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Sweden: why confirm a former employee's job?

Every Swedish employer already gave the employee the first day of the employment and the job title in writing, as the Employment Protection Act requires. 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 · Lag (1982:80) om anställningsskydd, as amended up to SFS 2022:836, and Lag (2018:218), the Data Protection Act, as amended up to SFS 2026:1589

In short

  • The facts are already in writing. Every employer must give the employee written information that includes the first day of the employment and the employee's job title (Employment Protection Act, 6 c §). Those are the facts we ask about. We found no duty in the Act to issue an employment certificate, so a confirmation from you is the simplest way for these facts to reach the next employer.
  • 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 lets an organisation disclose personal data with the consent of the person concerned (Art. 6(1)(a)). 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 Employment Protection Act

Lag (1982:80) om anställningsskydd (LAS). Quoted from the official consolidated text on riksdagen.se.

6 c §: what you already wrote down

En arbetsgivare ska lämna skriftlig information till en arbetstagare om alla villkor som är av väsentlig betydelse för anställningsförhållandet. Informationen ska innehålla åtminstone följande uppgifter: 1. arbetsgivarens och arbetstagarens namn och adress, anställningens tillträdesdag … 2. en kort specificering eller beskrivning av arbetstagarens arbetsuppgifter och yrkesbenämning eller tjänstetitel, …

In English: an employer must give an employee written information on all the terms of material importance to the employment, including at least the names and addresses of the employer and the employee, the first day of the employment, and a short description of the employee's duties and occupational title or job title. These are the facts we ask about, so your records already hold them.

No employment certificate in the Act

We found no provision of LAS that requires an employer to issue an employment certificate (tjänstgöringsintyg) or a reference when employment ends, or that limits what an employer may say about a former employee. The legal basis for your answer is therefore the data protection rules below.

Personal data

The GDPR applies directly in Sweden; Lag (2018:218) med kompletterande bestämmelser till EU:s dataskyddsförordning, the Data Protection Act, supplements it (chapter 1, section 1).

  • 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.