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Netherlands: why confirm a former employee's job?

Every Dutch employer must give a leaving employee, on request, a certificate (getuigschrift) stating the kind of work and the start and end dates of the employment. 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 · Burgerlijk Wetboek Boek 7 (Dutch Civil Code, Book 7), art. 7:656, text in force from 8 October 2026

In short

  • The facts are already on paper. When the employment contract ends, the employer must give the employee a certificate (getuigschrift) on request, stating the kind of work and the start and end dates of the employment (art. 7:656(1) and (2) Civil Code). 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 Dutch law obliges an employer to answer certo. Declining is fine.

The Civil Code

Burgerlijk Wetboek Boek 7, quoted from the official text on wetten.overheid.nl.

Art. 7:656(1) and (2): the certificate at the end of employment

De werkgever is verplicht bij het einde van de arbeidsovereenkomst de werknemer op diens verzoek een getuigschrift uit te reiken.

Het getuigschrift vermeldt: a. de aard van de verrichte arbeid en de arbeidsduur per dag of per week; b. de begindatum en de einddatum van het dienstverband; …

In English: when the employment contract ends, the employer must give the employee a certificate if asked. It states the kind of work done and the working hours per day or week, and the start and end dates of the employment. We ask about the job title and the dates, so your records already hold them.

Art. 7:656(3): the rest only at the employee's request

De in lid 2, onderdelen c, d en e, genoemde gegevens worden slechts op verzoek van de werknemer in het getuigschrift vermeld.

In English: how the employee performed, how the contract ended and, where the employer gave notice, the reason, appear in the certificate only at the employee's request. certo never asks about any of them.

Art. 7:656(5): only what is true

De werkgever die … in het getuigschrift door opzet of schuld onjuiste mededelingen opneemt … is zowel jegens de werknemer als jegens derden aansprakelijk voor de daardoor veroorzaakte schade.

In English: an employer who knowingly or carelessly puts incorrect statements in the certificate is liable to the employee and to third parties for the harm caused. The same care fits an answer to certo: tick only what your records show, and leave the rest unticked.

What is never asked

We found no provision of Dutch statute that lists the questions an employer may not put to a job applicant. 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 the Netherlands; the GDPR Implementation Act (Uitvoeringswet AVG) supplements it.

  • Art. 6(1)(a), consent. The legal basis for your answer. Consent is hard to give freely while a person depends on their employer; here the employment has ended and the person asked for the check themselves.
  • 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.