certo.bio
Register
Help center
Legal basis, all countries

France: why confirm a former employee's job?

Every French employer already states the dates of employment and the jobs held in the certificate of employment it gives when a 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 consent.

Law as of 26 October 2026 · Code du travail (Labour Code), art. L1234-19 (version in force since 1 May 2008), D1234-6 (version in force since 1 January 2015) and L1221-6 (version in force since 1 May 2008)

In short

  • The facts are already on paper. When the employment contract ends, the employer gives the employee a certificate (art. L1234-19 Labour Code), the certificat de travail, which states only the dates of employment and the job or jobs held (art. D1234-6). 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 person's consent is a legal basis under the GDPR (Art. 6(1)(a)). They started this check themselves, from their own account, for these facts and no others.
  • You do not have to answer. No French law obliges an employer to answer certo. Declining is fine.

The Labour Code

Code du travail, quoted from the official text as published by the Ministry of Labour's Code du travail numérique, which reproduces Légifrance.

Art. L1234-19: the certificate at the end of the contract

A l'expiration du contrat de travail, l'employeur délivre au salarié un certificat dont le contenu est déterminé par voie réglementaire.

In English: when the employment contract ends, the employer gives the employee a certificate whose content is set by regulation.

Art. D1234-6: what the certificate states, and nothing else

Le certificat de travail contient exclusivement les mentions suivantes : 1° La date d'entrée du salarié et celle de sa sortie ; 2° La nature de l'emploi ou des emplois successivement occupés et les périodes pendant lesquelles ces emplois ont été tenus.

In English: the certificate of employment contains only the following: the date the employee joined and the date they left, and the job or jobs held in turn and the periods in which each was held. These are the facts we ask about, the dates and the job title, so your records already hold them. French law keeps the certificate to these facts; certo asks for no more.

Art. L1221-6: what is never asked

Les informations demandées, sous quelque forme que ce soit, au candidat à un emploi ne peuvent avoir comme finalité que d'apprécier sa capacité à occuper l'emploi proposé ou ses aptitudes professionnelles. Ces informations doivent présenter un lien direct et nécessaire avec l'emploi proposé ou avec l'évaluation des aptitudes professionnelles.

In English: information asked of a job applicant, in any form, may serve only to assess their ability to do the job offered or their professional skills, and must have a direct and necessary link with that job or that assessment. Past jobs and their dates are such information. certo never asks you about health, family, beliefs, trade union membership or a criminal record, nor about pay, performance or the reason for leaving.

Personal data

The GDPR applies directly in France; the Data Protection Act (loi n° 78-17 du 6 janvier 1978, "Informatique et Libertés") supplements it.

  • Art. 6(1)(a), consent. The legal basis for your answer. The person chose your organisation and each fact, so the consent is specific to this request.
  • Art. 7(1), 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.
  • Art. 5(1)(c), data minimisation. 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.