Employment reference in Switzerland.

What is an employment reference?

In Switzerland, every employee can ask their employer at any time for a reference covering the nature and duration of the employment relationship, their performance and their conduct. This right is laid down in the Swiss Code of Obligations (OR, art. 330a). If the employee expressly requests it, the document is limited to the nature and duration of the employment: this is a confirmation of employment (Arbeitsbestätigung).

Swiss companies usually ask for employment references along with your CV. That is why it is worth keeping all of them and checking each one as soon as you receive it.

What a full reference usually includes

• Details of the employee and the company, and the duration of employment.
• Job title, main duties and responsibilities.
• An assessment of performance: quality, results and way of working.
• An assessment of conduct towards managers, colleagues and clients.
• The reason for leaving — usually only if the employee wishes — and a closing statement.

How to read the language of a reference

A reference must be truthful and, at the same time, worded with goodwill. This has given rise to set phrases that qualify the assessment: ‘always to our full satisfaction’ is not the same as ‘to our satisfaction’. What is missing also speaks volumes — an assessment of conduct, for example, or a warm closing statement.

Read the whole reference and compare it with the work you actually did. If anything seems ambiguous, ask for it to be clarified before you send it to other companies.

What if you disagree with it?

Start by talking to your employer and propose the specific changes in writing, with examples to back them up. Many corrections are settled this way. If you cannot reach an agreement, you can seek advice from a specialist advisory service or an employment lawyer.

For employers: how to write a good reference

• Write it in good time, ideally before the employee’s last working day.
• Describe specific duties and achievements, not just adjectives.
• Be consistent: the assessment should match the appraisals for the period.
• Avoid ambiguous phrases that could be read to the employee’s disadvantage.