Certificate of employment: template and right to a certificate of employment

Who gets an employment certificate and when is it requested

The certificate of employment is governed by chapter 6, section 7 of the Employment Contracts Act (55/2001). The employer must issue the certificate when the employee requests it. According to the occupational safety and health administration, the certificate must be issued if a former employee requests it within ten years of the end of the employment. Even after that, the employer should try to issue the certificate if doing so causes no undue inconvenience.

If you want the certificate to include an assessment of your work skills and conduct, ask for it within five years of the end of the employment. During the same five years you can ask for a more extensive certificate to replace a brief one you have already received, with the reason for ending the employment, the assessment or both added. The occupational safety and health authority's guidance does not mention a minimum duration, so you can request a certificate even for a short gig or summer job.

The certificate must be issued without undue delay. The occupational safety and health authorities recommend that the employer provides it within a week of the request.

Short or full employment certificate

A short employment certificate states only the length of the employment, i.e. the start and end dates, and the duties. It is the default, and you can always get it on request.

A full employment certificate also states the reason the employment ended, an assessment of work skills and conduct, or both. The employee decides which additional information is included in the certificate, or whether either is. Many ask for the assessment but leave out the reason for the end of employment, especially if the employer initiated the termination.

What must not be written in a reference

According to the occupational safety and health administration's guidance, the certificate must state only what the employee has requested. The certificate may not include:

a reason for or assessment of the end that the employee has not requested
itemised absences, such as family leave or sick leave, alongside the length of the employment
a reason for termination based on the employee's person or conduct, itemised or described
a reason for the end of employment worded as an assessment
markings or word choices that try to convey something other than what the certificate directly says

Template: request for an employment certificate

Request the certificate in writing, for example by email, so that the date of the request is on record. The text below is a made-up template.

Template – copy and edit

Subject: Request for employment certificate, [name]

Hello [name of supervisor or HR],

I request an employment certificate for my employment at [company] for the period [start date]–[end date].

I request that the certificate [choose: state only the duration of the employment and my duties / also include an assessment of my work skills and conduct / also state the reason the employment ended].

I would like the certificate electronically at [email] or by post at [address].

Thank you!

Maija Meikäläinen

[phone number]

Template: extended employment certificate for the employer

The following template suits an employer. Delete the assessment or end-of-employment paragraph if the employee has not requested it. All names and details are fictitious.

Template – copy and edit

EMPLOYMENT CERTIFICATE

Employer: [company name], Business ID [Business ID], [address]

Employee: Matti Meikäläinen, date of birth [dd.mm.yyyy]

Duration of employment: [start date]–[end date]

Duties: Matti Meikäläinen worked under the job title [title]. His duties included [duty 1], [duty 2] and [duty 3]. [If the duties changed: During [date]–[date] he served as [title].]

Assessment of work skills and conduct (only on request): Matti Meikäläinen's work skills were [assessment] and conduct [assessment]. [Optional addition, for example special expertise or area of responsibility.]

Reason for the end of employment (on request only): The employment ended [at the employee's own request / on the expiry of the fixed-term employment contract / for another reason].

[Town/city] [date]

[Signature]

[Name in print], [position], [contact details]

Write the review concretely and truthfully. A short example of a responsibility or a success tells a new employer more than a general rating alone.

If the certificate is incorrect or does not arrive

Incorrect or unlawful content, such as incorrect information about sick leave or an assessment added without being requested, must be corrected by issuing a new certificate. Ask for the correction in writing and specify the error. If you yourself requested an assessment and are not satisfied with it, you cannot, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, demand a different wording. However, the employer may be liable for compensation if an incorrect assessment causes damage.

Deliberately or negligently failing to issue a certificate of employment is made punishable by a fine in chapter 13, section 11 of the Employment Contracts Act. The occupational safety and health authority can also oblige the employer to issue the certificate under a conditional fine. First contact the employer, then the trade union if you belong to one, and if necessary the occupational safety and health authority's telephone advice service.

Keep your certificates in one place. It is worth attaching them to job applications when the advertisement asks for them. If you are rebuilding your CV at the same time, the paid CV and job application template from Tutkat.fi helps you put your work history in the same format as the certificates.

Frequently asked questions

How long can you ask for a work certificate?

A certificate of employment must be issued if requested within ten years of the end of the employment. An assessment of work skills and conduct must be requested within five years.

May an employer write the reason for dismissal in a reference?

Only if the employee has requested it. A reason for termination added without a request must be corrected with a new certificate.

How quickly must a work certificate be issued?

Without undue delay. The occupational safety and health authorities recommend that the certificate be delivered within a week of the request.

Can I demand a better assessment?

You cannot demand a particular wording if you yourself requested an assessment. However, clearly incorrect information must be corrected.

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Sources

The article is general information and does not replace the guidance of an authority, a lawyer or an adviser. Check up-to-date information from the sources.

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