Employment reference template
An assessment of the employee's work, qualifications and abilities, issued by the employer within 15 days of the employee's request
This document rests on a fixed pattern prepared by Paragrafo; it is not a law firm template. Its wording is not written by AI, only the details from the form are filled in. For a non-standard situation we recommend a solicitor.
Law in force as at
Pracovný posudok
- I. Zamestnávateľ
- II. Zamestnanec
- III. Pracovný pomer a vykonávaná práca
- IV. Hodnotenie práce a pracovných výsledkov
- V. Kvalifikácia, odborné znalosti a schopnosti
An employment reference is any written document assessing the employee's work, qualifications, abilities and other facts related to the performance of work. The employer must issue it within 15 days of the employee's request, but does not have to issue it earlier than two months before the employment ends.
Unlike the certificate of employment, which the employer issues every time an employment ends, the reference is issued on request. A new employer may ask a job applicant who has worked before to present one.
In this template the employer writes the assessment itself. Paragrafo adds no sentences about the employee, only the facts of the employment: the employer is responsible for the content of the reference and the employee may ask a court to have it amended.
Who needs this document
- An employer whose employee has asked for an employment reference
- A company that wants to give a departing employee a written assessment for their next job
- A manager assessing an employee in writing while the employment continues
What the document must contain
- Precise identification of the employer and the employee
- The period of employment and the type of work performed
- An assessment of the work and its results
- The employee's qualifications, expertise and abilities
- Only facts related to the performance of work
Legal basis
Zákonník práce (Labour Code)
Defines the employment reference, the deadline for issuing it, the employee's right to ask a court to amend it and the rule that the employer may give out other information about the employee only with their consent.
Most common mistakes
Issuing the reference late
The employer must issue the reference within 15 days of the request. The only exception is a request made earlier than two months before the employment ends: the employer then does not have to issue it.
Matters unrelated to work
A reference assesses work, qualifications, abilities and other facts related to the performance of work. Pregnancy, family circumstances and political, trade union or religious affiliation are information the Labour Code forbids an employer to require even from a job applicant; they do not belong in a reference.
An assessment that cannot be backed up
If the employee disagrees with the content and the employer does not amend or supplement it on request, the employee may, within three months of the day they learned of the content, ask a court to order the employer to amend the reference appropriately. A statement the employer cannot support may therefore end up in court.
Information about the employee outside the reference
The employer may give out other information about the employee only with their consent, unless a special regulation provides otherwise. A phone call from a future employer is therefore not a chance to say more than the reference does.
Frequently asked questions
Must the employer issue an employment reference?
Yes, if the employee asks for one; it has 15 days from the request. It does not, however, have to issue it earlier than two months before the employment ends.
Is an employment reference the same as a certificate of employment?
No. The employer issues the certificate of employment every time an employment ends, and it contains facts such as the duration of the employment, the type of work and deductions from wages. The reference is issued at the employee's request and assesses their work, qualifications and abilities.
May the employee inspect their personnel file?
Yes. The employee has the right to inspect their personnel file and make extracts, copies and photocopies from it.
Is a reference issued under a student temporary work agreement?
The provision on employment references is not among the Labour Code provisions that apply to agreements on work performed outside employment. The duty to issue a reference therefore concerns employment relationships. When such an agreement ends, the law requires a certificate on deductions from remuneration.
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