Philippine labor-case preparation tool
Personalized Case Document Checklist
Answer a few questions to generate a practical evidence and filing checklist for a Philippine employment dispute. The tool identifies useful records, missing-document recovery steps, and materials to organize for the selected stage.
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Your personalized checklist
Choose the issue, worker category, route, stage, and records already available. The generated checklist will separate what to bring, what to prepare, and what to recover.
How to organize a case file
| Folder | What belongs there |
|---|---|
| 01 — Identity and parties | IDs, employee details, employer’s correct legal name and addresses, agency/principal details, representative authority. |
| 02 — Employment relationship | Contract, job offer, company ID, onboarding records, policies, job description, deployment records. |
| 03 — Chronology | One-page dated timeline with links to each supporting exhibit. |
| 04 — Payroll and time | Payslips, payroll, bank credits, DTRs, schedules, leave and benefit records, computation spreadsheet. |
| 05 — Notices and communications | NTE, response, decision, termination/resignation letters, emails, messages and proof of delivery. |
| 06 — Pleadings and agency records | RFA, complaint, position paper, affidavits, orders, decisions, proof of filing and service. |
| 07 — Originals and metadata | Untouched originals, full message exports, source files and a working-copy set with sensitive data redacted where appropriate. |
Evidence-preservation rules
- Keep original files and devices; work from copies.
- Preserve complete conversations, timestamps, sender details, attachments, and surrounding context.
- Do not crop, edit, recreate, or backdate evidence.
- Record how each item was obtained and who can authenticate it.
- Use consistent filenames such as
2026-09-15_Termination-Email.pdf. - Redact unnecessary government numbers, medical details, account numbers, and third-party information from sharing copies—but preserve originals.
Related filing guides and tools
Documents needed for a DOLE complaint · Where should I file? · Filing-deadline calculator · How to file a SEnA request · NLRC jurisdiction
Direct answer: what should a labor-case file contain?
A useful case file should establish who the parties are, the employment relationship, what happened and when, how pay or other relief is computed, and how each important fact is proven. Start with identity and employment records, a dated chronology, payroll and time records, notices and communications, witness details, claim computations, and copies of every filing and proof of service.
Use the checklist safely
- Preserve original files, devices, timestamps and complete conversations.
- Do not edit, crop, recreate or backdate evidence.
- Keep a master exhibit index and work from copies.
- Do not miss a filing deadline while waiting for a missing document.
- Confirm the receiving office’s current forms, copy counts, signing and service requirements.
Official procedural starting points
Use the official DOLE SEnA portal, National Labor Relations Commission, or the correct specialized agency for the dispute. Pair this checklist with the filing decision tool and DOLE complaint documents guide.
Case-document checklist FAQs
Do I need every document before asking for help?
No. Do not miss a deadline merely because the file is incomplete. Bring what you have, identify missing records, and ask what may be submitted later or obtained through the proper process.
What is the most important document?
There is no universal single document. A clear chronology tied to authentic employment, payroll, notice, and communication records is usually more useful than a large disorganized file.
Can screenshots be used as evidence?
Screenshots can be useful, but preserve the original device, full conversation, account details, timestamps, attachments, and export or source files. A cropped screenshot may lack context or authentication.
Should I submit original documents?
Keep originals secure unless the receiving office or tribunal requires them. Prepare clearly labeled copies and bring originals for comparison or authentication when instructed.
What if the employer kept my records?
List the missing records precisely, request copies in writing when appropriate, preserve proof of the request, and identify other sources such as bank deposits, emails, government contribution records, coworkers, or personal schedules.
Do I need a written computation?
For money claims, an itemized computation by pay period and legal basis is extremely useful. Separate basic wage, overtime, premiums, benefits, deductions, payments received, and the dates each amount accrued.
Should I include settlement communications?
Preserve them, but obtain advice before attaching or characterizing privileged or compromise communications. The rules governing admissibility and confidentiality may matter.
What should an employment timeline contain?
Include hiring, status changes, material incidents, complaints, notices, responses, conferences, termination or resignation, demands, payments, and filings. Link every entry to an exhibit when possible.
Do witnesses need affidavits immediately?
Not always. Record each witness’s full contact information, personal knowledge, and the event they observed. A formal affidavit may be required later depending on the proceeding.
What identification should I prepare?
Bring a valid government-issued ID and copies if required. Representatives may need written authority or a special power of attorney, depending on the action and office.
What if I am classified as an independent contractor?
Collect evidence of control, work integration, hiring and payment, disciplinary power, schedules, tools, exclusivity, supervision, and the economic reality of the relationship. The contract label alone is not conclusive.
What additional records should agency workers collect?
Keep records identifying both the agency and principal, deployment details, workplace supervision, payroll source, contracts, IDs, instructions, equipment, and communications showing who controlled the work.
Are OFW cases different?
Yes. Preserve the signed overseas employment contract, recruitment documents, agency and foreign-principal details, jobsite records, travel and immigration documents, remittances, medical records when relevant, and DMW or overseas labor-office communications.
How should electronic files be named?
Use dates and neutral descriptions, keep a master exhibit index, and avoid repeatedly resaving source files. Store at least two secure backups.
Featured photo: Wesley Tingey / Unsplash.