How to Write an Employment Certificate - Sample / Swiss Law

The certificate of employment is an integral part of the relationship between a company and its employees and should be handed out to every one of them once their employment contract is terminated - or simply upon their request. This document must in any case be produced in writing and printed on a sheet of paper that clearly identifies the company. Moreover, it should contain the following information:

• The detailed description of the exercised activity and the positions occupied
• The dates of arrival in and departure from the company
• An assessment of the work delivered and of the employee's behavior
  

The employment certificate should reflect the reality and contain no pejorative term. The cause for the termination of the professional relationship should not be mentioned in the certificate, but rather in the letter that motivates the termination of the contract.

However, it should be noticed, that employers engage their responsibility towards the worker or a future employer. Indeed, issuing a very good employment certificate that does not correspond to reality – and which hides embezzlement, for example – can be regarded as an unlawful act and have consequences for the employer in terms of legal responsibility. In Swiss Law, this would be the case when the person who has hired the embezzler on the basis of his good certificate is also victim of the same disloyal practices. A particular attention will thus have to be paid to the writing of the employment certificate.

It is also frequent that a collaborator who has already left the company asks for a copy of his/her employment certificate. It is thus imperative to keep a good-quality copy (in paper or digital format), in order to be able to meet the demands of former employees.

You can read the full article on HR4free, our dedicated Human Resources Blog.