Quick answer

For most private-sector labor disputes, start by filing a Request for Assistance (RFA) under the Single Entry Approach, or SEnA. You may file online through the official DOLE Assistance Request Management System or personally at a Single Entry Assistance Desk of DOLE, the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB), or the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC).

SEnA is a conciliation process, not yet a formal labor case. If no settlement is reached, obtain the SEnA referral and file the formal complaint with the office that has legal jurisdiction—often a DOLE Regional Office or an NLRC Regional Arbitration Branch.

Use the NLRC for disputes such as illegal or constructive dismissal, reinstatement, unfair labor practice, employment-related damages, and most money claims exceeding ₱5,000 per employee. DOLE may handle labor inspection and enforcement matters and simple money claims not exceeding ₱5,000 per employee when reinstatement is not requested. Jurisdiction can depend on the claims, employment relationship, collective bargaining agreement, and supporting documents.

Do not wait until a deadline is close. Ordinary wage and benefit claims generally prescribe in three years, while an illegal-dismissal action and the backwages or damages flowing from it generally prescribe in four years. Some disputes have shorter or different periods.

DOLE, SEnA, and the NLRC are not the same process

Process or office	Usual function
SEnA	Mandatory preliminary conciliation-mediation for most labor and employment disputes
DOLE Regional Office	Labor inspection and compliance proceedings; certain simple money claims and other matters assigned by law
NLRC Labor Arbiter	Formal adjudication of termination disputes, reinstatement claims, unfair labor practices, employment-related damages, and other claims within NLRC jurisdiction
NCMB	Conciliation of notices of strike or lockout and preventive-mediation matters; assistance involving collective labor disputes
Grievance machinery or voluntary arbitration	Interpretation or implementation of a collective bargaining agreement and interpretation or enforcement of company personnel policies
Other agency	SSS, GSIS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, employees’ compensation, government-service, migration, licensing, or other specialized matters

Under Republic Act No. 10396, almost all labor and employment issues must first undergo mandatory conciliation-mediation. Either party may, however, request the referral or endorsement of unresolved issues to the office with jurisdiction, subject to the governing rules.

When SEnA does not apply in the ordinary way

The current SEnA rules exclude matters governed by separate laws or procedures, including:

Actual strikes or lockouts, notices of strike or lockout, and notices of preventive mediation filed with the NCMB
Issues involving the interpretation or implementation of a collective bargaining agreement, or the interpretation or enforcement of company personnel policies, which should pass through the grievance machinery
Applications for exemption from wage orders
Certain licensing, permit, registration, and accreditation violations
Inter- or intra-union disputes
Social-security and welfare claims
Certain occupational-safety cases involving imminent danger, dangerous occurrences, disabling injury, or lack or inadequacy of personal protective equipment
Claims already covered by a settlement, waiver, and quitclaim executed before a SEnA officer

These exceptions do not necessarily leave a worker without a remedy. They mean the concern should be referred immediately to the agency or procedure specifically authorized to act on it.

Step 1: Identify the employer and the relief you want

Before filing, write down:

Your full name, address, mobile number, and email address
The employer’s complete registered or business name
The names of any agency, contractor, subcontractor, recruiter, principal, owner, or responsible corporate officer involved
The employer’s last known office and business addresses
Your position, hiring date, salary, schedule, and work location
A dated account of what happened
Each amount claimed and how it was computed
Whether you seek reinstatement, separation pay, correction of an unsafe condition, release of documents, payment, or another specific remedy

If you were supplied by an agency or contractor, identify both the contractor and the principal company. The SEnA officer may invite both for assessment. Platform, gig, and other non-standard work arrangements may also be accepted for conciliation or technical assistance, although the existence of an employer-employee relationship may still have to be formally decided.

Step 2: Preserve evidence before access disappears

Save evidence in its original form whenever possible. Keep copies outside the employer’s device or account, without unlawfully taking confidential business information unrelated to your claim.

Useful evidence may include:

Employment contract, appointment letter, job offer, company ID, handbook, and policies
Payslips, payroll records, bank credits, vouchers, and proof of cash payments
Daily time records, biometric logs, schedules, attendance sheets, and leave records
Emails, text messages, chat conversations, work instructions, and task assignments
Notices to explain, written explanations, suspension or termination notices, and HR correspondence
Performance evaluations and disciplinary records
Resignation letters and proof showing whether a resignation was voluntary
Proof of dismissal or of being denied work, access, assignments, or entry
Computations of unpaid wages, overtime, holiday pay, service incentive leave, 13th-month pay, commissions, or separation benefits
Names and contact details of witnesses
Proof of the employer’s correct legal name and address
The SEnA reference number, notices, attendance records, settlement offers, referral, and later NLRC docket number

Create a simple chronology with dates and attach the supporting document for each important event. Avoid editing screenshots in a way that removes the sender, date, time, or surrounding conversation.

Step 3: File the SEnA Request for Assistance

Online filing

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

Enter accurate contact information and retain the reference number and confirmation. The portal’s tracking function allows a filer to search using the RFA reference or docket number.

An online RFA is not automatically a formal NLRC complaint. If conciliation fails and the dispute belongs before a Labor Arbiter, you must still complete the NLRC complaint-filing requirements.

Onsite filing

An RFA may be filed at an appropriate Single Entry Assistance Desk of:

A DOLE Regional, Provincial, Field, or Satellite Office
The NCMB or a Regional Conciliation and Mediation Branch
The NLRC or a Regional Arbitration Branch

Under the current rules, a requesting party may choose an office nearest the party’s residence, the place where the union or chapter operates, or the employer’s principal place of business. If the convenient desk is outside the employer’s region, the offices may coordinate the conferences.

Bring a valid government-issued ID and available supporting records. Supporting evidence helps the officer understand the dispute, but do not postpone an urgent filing merely because some employer-controlled records are unavailable.

A representative may file in circumstances allowed by the rules, but a Special Power of Attorney and supporting documents may be required. Heirs or representatives of a deceased worker must establish the death and their relationship or authority.

What happens during SEnA

For an onsite filing, the initial-conference date should be set on the filing date. For an online request, it should be set within two days after assignment to a SEnA officer. The initial conference is ordinarily conducted within five calendar days—or on the earliest available date not later than ten days—from assignment.

The 30-day mandatory conciliation period begins when both parties appear at the initial conference, not necessarily when the RFA was submitted. It may be extended by mutual agreement only when settlement remains possible, and the extension may not exceed 15 calendar days.

Conferences may be face-to-face or conducted through an available digital platform. The process is non-litigious, and parties ordinarily represent themselves. A representative who will bind a party to a settlement must have the required specific authority.

Statements exchanged during conciliation are confidential and privileged, subject to the governing rules. Parties are not permitted to use voice, video, or electronic recording devices during the proceedings, except for the limited official procedure allowed when confirming an online or telephone settlement.

Attend every conference and promptly notify the officer if a genuine emergency prevents attendance. If the employer fails to attend two consecutive conferences despite proper notice, ask for a referral. If continued negotiations are plainly unproductive, ask the officer about pre-termination and endorsement of the unresolved issues.

Review any settlement carefully

A SEnA settlement must be written in a language or dialect the parties understand, signed by them, and attested to by the SEnA officer. It should identify:

Every issue covered
The exact amount and consideration
Whether payment is one-time or by installment
Each installment amount and due date
Any reinstatement, lifting of suspension, document release, or other required act
The claims being waived
Confirmation that consent was voluntary and free from fraud, intimidation, violence, or coercion

A properly attested settlement is final and immediately executory, unless it is contrary to law, morals, public order, or public policy. Do not sign a blank document or an agreement with unclear amounts, broad unrelated waivers, or missing payment dates.

Under the current rules, a waiver and quitclaim should be issued only after full compliance with the settlement. Obtain copies of the signed agreement and every receipt or proof of payment.

If the other party defaults, report it immediately to the SEnA officer. The officer should first call the parties to pursue voluntary compliance. Continued non-compliance may lead to referral to the DOLE Regional Office or NLRC Regional Arbitration Branch, where the requesting party may seek execution.

Step 4: File the formal complaint in the correct forum

When the NLRC is usually the proper forum

A Labor Arbiter generally has jurisdiction over:

Illegal or constructive dismissal and other termination disputes
Unfair labor practice
Claims seeking reinstatement
Wages or benefits joined with a reinstatement claim
Damages arising from an employer-employee relationship
Other employment-related claims exceeding ₱5,000 per employee
Certain OFW money claims under the migrant-worker laws
Other cases assigned by law

Questions involving a collective bargaining agreement or company personnel policy are generally referred to the agreed grievance machinery and voluntary arbitration.

When DOLE may act

A DOLE Regional Office may conduct inspection and enforcement proceedings involving labor standards. Separately, under Article 129 of the Labor Code, the Regional Director or an authorized hearing officer may hear a simple claim for wages or benefits when:

The claim arises from an employer-employee relationship;
Reinstatement is not requested; and
The aggregate claim of each employee does not exceed ₱5,000.

The ₱5,000 threshold for an Article 129 simple money claim should not be confused with DOLE’s separate visitorial and enforcement authority. Let the SEnA officer or receiving office classify the matter instead of abandoning a valid concern solely because it exceeds ₱5,000.

Government and specialized employment

Most employees of national agencies, local governments, and government entities with original charters are governed by civil-service procedures rather than NLRC jurisdiction. Employees of government-owned corporations without original charters may be covered by the Labor Code. The entity’s charter and the worker’s appointment or employment documents matter.

OFWs may use SEnA, but the NLRC, Department of Migrant Workers, and other offices have different functions. Bring the overseas employment contract, agency and principal information, deployment records, and repatriation documents.

How to file a formal NLRC complaint

The 2025 NLRC Rules of Procedure require the complaint to state the names and addresses of all complainants and respondents. All complainants must sign it and execute the required verification and certification against forum shopping. Include all claims arising from the same employment relationship instead of splitting them into separate cases.

The NLRC’s current Citizen’s Charter lists these basic filing requirements:

SEnA referral
Valid government-issued ID
Duly accomplished NLRC complaint form

Personal appearance is generally required so the information can be verified and the oath administered. If personal appearance is impossible because of death, a qualifying medical condition, or presence abroad, an authorized representative may need an SPA and the supporting death, medical, travel, immigration, DFA, or DMW document required for that situation.

Filing the complaint is listed as free. Bring the originals and readable copies of your ID, referral, and supporting records, and ask the branch whether additional copies are needed.

Where to file

A Labor Arbiter case may generally be filed at the NLRC Regional Arbitration Branch covering either:

The complainant’s workplace; or
The complainant’s residence.

For this purpose, a workplace may include the employee’s assignment area, regular reporting point, place where an itinerant worker receives instructions or wages, or the alternative workplace of a telecommuting employee.

An OFW case may generally be filed where the complainant resides or where the principal office of any respondent is located.

What happens after an NLRC complaint is filed

The complaint is docketed, raffled, and assigned to a Labor Arbiter. Under the 2025 Rules:

The Labor Arbiter should issue summons within two working days after receiving the complaint or amended complaint.
The summons sets two mandatory conciliation-mediation conferences.
The Labor Arbiter continues settlement efforts and identifies the parties, claims, and issues.
Unless justified, this conference stage should end within 30 calendar days from the first conference.
If there is no settlement, the parties are directed to file verified position papers, supporting documents, and witness affidavits on a date within ten calendar days from termination of the conference.
A reply may be filed within ten calendar days from receipt of the opposing position paper, on the agreed or scheduled date.
The Labor Arbiter may call a clarificatory conference or decide the case from the records.
The decision should be rendered within 30 calendar days after the case is submitted for decision.

These are procedural periods, not a guarantee that every case will finish on the expected date. Congested dockets, service problems, amendments, and other lawful incidents may affect actual timing.

If the complainant fails to attend both mandatory-conference settings despite notice, the case may be dismissed without prejudice. A second dismissal for the same unjustified failure may be with prejudice. If the respondent fails to attend both settings despite proper service, the respondent may waive the right to file a position paper—but the complainant must still prove the claims with substantial evidence.

How to follow up properly

For a SEnA request

Use the tracking function at DOLE ARMS and enter the reference or docket number. Also contact the handling SEnA desk or officer shown in the acknowledgment or notice.

Ask specifically:

Has the RFA been validated and docketed?
Who is the assigned SEnA officer?
Was notice served on the employer?
When is the initial or next conference?
Did the employer fail to appear twice?
Has a referral or compliance conference been issued?
Is any document or contact information missing?

Keep screenshots or copies of status results and written follow-ups.

For an NLRC case

Follow up with the Regional Arbitration Branch where the complaint was filed. Always provide:

Complete case title
NLRC docket number
Assigned Labor Arbiter, if known
Date and type of the last conference or filing
Your current address, mobile number, and email

Ask whether a summons, order, conference notice, position-paper directive, decision, certificate of finality, or writ has been issued. Request a copy through the official branch procedure if you have not received one.

Use the current office directory in the NLRC Citizen’s Charter or verify details through the NLRC website. Do not rely solely on an unofficial social-media account, fixer, or verbal message.

Watch your mail and address

Immediately notify the NLRC and the opposing party in writing of any change in address or representative.

Under the 2025 Rules, registered-mail service may become complete upon actual receipt or five calendar days after receipt of the postmaster’s first notice, whichever occurs earlier. Authorized-courier service may become complete upon receipt, after at least two delivery attempts, or five calendar days after the first attempt, whichever occurs earlier.

Ignoring an unclaimed envelope can therefore cause an appeal or filing deadline to expire.

Appeal deadlines require immediate action

A Labor Arbiter’s decision generally must be appealed to the NLRC within ten calendar days from receipt. A qualifying decision of a DOLE Regional Director under Article 129 generally must be appealed within five calendar days from receipt. If the last day falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, the deadline moves to the next working day.

No extension to perfect the appeal is allowed. A Labor Arbiter appeal must comply with the 2025 Rules, including a verified memorandum of appeal, payment of required fees, proof of service, and—when an employer appeals a monetary award—the required cash or accredited surety bond.

A party seeking reconsideration of an NLRC Commission decision generally has ten calendar days from receipt, may file only one motion, and must show palpable or patent error and furnish proof of service.

Seek legal help immediately upon receiving a decision. Do not wait for the other party’s next move.

Prescription: file early

Common periods include:

Three years: ordinary money claims arising from employment, such as unpaid wages, overtime, holiday pay, service incentive leave pay, salary differentials, and illegal deductions
Four years: illegal-dismissal actions and claims for backwages and damages that are consequences of the alleged illegal dismissal
One year: certain unfair-labor-practice proceedings
Different periods: claims based on specialized statutes, contracts, collective agreements, or circumstances affecting accrual or interruption

The Supreme Court explains the distinction between ordinary money claims and illegal-dismissal relief in Arriola v. Pilipino Star Ngayon, Inc..

Do not assume that informal discussions, an internal HR complaint, a demand letter, or continued SEnA negotiations will protect every claim from prescription. Have the accrual date and any possible interruption reviewed before the earliest arguable deadline.

Common mistakes to avoid

Filing an online RFA and assuming a formal NLRC case already exists
Naming only a supervisor while omitting the legal employer, contractor, agency, or principal
Giving an incomplete or obsolete employer address
Claiming a lump sum without a clear computation
Omitting a cause of action from the complaint or position paper
Missing conferences because no one checked email, text messages, registered mail, or courier notices
Secretly recording a SEnA conference
Signing a quitclaim before receiving full payment
Accepting an installment settlement without exact amounts and due dates
Relying on a fixer or an unverified filing channel
Filing the appeal with the wrong office or after the ten- or five-day period
Waiting for all employer-controlled records while a prescriptive period is running

When legal help is urgent

Consult a Philippine labor lawyer, union representative, or qualified legal-aid provider promptly when:

An appeal or reconsideration period has started
A three-year, four-year, or shorter prescriptive period is close
The employer has closed, is transferring assets, or cannot be located
Several contractors, corporate entities, foreign principals, or recruitment agencies are involved
Employment status or the identity of the true employer is disputed
You are being pressured to resign or sign a waiver
A settlement has been breached
The case involves a strike, lockout, union dispute, CBA, or grievance machinery
There is imminent workplace danger, serious injury, threats, violence, retaliation, or possible criminal conduct
The worker is an OFW, government employee, seafarer, kasambahay, minor, or deceased worker whose case may require special rules

For imminent danger or a serious workplace incident, contact the appropriate DOLE Regional Office or emergency authority immediately rather than waiting for ordinary SEnA scheduling.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a lawyer to file?

No. A worker may file an RFA and may represent himself or herself before the NLRC. A lawyer can nevertheless be valuable for prescription issues, complex computations, disputed employment relationships, position papers, appeals, and settlement review.

Is filing free?

The official SEnA and initial NLRC complaint-filing processes do not charge a filing fee. Appeals and other proceedings may require lawful fees, and an employer appealing a monetary award may have to post a bond.

Can I file while still employed?

Yes. SEnA may cover issues raised by current or former workers. Preserve evidence and consider retaliation or workplace-safety risks when planning communications.

Can an employer file an RFA?

Yes. The current SEnA system accepts requests from employers as well as workers and labor organizations.

What if the employer ignores SEnA?

After two consecutive non-appearances despite proper notice, ask the SEnA officer for referral to the appropriate office. Employer non-appearance does not automatically prove the worker’s monetary or dismissal claims.

What if only some issues settle?

The written agreement should clearly identify the settled issues. Unresolved issues may be referred to the office with jurisdiction.

Can I withdraw from SEnA and proceed formally?

Republic Act No. 10396 allows either party to request pre-termination and referral or endorsement. The officer will determine and document the proper disposition under the current rules.

Does winning before the Labor Arbiter end the case?

Not necessarily. A timely appeal may be filed. However, the reinstatement portion of a Labor Arbiter decision is immediately executory even while an appeal is pending.

What if the employer does not honor a SEnA settlement?

Report the default to the handling officer. After efforts to secure voluntary compliance, obtain the referral needed to seek execution before the appropriate DOLE Regional Office or NLRC Regional Arbitration Branch.

Official sources

This article provides general legal information, not legal advice or a prediction of any case’s outcome. Jurisdiction, deadlines, and available remedies may depend on the documents and facts. Official sources and procedures were last checked on August 11, 2026.