Most labor complaints in the Philippines — unpaid wages, illegal deductions, non-payment of benefits, or a termination dispute — must first go through DOLE’s Single Entry Approach (SEnA): a free, mandatory 30-day conciliation-mediation process. You file a Request for Assistance (RFA) at a DOLE field office, an NCMB regional branch, or online, and a desk officer helps both sides try to settle before the case can proceed to formal litigation.
Before a worker or an employer can bring most labor disputes to the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) or to DOLE’s adjudication offices, the law requires them to first go through the Single Entry Approach, or SEnA. This is not optional paperwork — it is a mandatory 30-day conciliation-mediation step created by Republic Act No. 10396, which inserted this requirement into the Labor Code. It costs nothing to file, and for a large share of disputes over unpaid wages, unpaid benefits, or workplace disagreements, it is where the case actually gets resolved.
This guide walks through who can file, where to go, what the filing looks like step by step, and what happens if the 30 days pass without an agreement.
What Kinds of Complaints Go Through SEnA
SEnA covers essentially all labor and employment issues between a worker (or group of workers) and an employer. In practice that includes:
- Non-payment or underpayment of wages, 13th month pay, overtime pay, holiday pay, or service incentive leave
- Illegal deductions from salary
- Non-remittance or under-remittance of SSS, PhilHealth, or Pag-IBIG contributions
- Disputes over termination, suspension, or other disciplinary action
- Disagreements over working conditions, benefits, or the interpretation of company policy
- Claims by kasambahay (domestic workers) and other informal-sector workers
Certain matters are generally handled outside the SEnA desk instead — for example, formal notices of strike or lockout, which go through the National Conciliation and Mediation Board’s separate conciliation track for collective bargaining disputes, and cases arising directly from a DOLE labor inspection under the Secretary of Labor’s visitorial and enforcement power. If you are unsure which track applies to your situation, the SEnA desk officer will tell you on intake, or you can ask the DOLE field office directly before filing.
Who Can File
Any individual worker, whether employed in the private sector or working as a kasambahay, and any employer, can file a Request for Assistance. A single worker can file alone, or several workers with the same or a closely related complaint against the same employer can file jointly as a group — this is common where an issue affects an entire department or shift, such as a company-wide error in computing holiday pay or a blanket failure to remit statutory contributions. A labor union may also bring a request on behalf of its members, though disputes that specifically concern the interpretation or implementation of a collective bargaining agreement are generally channeled through the grievance machinery the agreement itself sets up, with voluntary arbitration as the next step if that process does not resolve things.
Step 1: Gather What You Will Need
You do not need a lawyer to file, and there is no filing fee. It helps to bring:
- A valid government-issued ID
- Your employment contract or appointment letter, if you have one
- Payslips, company ID, timekeeping records, or any proof of employment
- Copies of relevant messages, memos, notices, or termination letters
- A clear, written narrative of what happened and what you are asking for (for example, a specific amount of unpaid wages)
If you are an OFW with a complaint against a local recruitment agency, or the dispute involves an agency-hired kasambahay, mention this at intake — some categories are routed to a specific desk or form.
Step 2: File the Request for Assistance (RFA)
You can file in person or online:
- In person: Go to the nearest DOLE Regional, Provincial, or Field Office, or to the nearest Regional Conciliation and Mediation Branch of the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB), and ask for the Single Entry Assistance Desk (SEAD). A desk officer will help you fill out the Request for Assistance (RFA) form on the spot — this typically takes a matter of minutes.
- Online: DOLE’s online RFA system (accessible through DOLE’s official portal) lets you register, select the category that fits your case (individual worker, kasambahay, OFW, group of workers, and so on), describe the dispute, and upload your supporting documents electronically.
Either way, you will receive a case or reference number confirming your RFA has been received. This starts the 30-calendar-day clock.
Step 3: The Conciliation-Mediation Conference
A SEnA Desk Officer (SEADO) is assigned to your case and acts as a neutral third party — not an advocate for either side. The SEADO summons the other party (usually the employer) and schedules a conference, sometimes more than one, where both sides discuss the issue directly, with the SEADO helping them explore a settlement.
This process is meant to be informal, non-adversarial, and fast. There is no need for pleadings, motions, or courtroom procedure. If both sides agree on terms — for example, a specific back-pay amount, a payment schedule, or reinstatement conditions — the agreement is put into writing.
Step 4: What a Settlement Means
A settlement reached through SEnA is documented as a signed agreement between the parties. Once signed, it is final, immediately executory, and binding on both sides — and it can be enforced administratively if a party later fails to comply, without either party needing to file a new full-blown case.
If a party later reneges on a signed SEnA settlement, the other side does not have to start the dispute over from scratch. Because the agreement is treated as final and immediately executory, the aggrieved party can generally ask the DOLE office that facilitated the settlement to help enforce it administratively, rather than filing an entirely new complaint on the underlying claim. This is one of the practical advantages of settling at the SEnA stage: the agreement itself becomes the basis for enforcement.
Step 5: If No Settlement Is Reached
The conciliation-mediation period is meant to run its course within 30 calendar days from filing, though the desk officer and the parties may agree to a short extension where there is a realistic prospect of settlement. If no agreement is reached within that period, the SEADO issues a referral, and the complaining party can then pursue the dispute through the appropriate forum:
- NLRC (National Labor Relations Commission): for illegal dismissal cases and most money claims exceeding the jurisdictional amounts reserved to DOLE’s regional offices
- DOLE Regional Office: for labor standards claims within its jurisdiction, particularly those tied to an ongoing employer-employee relationship
- Voluntary Arbitration: where a collective bargaining agreement designates a grievance machinery or voluntary arbitrator for the dispute
The referral document issued at the end of SEnA is what allows the complaining party to formally lodge the case with the correct office — you generally cannot skip straight to NLRC or a DOLE adjudication office without having gone through SEnA first, except for the narrow categories of disputes excluded from mandatory conciliation-mediation.
How Long the Whole Process Realistically Takes
The RFA filing itself is quick — often completed the same day you walk in, or shortly after submitting online. The conciliation-mediation period is capped at 30 calendar days by design, so in principle a worker knows within a month whether the dispute will settle at this stage or move on to formal adjudication, which follows its own separate timeline once the case is filed with the NLRC or the appropriate DOLE office. Workers and employers who go through SEnA more than once, for unrelated disputes, go through the same process each time — there is no separate fast track for repeat filers, and each RFA is treated as its own case with its own 30-day clock.
Practical Tips
- Bring or upload everything you have — payslips, screenshots, memos — even if you think it is incomplete. The desk officer can guide you on what else may help.
- If your case involves a computation dispute (for example, unpaid overtime or 13th month pay), bring your own computation, even if it is only an estimate — it gives the desk officer and the other party a concrete starting point for discussion.
- Be specific about the amount or relief you are seeking. A vague complaint is harder to conciliate.
- Attend every scheduled conference. Unjustified absence can affect how the case is handled and may result in it being referred out sooner.
- If the other side does not show up or refuses to cooperate, this does not stop the process — the SEADO will still document the outcome and issue the appropriate referral once the period runs.
- Keep your own copy of every document you submit and every notice you receive.
SEnA exists precisely because most labor disputes involve amounts and issues that do not need a trial-type proceeding to resolve — it is designed to get workers paid what they are owed, or clarify a workplace issue, faster and without cost. For disputes that genuinely cannot settle at this stage, it still serves a purpose: it creates a documented record of the dispute and the parties’ positions before the case moves into formal litigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a fee to file a DOLE complaint through SEnA? No. Filing a Request for Assistance and going through the SEnA conciliation-mediation process is completely free of charge for workers and employers alike.
Do I need a lawyer to file an RFA? No. SEnA is designed to be filed and pursued without a lawyer, since the process is informal and the desk officer assists both parties directly. You may still consult a lawyer beforehand to understand your claim or your options if settlement fails.
What happens if my employer ignores the SEnA summons? The process still proceeds. If the other party fails to appear or does not cooperate, the desk officer documents this and the case is referred to the appropriate office (typically the NLRC or a DOLE Regional Office) once the 30-day period lapses.
Can I still sue if I already signed a SEnA settlement? A signed SEnA settlement is final, immediately executory, and binding on both parties, so you generally cannot re-litigate the same claims afterward unless the agreement itself was violated or is shown to be invalid.
This commentary is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For guidance specific to your situation, please consult a licensed attorney.
If you have questions about your rights or options under Philippine law, our firm is available to assist. You may reach us via Viber or WhatsApp, call us at 0995 433 5550, or send an email to vivasnobles@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you.