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China: why confirm a former employee's job?

Every Chinese employer already states the term of the contract, the end date and the post in the certificate it must issue when a labour contract ends. Confirming the same facts takes a minute and helps the person into their next job. certo asks on their behalf, with their explicit, separate consent.

Law as of 26 October 2026 · 中华人民共和国个人信息保护法 (in force since 1 November 2021); 中华人民共和国劳动合同法 (as amended on 28 December 2012)

In short

  • The facts are already on paper. When a labour contract is rescinded or terminated, every employer must issue a certificate of it (Labour Contract Law, Art. 50), stating the term of the contract, the end date, the post and the years worked (Implementing Regulations, Art. 24). Those are the facts we ask about.
  • It helps the person who worked for you. A record confirmed by a former employer is what the next employer trusts. Answering takes about a minute and needs no account.
  • certo asks on their behalf, with their explicit consent. The Personal Information Protection Law lets a handler process personal information with the individual's consent (Art. 13) and give it to another handler with their separate consent (Art. 23). The person started this check themselves, for these facts and no others.
  • You do not have to answer. No Chinese law obliges an employer to answer certo. Declining is fine.

The Labour Contract Law

中华人民共和国劳动合同法, as amended on 28 December 2012, and its Implementing Regulations (State Council Decree No. 535). Quoted from the National Database of Laws and Regulations (flk.npc.gov.cn).

Art. 50: the certificate when a contract ends

用人单位应当在解除或者终止劳动合同时出具解除或者终止劳动合同的证明，并在十五日内为劳动者办理档案和社会保险关系转移手续。

In English: when a labour contract is rescinded or terminated, the employer must issue a certificate of the rescission or termination, and within fifteen days transfer the worker's personnel file and social insurance.

Implementing Regulations, Art. 24: what the certificate states

用人单位出具的解除、终止劳动合同的证明，应当写明劳动合同期限、解除或者终止劳动合同的日期、工作岗位、在本单位的工作年限。

In English: the certificate must state the term of the labour contract, the date it was rescinded or terminated, the post, and the years worked for the employer. These are the facts we ask about, so your records already hold them.

What is never asked

We never ask for sensitive personal information as the law defines it (PIPL, Art. 28), such as religious belief, health or financial accounts, nor for any opinion, pay or reason for leaving.

Personal data

中华人民共和国个人信息保护法 (the Personal Information Protection Law, PIPL), in force since 1 November 2021.

Art. 13: consent as a ground

符合下列情形之一的，个人信息处理者方可处理个人信息： （一）取得个人的同意；

In English: a personal information handler may process personal information only in one of the listed cases, the first being that it has the individual's consent.

Art. 14: consent, informed and given freely

基于个人同意处理个人信息的，该同意应当由个人在充分知情的前提下自愿、明确作出。

In English: where processing rests on consent, the individual must give it voluntarily and explicitly, fully informed.

Art. 23: giving it to another handler

个人信息处理者向其他个人信息处理者提供其处理的个人信息的，应当向个人告知接收方的名称或者姓名、联系方式、处理目的、处理方式和个人信息的种类，并取得个人的单独同意。

In English: a handler that gives personal information to another handler must tell the individual the recipient's name, contact details, purpose, method of processing and the kinds of information, and obtain the individual's separate consent.

  • Separate consent, for this one disclosure. The person named the recipient (certo, reachable at support@certo.bio), the purpose (confirming this job on their CV) and each fact, and chose to send the request. If your policy is to collect that consent on your own form, you may decline instead.
  • Proof of consent. certo records which account asked, when, and for which facts. Write to support@certo.bio and we send you the record for your request.
  • Only what is needed. Personal information is limited to the minimum the purpose needs (Art. 6). You confirm or leave unticked only the facts listed. Add nothing else: anything beyond them is not covered by the person's consent.

What this means for your answer

  • Tick only what your HR, payroll or personnel records show.
  • Not sure it is the same person? Press "We can't find a matching record". Never confirm a record you are not sure is theirs.
  • Your policy is not to answer? Press "We do not answer these requests". The record shows your organisation declined, and nobody else there is asked.

Sources

This page is not legal advice. It reflects the law as it stood on 26 October 2026.