certo.bio
Register
Help center
Legal basis, all countries

Norway: why confirm a former employee's job?

An employee who leaves after lawful notice is entitled to a written certificate (attest) from every Norwegian employer, stating what the work consisted of and how long the employment lasted. 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 · Arbeidsmiljøloven (LOV-2005-06-17-62), as last amended by LOV-2026-06-19-33 from 1 July 2026, and Personopplysningsloven (LOV-2018-06-15-38)

In short

  • The facts are already on paper. An employee who leaves after lawful notice is entitled to a written certificate (attest) from the employer, stating what the work consisted of and how long the employment lasted (Working Environment Act, section 15-15(1)). 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 GDPR is Norwegian law through the EEA Agreement (Personal Data Act, section 1) and lets an organisation disclose personal data with the consent of the person concerned. The person started this check themselves, for these facts and no others.
  • You do not have to answer. Answering certo is voluntary. Declining is fine.

The Working Environment Act

Arbeidsmiljøloven (LOV-2005-06-17-62). Quoted from the official text on Lovdata.

Section 15-15(1): the certificate

Arbeidstaker som fratrer etter lovlig oppsigelse har krav på skriftlig attest av arbeidsgiver. Attesten skal inneholde opplysninger om arbeidstakers navn, fødselsdato, hva arbeidet har bestått i og om arbeidsforholdets varighet.

In English: an employee who leaves after lawful notice is entitled to a written certificate from the employer, stating the employee's name, date of birth, what the work consisted of and how long the employment lasted. The job title and the dates we ask about are these facts, so your records already hold them.

What is never asked

An employer must not ask job applicants for health information beyond what the duties of the position require (Working Environment Act, section 9-3), nor ask about pregnancy, adoption or plans to have children, religion or belief, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression (Equality and Anti-Discrimination Act, section 30). certo never asks you about any of these.

Personal data

Personal Data Act, section 1: the GDPR as Norwegian law

EØS-avtalen vedlegg XI nr. 5e (forordning (EU) 2016/679) om vern av fysiske personer i forbindelse med behandling av personopplysninger … gjelder som lov …

In English: the GDPR, as incorporated in Annex XI of the EEA Agreement, applies as Norwegian law with the adaptations the Agreement makes.

  • Art. 6(1)(a), consent. The legal basis for your answer: the person asked for these facts to be confirmed to certo.
  • 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.