after unsuccessful SEnA proceedings
Omitting dismissal, reinstatement, damages, or another material claim from the complaint
Waiting for an internal appeal while prescription continues to run
Submitting screenshots without the surrounding conversation or identifying details
Deleting messages, surrendering devices, or losing company-system access before preserving evidence
Signing a resignation, quitclaim, or settlement without reading the computation and release terms
Assuming that nonappearance by the employer guarantees judgment
Counting an appeal period in working days instead of calendar days
Ignoring a decision because the other side promised not to enforce it

When legal help is urgent

Seek immediate assistance if:

A dismissal, appeal, reconsideration, or court deadline is near
You have received a Labor Arbiter or NLRC decision
The employer asks you to sign a resignation, waiver, quitclaim, or settlement immediately
You face retaliation, threats, coercion, surveillance, or destruction of evidence
Many workers, a union, a strike, or a lockout is involved
The employment relationship or identity of the employer is disputed
The claim involves an OFW, recruiter, manning agency, or seafarer disability
The employer is closing, becoming insolvent, transferring assets, or leaving the Philippines
Workplace conditions pose an imminent threat to life or health
The case involves discrimination, pregnancy, sexual harassment, violence, trafficking, or a possible criminal offense

Workers who cannot afford private counsel may inquire with the Public Attorney’s Office, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines’s legal-aid programs, law-school legal clinics, unions, or accredited worker-support organizations. Eligibility and availability vary.

Frequently asked questions

Can I go directly to the NLRC without SEnA?

Generally, unresolved labor and employment issues must first undergo mandatory conciliation-mediation and be endorsed or referred. Statutory and regulatory exceptions exist, and either party may request pre-termination of SEnA. Ask the receiving office whether an exception applies before attempting to bypass the process.

Can I file while still employed?

Yes. SEnA and labor-standard enforcement are not limited to former employees. However, the proper forum and remedy depend on whether employment continues, whether reinstatement is claimed, and whether the issue is suited to DOLE inspection or compulsory arbitration.

Do I need a lawyer?

A worker may generally file and participate personally. Legal assistance becomes especially valuable for jurisdiction disputes, complex evidence, large claims, appeals, corporate closures, contractor arrangements, and OFW or seafarer cases.

What if I do not know the exact amount owed?

Do not delay filing solely because the exact total is unavailable. State the types of unpaid benefits and the relevant dates, then provide the records you possess. Final computation may depend on payroll and attendance documents held by the employer. Avoid inventing figures.

What if the employer refuses to attend SEnA?

The officer records the nonappearance and handles the RFA under the applicable rules. If the dispute remains unresolved, request the appropriate referral or endorsement. The employer’s absence does not itself prove every allegation.

Can SEnA force the employer to pay?

SEnA is primarily a voluntary settlement process, not a trial on the merits. A properly executed settlement may be enforceable, but an unresolved claim usually must proceed to the agency or tribunal with adjudicatory authority.

Can I challenge a quitclaim I already signed?

Possibly. Validity depends on voluntariness, understanding, consideration, fraud or coercion, and whether the agreement violates law or public policy. Preserve the quitclaim, computation, proof of payment, and communications surrounding the signing, then obtain case-specific advice.

Where can I find the official legal basis?

Key official sources include:

Disclaimer

This article provides general Philippine legal information, not legal advice or a prediction of any case’s outcome. Jurisdiction, prescription, available remedies, and procedural requirements can change depending on the employment relationship, documents, collective bargaining agreement, special law, and dates involved. Official sources and procedures were checked as of 31 August 2026.