Quick answer

Start by filing a Request for Assistance (RFA) under the Single Entry Approach or SEnA. You may file it at a Single Entry Assistance Desk of the DOLE, the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB), or the NLRC, or online through DOLE ARMS. SEnA is generally a mandatory conciliation-mediation step before a formal labor complaint may proceed.

If no settlement is reached, ask for a referral slip to the office with legal jurisdiction:

The DOLE Regional Office generally handles labor-standards inspections and certain small money claims.
An NLRC Labor Arbiter generally hears illegal-dismissal and reinstatement cases, employment-related damages, and money claims exceeding ₱5,000.
Special disputes—such as CBA interpretation, strikes, union disputes, social-security claims, or urgent occupational-safety cases—follow different procedures.

DOLE and the NLRC are not interchangeable levels of the same case. Filing at a SEnA desk starts the settlement process; the nature of the dispute determines where an unresolved claim must go.

Which office usually handles the dispute?

Concern	Usual route after SEnA
Unpaid minimum wage, overtime, holiday pay, service incentive leave, 13th-month pay, or other labor-standard violations while the employment relationship still exists	DOLE Regional Office may inspect and enforce compliance under Article 128 of the Labor Code
Simple recovery of wages or benefits not exceeding ₱5,000 per employee, with no reinstatement claim	DOLE Regional Director or authorized hearing officer under Article 129
Illegal or constructive dismissal; reinstatement	NLRC Labor Arbiter
Employment-related damages	NLRC Labor Arbiter
Other employment-related money claims exceeding ₱5,000, whether or not reinstatement is requested	NLRC Labor Arbiter
Interpretation or implementation of a collective bargaining agreement, or interpretation or enforcement of company personnel policies	Grievance machinery and voluntary arbitration
Actual or threatened strike or lockout, notice of strike or lockout, or preventive mediation	NCMB
Inter- or intra-union dispute	DOLE Bureau of Labor Relations or the proper DOLE office
SSS, employees’ compensation, or similar social-security claims	The agency or forum designated by the governing law
Imminent danger, dangerous occurrence, disabling injury, or inadequate personal protective equipment	Immediate DOLE occupational-safety action; mandatory SEnA does not have to delay the safety response

The ₱5,000 threshold applies to the summary money-claim jurisdiction under Article 129. It does not necessarily limit DOLE’s separate visitorial and enforcement authority based on a labor inspection. Jurisdiction can also depend on whether an employer-employee relationship exists, whether reinstatement is sought, and whether a special law applies.

Step 1: Organize the facts and preserve evidence

Prepare a short chronology stating:

When you were hired and what work you performed.
Your agreed salary, schedule, benefits, and work location.
What the employer did or failed to do.
When each violation happened.
What you asked the employer to correct.
What remedy you want, such as payment, reinstatement, correction of records, or compliance with a settlement.

Preserve originals and make secure copies of relevant evidence, including:

Employment contract, job offer, appointment letter, or company ID
Payslips, payroll records, bank statements, and remittance records
Daily time records, schedules, logbooks, biometric records, or work-system logs
Notices, memoranda, suspension or termination letters, and performance records
Emails, text messages, chat messages, and lawful screenshots showing dates and participants
Company handbook, policies, or collective bargaining agreement
SSS, Pag-IBIG, PhilHealth, or tax records that help prove employment or compensation
Names and contact information of witnesses
Prior written demands and the employer’s responses
Your own computation of unpaid wages or benefits, broken down by pay period
SEnA forms, notices, minutes, referral slips, settlement agreements, receipts, and proof of payment

Do not alter screenshots, backdate documents, secretly take records you are not legally entitled to possess, or delete messages after filing. Keep a separate log of every filing, conference, call, email, and office visit.

Step 2: File the SEnA Request for Assistance

Under Department Order No. 249, Series of 2025, an RFA may be filed by an aggrieved worker—including a kasambahay or OFW—a group of workers, union, workers’ association, federation, or employer. An authorized representative may file in qualifying circumstances, but supporting authority such as a Special Power of Attorney may be required.

Where to file

You may file onsite at the SEnA desk nearest:

Your residence;
The place where your union, federation chapter, or workers’ association operates; or
The employer’s principal place of business.

SEnA desks are maintained at DOLE Regional, Provincial, Field, and Satellite Offices; NCMB and its regional branches; and NLRC Regional Arbitration Branches. An RFA may also be submitted through DOLE ARMS.

If the most convenient desk is outside the region where the employer operates, the SEnA offices may coordinate and use an appropriate conference arrangement.

What happens after filing

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

The 30-calendar-day SEnA period begins when the initial conference at which both parties appear is conducted. It may be extended by no more than 15 calendar days when both parties agree and settlement still appears possible.

The proceedings are non-litigious. Parties generally appear for themselves, and lawyers are not encouraged to participate unless they are a party, the employer, or a duly authorized representative.

Statements exchanged during SEnA are generally confidential and privileged. Recording devices are not allowed during the proceedings. Bring documents for reference, but ask the SEnA officer what may formally become part of the record.

Settlement or referral

A settlement must be written in a language or dialect the parties understand, signed by them, and attested by the SEnA officer. It should identify the issues, payment amounts and due dates, and any other required action. A properly attested settlement is final and immediately executory unless its terms are contrary to law, morals, public order, or public policy.

Do not sign a quitclaim or settlement until you have checked:

The gross and net amounts;
Every claim being waived;
Whether payment is immediate or by installment;
Exact due dates and payment methods;
Reinstatement or clearance obligations;
Consequences of default; and
Whether the document accurately reflects what was explained.

Either party may request pre-termination and referral at any stage. Referral is also appropriate when settlement fails, the 30-day period expires, the responding party misses two consecutive duly noticed conferences, only some issues are settled, or a settlement is not honored. The Supreme Court has confirmed that SEnA is generally a condition precedent to an NLRC complaint in Naldo v. Corporate Protection Services, G.R. No. 243139.

When SEnA does not apply in the usual way

Department Order No. 249 excludes matters governed by specific laws or procedures, including:

Actual strikes or lockouts and notices filed with the NCMB;
CBA and company-policy issues for grievance machinery;
Wage-order exemption applications;
Certain permit, license, contractor-registration, and accreditation violations;
Imminent-danger and specified occupational-safety matters;
Social-security and welfare claims;
Claims already covered by a settlement and quitclaim executed before a SEnA officer; and
Inter- and intra-union disputes.

These exceptions do not mean that no remedy exists. They mean the complaint should be sent directly to the office and procedure designated by law.

Step 3A: If the referral is to DOLE

A DOLE Regional Office may act through labor inspection, a compliance proceeding, or an Article 129 summary money-claim case, depending on the issue.

Under Article 128 of the Labor Code, DOLE may inspect employment records and workplaces and issue compliance orders based on inspection findings while the employer-employee relationship still exists. Current inspection rules are in DOLE Department Order No. 238, Series of 2023.

Under Article 129, the DOLE Regional Director or an authorized hearing officer may decide a claim when:

It concerns wages or other monetary benefits arising from employment;
Reinstatement is not requested; and
The aggregate claim of each employee does not exceed ₱5,000.

If your claim exceeds that amount or includes reinstatement, the NLRC will ordinarily be the proper adjudicatory forum, subject to DOLE’s separate inspection authority and any applicable special law.

When following up, give the DOLE office your RFA or case number, filing date, employer’s complete name, and assigned officer. Ask whether the matter is still under SEnA, has been referred for inspection, has been assigned to a hearing officer, or is awaiting a conference, order, or proof of service.

An appeal from a Regional Director’s Article 129 decision to the NLRC must be filed within five calendar days from receipt. Other DOLE orders may have a different appeal route and period, so read the order’s dispositive portion and seek advice immediately.

Step 3B: If the referral is to the NLRC

Where to file

Under the 2025 NLRC Rules of Procedure, a Labor Arbiter case may be filed at the Regional Arbitration Branch having jurisdiction over either:

The workplace; or
The complainant’s residence,

at the complainant’s option.

“Workplace” can include the employee’s assignment location, regular reporting point, place where an itinerant worker receives instructions or wages, and the alternative workplace of a telecommuting worker. An OFW case may be filed where the complainant resides or where the principal office of any respondent is located.

Filing requirements

The NLRC Citizen’s Charter identifies the usual requirements as:

The SEnA referral slip;
A valid government-issued ID; and
The accomplished NLRC complaint form.

The complaint must state the names and addresses of all complainants and respondents. All complainants must sign it and execute a verification and certification against forum shopping. Include all causes of action arising from the same employment relationship.

Personal appearance is generally required. If appearance is impossible because of death, qualifying illness or medical condition, or absence from the country, the branch may require a Special Power of Attorney and supporting documents such as a death certificate, government-physician medical certificate, or proof that the complainant is abroad.

A worker may file and represent themselves without a lawyer. However, a non-lawyer generally cannot appear for another person unless the representation falls within an exception in the NLRC Rules, such as authorized representation by a legitimate labor organization or an approved legal-aid program.

What happens after filing

The Labor Arbiter should issue summons within two working days after receiving the complaint. The summons states two settings for mandatory conciliation and mediation before the Labor Arbiter.

If the complainant misses both settings despite notice, the case may be dismissed without prejudice. A second dismissal for the same unjustified non-appearance may be with prejudice. If the respondent misses the second setting despite proper service, the respondent may lose the right to file a position paper—but the complainant must still prove the case.

If no settlement is reached:

Verified position papers and supporting evidence are filed simultaneously on a date set within ten calendar days after the mandatory conference ends.
A reply may be filed within ten calendar days after receiving the opposing position paper, on the scheduled date.
Affidavits ordinarily take the place of direct testimony.
A hearing is not automatic; the Labor Arbiter determines whether clarification or testimony is necessary.

The mandatory conference should generally end within 30 calendar days from the first conference. A Labor Arbiter must ordinarily decide within 30 calendar days after the case is submitted for decision. OFW cases are subject to a 90-calendar-day decision period from filing. These are legal processing periods, not a guarantee that every case will conclude within that time; service problems, appeals, and execution may extend the overall process.

How to follow up effectively

For a pending SEnA RFA

Contact the office where the RFA was first filed. Provide:

RFA or ARMS reference number;
Filing date;
Names of the requesting and responding parties;
Assigned SEnA officer; and
Date of the last conference.

Ask for the next conference date, whether notice was served, how many conferences the employer missed, and whether a referral is ready. Do not file duplicate RFAs at several offices unless directed; overlapping filings can cause delay.

For a DOLE case

Ask the Regional Office for:

The inspection, hearing, or case number;
Name of the assigned inspector or hearing officer;
Date and result of any inspection;
Status of the mandatory conference;
Whether a compliance order or decision has been issued; and
Whether proof of service is already in the record.

Request written confirmation when a deadline or referral is involved.

For an NLRC case

Use the docket number shown on the complaint or summons. Contact the Regional Arbitration Branch’s docket unit or the assigned Labor Arbiter’s office and ask:

Whether summons was successfully served;
The next conference or submission date;
Whether an order, decision, appeal, or entry of judgment has been issued;
Whether a document you submitted is already in the record; and
How to obtain a certified copy, if needed.

The NLRC publishes its regional contact directory. Its listed central contact channels include (02) 8781-7877, 0966-982-2552, and info@nlrc.dole.gov.ph, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

A phone call or email asking for status is not a substitute for filing a pleading. Formal NLRC papers must be filed through an authorized method and served on the opposing party with proof of service. Under the 2025 Rules, recognized methods include personal filing, registered mail, and courier service authorized by the Commission.

Keep your postal address current. Receipt by you, your counsel, or authorized representative can start a short appeal period.

Deadlines that should never be ignored

Action	General period
Ordinary SEnA conciliation-mediation	30 calendar days from the initial conference where both parties appear
Agreed SEnA extension	Up to 15 additional calendar days
Position paper before the Labor Arbiter	On the date set within 10 calendar days after termination of the mandatory conference
Reply to the opposing position paper	Within 10 calendar days after receipt, on the scheduled date
Appeal from a Labor Arbiter’s decision to the NLRC	10 calendar days from receipt
Appeal from an Article 129 DOLE Regional Director decision to the NLRC	5 calendar days from receipt
Motion for reconsideration of an NLRC Commission decision	10 calendar days from receipt; only one is allowed
Rule 65 petition questioning an NLRC ruling	Generally 60 days from notice of the denial of the timely motion for reconsideration

If the fifth or tenth day for an NLRC appeal falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, the deadline moves to the next working day. No extension to perfect the appeal is allowed under the NLRC Rules.

A motion for reconsideration of a Labor Arbiter’s decision is prohibited; the remedy is an appeal to the Commission. By contrast, a motion for reconsideration of an NLRC Commission ruling is ordinarily required before judicial review. Review of an NLRC ruling is generally through a Rule 65 petition for certiorari in the Court of Appeals, not an ordinary appeal, and should be handled by a lawyer.

Prescription is separate from procedural deadlines:

Unfair labor practice claims generally prescribe in one year.
Employment-related money claims generally prescribe in three years from accrual.
Illegal-dismissal claims generally prescribe in four years from accrual, as confirmed in Arriola v. Pilipino Star Ngayon, G.R. No. 175689.
Special laws and contracts may impose different periods.

Do not assume that an informal follow-up, verbal demand, settlement discussion, or unanswered message preserves a claim. If prescription is near, tell the SEnA officer and request immediate referral.

Common mistakes

Filing a formal NLRC complaint without the SEnA referral when no exception applies
Naming only a supervisor instead of correctly identifying the employer or other responsible respondents
Giving an incomplete or outdated business address
Omitting claims from the complaint and trying to add them only in the position paper
Missing conferences because a notice went to an old address
Filing a position paper without supporting documents or affidavits
Submitting evidence without serving the other party
Treating an email inquiry as a formal filing
Signing a settlement or quitclaim without verifying the computation and waiver language
Assuming the case is finished after winning, without checking finality and execution
Waiting for internal company discussions while prescription continues to run
Missing the five-, ten-, or sixty-day review period

When legal help is urgent

Seek help immediately if:

You have received a decision, order, or resolution and an appeal period is running;
Your dismissal, money claim, or unfair-labor-practice claim is close to prescription;
The employer denies that you were an employee;
Several contractors, agencies, corporate officers, or foreign principals may be liable;
The case involves an OFW contract, disability, death, recruitment, or deployment issue;
You are being pressured to sign a quitclaim or backdated document;
A settlement has been breached;
There is imminent workplace danger, a serious accident, violence, or retaliation;
The employer is closing, transferring assets, or becoming insolvent; or
You need to challenge an NLRC ruling in the Court of Appeals.

You may consult a labor lawyer, your union, or ask the Public Attorney’s Office or an IBP legal-aid office whether you qualify for assistance.

Frequently asked questions

Can I file while I am still employed?

Yes. A worker does not have to resign or wait to be dismissed before raising unpaid wages, benefits, safety concerns, or other employment issues. DOLE’s Article 128 inspection authority is particularly relevant while the employer-employee relationship still exists.

Can I file anonymously?

An anonymous report involving labor standards or occupational safety may be treated as technical assistance and may be referred for inspection. It ordinarily cannot replace the signed and verified complaint needed to recover an individual award or litigate an NLRC case.

Can the entire case be filed online?

The RFA may be filed online through DOLE ARMS. The NLRC Citizen’s Charter presently describes formal complaint filing as a personal process, subject to documented exceptions when the complainant cannot appear. Do not assume that emailing a complaint creates an NLRC case.

What if the employer ignores SEnA?

If the responding party misses two consecutive conferences despite due notice, request a referral to the proper office. The employer’s absence does not automatically prove the claim, so preserve and present your evidence.

What if the employer ignores the NLRC summons?

After proper service, failure to attend the second mandatory conference may waive the respondent’s right to file a position paper. The Labor Arbiter may decide based on the evidence on record, but the worker still carries the burden of proving the claim.

What if a SEnA settlement is not paid?

Report the default to the SEnA officer. The officer should call the parties to attempt voluntary compliance. If non-compliance continues, request referral to the DOLE Regional Office or NLRC Regional Arbitration Branch and file the appropriate motion for execution.

Do I need a lawyer?

No lawyer is required to file an RFA or personally pursue an ordinary Labor Arbiter complaint. Legal help is strongly advisable for jurisdiction disputes, complex computations, corporate or contractor liability, OFW cases, appeals, or judicial review.

Is filing free?

DOLE ARMS and the NLRC Citizen’s Charter do not list a fee for filing the RFA or the initial NLRC complaint. Costs may arise for notarization, mailing, courier service, certified copies, appeals, appeal bonds applicable to employers, and legal representation.

Is a quitclaim always valid?

No. A voluntary and reasonable settlement made with full understanding may be binding. A quitclaim may be challenged when affected by fraud, misrepresentation, coercion, an unlawful waiver, or an unconscionable settlement. The result depends on the document and circumstances; acceptance of partial payment does not automatically erase every claim.

Official sources

This article provides general Philippine legal information, not legal advice or a prediction of the result of any case. Jurisdiction, computation, prescription, and available remedies depend on the facts, documents, employment status, and applicable special laws. Official sources and procedures were checked as of 5 August 2026.