Single Entry Approach (SEnA)

  Single Entry Approach (SEnA) is an administrative approach to provide a speedy, impartial, inexpensive, and accessible settlement procedure of all labor issues or conflicts to prevent them from ripening into full-blown disputes or actual labor cases. It was first introduced through Department Order 107-10 and later institutionalized through the enactment of Republic Act 10396 in 2013 providing for a 30-day mandatory conciliation-mediation for issues arising from labor and employment (i.e., governed by employee-employer relations). As a form of conciliation-mediation intervention, the main objective is to effect amicable settlement of the dispute among the differing parties wherein a neutral party, the SEnA Desk Officer (SEADO), assists the parties by giving advice, or offering solutions and alternatives to the problems. Labor dispute issues that may be settled through SEnA include, among others:

  1. termination or suspension of employment issues;
  2. claims for any sum of money, regardless of amount;
  3. intra-union and inter-union issues, after exhaustion of administrative remedies;
  4. unfair labor practices;
  5. closures, retrenchments, redundancies, temporary lay-offs;
  6. OFW cases; and
  7. any other claims or issues arising from employer-employee relationship (except for occupational safety and health standards, involving imminent danger situation, dangerous occurrences /or disabling injury, and/or absence of personal protective equipment).

  Any aggrieved worker, union, group of workers, or employer may file a request for assistance (RFA) in the regional offices where the employer principally operates. In case of a union or federation representing a local chapter, the request shall be made at the regional/provincial/district office where the union or local chapter is registered.

  SEnA sets the period for 30 calendar days of conciliation-mediation. Settlement agreements reached are final and immediately executory. It is binding on all DOLE offices and attached agencies except when these are found to be contrary to law, morals, public order, and public policy.

  The parties may choose to elevate the RFA to the appropriate offices of the Department or Voluntary Arbitration when: 1) no settlement is reached within the 30-day timeframe, or 2) when either party is found not complying with the stipulations of the agreement reached.