DocMuse is a private, paid service run by The Muse Technology EOOD (Bulgaria). It is neither a public authority nor a law firm, is not connected with the Confederation, a canton, a commune or any court, and does not give legal advice. Official forms are free from the authority concerned.
Request for or correction of an employment reference, in German (Switzerland)
Switzerland · in German · for employees
CHF 2.00Fill it in online free — pay only to download
13 questions · about 5 min
This document is in German
The PDF you download is in German — that is the language it has to be filed in, so it is not translated. Everything on this page is here to tell you what it says.
Made for use in Switzerland
Fill in the form
Your answers stay on this device for 7 days, or until you clear them.
- Instant download after payment
- Backup link emailed to you
- No account needed
For employees in Switzerland, in German: asks for a full reference, an interim reference or a confirmation of employment under Art. 330a CO, or for the correction of a reference that is wrong or incomplete, giving the current and the requested wording and a deadline. You can ask for a reference at any time, also while you are still employed. Print, sign and send it to the employer by registered post.
- Made for use in Switzerland
- Last updated November 4, 2026
Published byDocMuse
When to use this document
- You are leaving a job in Switzerland and want to ask for your Arbeitszeugnis in writing.
- Your Swiss reference letter has mistakes or sounds worse than your work really was.
- You are getting a new manager and want an interim reference before the change.
- You left your job in Switzerland weeks ago and still have no reference despite asking.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Employee
- Employee's address
- Employer
- Employer's registered address
- City
- Date
- Job title
- Start date
- Date of termination
- What you ask for: full reference, interim reference, confirmation or correction
- Reason for an interim reference (e.g. a new manager)
- Passages to correct: current and requested wording, with reasons
- Deadline
Common questions
- Which employment reference can I ask for in Switzerland, and when?
- At any time, a full reference on the kind and length of the employment and on your performance and conduct (Art. 330a para. 1 CO) — also as an interim reference while you are still employed, for instance when your manager changes. On your express request the employer instead issues a confirmation of employment (Arbeitsbestätigung) stating only the kind and length (Art. 330a para. 2 CO). You choose which in the letter.
- What can I do if my Swiss employment reference is wrong or unfair?
- Ask for the correction in writing, giving the current and the requested wording and evidence for your view, such as appraisal notes or objectives met. Under case law a reference must be true and complete and worded with goodwill. If the employer does not agree, you can claim the correction before the conciliation authority (Schlichtungsbehörde) at the employer's seat or your place of work (Art. 34 CPC); your canton's website names it.
- Does a dispute over a reference cost court fees in Switzerland?
- In employment disputes with a value of up to CHF 30'000.00, no court costs are charged in conciliation or in the court proceedings (Art. 113 para. 2 let. d and Art. 114 let. c CPC); that does not rule out paying the other side's costs. Conciliation comes before the court, and the parties often settle there.
- How long does a Swiss employer have to issue the reference?
- The law sets no period; the reference is owed as soon as you ask, and on leaving as of the end of the employment. The letter therefore sets a date by which you expect the signed reference; two to three weeks is a usual frame. If nothing comes, send a short reminder with a final date before turning to the conciliation authority.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.
Related documents
- Request for or correction of a work certificate, in French (Switzerland)
For employees in Switzerland, in French: asks for a full work certificate (certificat de travail), an interim certificate or a confirmation of employment (attestation de travail) under Art. 330a CO, or for the correction of a certificate that is wrong or incomplete, quoting the current and the requested wording and setting a deadline. A certificate may be requested at any time, also while you are still employed. Print, sign and send it to the employer by registered post.
- Request for or correction of an employment reference, in Italian (Switzerland)
For people working or who worked in Switzerland, in Italian: asks the employer for a full reference, an interim reference or a confirmation limited to the kind and length of the job (Art. 330a of the Code of Obligations, CO), or for the correction of an inaccurate or incomplete one, with the current wording, the wording wanted and a deadline. A reference can be asked for at any time, also while still employed. Print, sign and send by registered post.
- Request for or correction of an employment reference (Switzerland)
For employees in Switzerland, in English: asks the employer for a full reference, an interim reference or a confirmation of employment (Arbeitszeugnis, Zwischenzeugnis, Arbeitsbestätigung) under Art. 330a CO, or for the correction of a reference that is wrong or incomplete, with the current and the requested wording and a deadline. You can ask at any time, also while still employed. Swiss authorities and courts work in their official language — German, French or Italian — so this English version is for dealings between private parties.
- Request for the written reasons for a dismissal, in Italian (Switzerland)
For employees in Switzerland, in Ticino for instance, who have been given notice, ordinary or with immediate effect, in Italian: the written request that the employer state the reasons in writing (Art. 335 para. 2 CO; for an immediate termination, Art. 337 para. 1 CO), with a deadline for the answer. The request does not accept the dismissal and reserves the objection for abuse, which must reach the employer before the notice period ends. Print, sign and send by registered post.
- Request for the written reasons for a dismissal, in German (Switzerland)
For employees in Switzerland who have been dismissed with notice or summarily, in German: the written request that the employer give the reasons for the dismissal in writing (Art. 335 para. 2 CO, or Art. 337 para. 1 CO for a summary dismissal), with a deadline for the answer. The request does not accept the dismissal and reserves the objection for abuse, which must reach the employer before the notice period ends. Print, sign and send by registered post.
- Request for the written reasons for a dismissal, in French (Switzerland)
For employees in French-speaking Switzerland who have been dismissed, with notice or with immediate effect, in French: the written request that the employer state the reasons in writing (Art. 335 para. 2 CO; for an immediate termination, Art. 337 para. 1 CO), with a deadline for the answer. The request does not accept the dismissal and reserves the objection for abuse, which must reach the employer before the notice period ends. Print, sign and send by registered post.