Employment reference for a cleaner or nanny in Switzerland

Create a Swiss employment reference

Choose the document you need

A full reference and a simple employment confirmation serve different purposes. The choice belongs to the employee and is not exclusive.

Full employment reference

A full reference records the kind and duration of the employment and gives an assessment of work and conduct. For a cleaner, nanny or other Helper, it can describe the duties actually performed, the periods in which important duties were carried out and the way the work was completed.

The assessment should be truthful, complete and fair. Benevolent wording does not mean automatic praise. Relevant facts may belong in the document, while isolated trivialities and hidden negative codes do not. There is no reliable phrase that turns a reference into a legal grade.

Simple employment confirmation

A simple confirmation is limited to the kind and duration of the employment. It does not assess performance or conduct and does not give a reason for termination. A household should not substitute a simple confirmation merely to avoid writing an assessment when the employee requests a full reference.

You may ask for both documents. For example, one may provide a concise record of dates and duties while the other gives a fuller account of the employment.

Interim and final describe timing

An interim reference is issued while the employment continues. It gives a current account of the work. Make clear that the employment is ongoing.

A final reference is issued when the employment ends. SECO says it is normally dated on the final day of the employment. That date is not automatically the date of the last physical shift. Make sure the employment period shows the correct contractual end date.

Timing does not decide the document type. An interim document can be full or simple. A final document can also be full or simple. The employee may request the document that meets the need at that time.

How a Helper can request the document

Ask the employing household directly. If you work for several households, each household has its own employment relationship with you and prepares its own document.

1. Decide whether you want a full reference, a simple employment confirmation or both.
2. State whether you need an interim document during ongoing employment or a final document when the employment ends.
3. Ask in writing so the request and reply are easy to keep.
4. Give the household a factual list of your main duties and the periods in which you performed them. Include only work you actually did.
5. Review the draft or completed document against your contract, schedules, payslips and other employment records.
6. If something is inaccurate or missing, identify the passage, explain the factual issue and propose a correction.

You can adapt this request without sending sensitive personal details:

Please prepare a [full employment reference / simple employment confirmation] for my work as [role]. I need it as an [interim / final] document. Please use the accurate employment dates and include these main duties: [duties actually performed].

Keep the request, the household's reply and the final signed document. If you need the document for an application, say when you hope to receive it and ask the household to confirm what is practical.

How the household prepares the document

The household prepares and signs the document as employer. Start from the employee's request and the employment records rather than from a generic rating or a phrase list.

1. Confirm whether the employee requested a full reference, a simple employment confirmation or both.
2. Use the correct names and accurate employment dates. If the employment continues, say so clearly.
3. Describe the role, main duties and any important periods in which the duties changed. Mention workload or the usual schedule where it helps explain the work and can be stated accurately.
4. For a full reference, assess performance and conduct across the whole employment. Use clear, ordinary language and facts you can support.
5. For a simple confirmation, stop at the kind and duration of employment. Do not add an assessment or a reason for termination.
6. Review the wording for truth, completeness and clarity. Remove ambiguous codes and unrelated private information.
7. Add the issue date and a legally valid employer signature.
8. Give the document to the employee through an appropriate private channel and keep the employment record needed to explain the content.

Cleaning, laundry, meal preparation, childcare, school runs, shopping and household organisation are examples of duties, not a standard list. Include only the duties the employee actually performed. Avoid inflated titles, vague praise and criticism that cannot be connected to the employment.

Privacy, references and corrections

Keep unrelated private information out of the reference. A recovered illness that has no relevance to the assessment should not appear. A substantial interruption may need to be considered where leaving it out would misrepresent the employee's experience. Do not include a diagnosis. If illness or a lengthy absence raises a difficult question, get advice on the particular circumstances.

A prospective employer should obtain the applicant's consent before contacting a former employer for a reference. The written employment reference itself is not permission for unrestricted contact or disclosure.

If the employee finds an error or omission, the most useful first step is a precise written correction request. Identify the passage, explain what is inaccurate or missing and propose factual wording. Keep the relevant contract, schedules, messages or other records. The employee can seek judicial correction, but the correct route, likely cost and timing depend on the individual case. A qualified employment adviser or the competent civil process can help when direct correction does not resolve the issue.

“A good employment reference should let the next household understand the work without having to decode it. Clear duties, honest wording and the right dates respect both the Helper and the household.”

Gilberto de la Fuente, Helpore

Official sources and how to use them

The right to request an employment reference comes from Article 330a of the Swiss Code of Obligations. It covers a request during or after employment. The full document covers the kind and duration of employment, performance and conduct. At the employee's special request, the document is limited to the kind and duration.

SECO's employment reference FAQ explains the practical content and quality expectations. SECO describes this FAQ as nonbinding guidance for private employment. The Zurich courts' public guidance confirms that an employee may request both documents and explains the correction route.

For privacy, the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner's employment guidance explains consent before a prospective employer contacts a former employer. The Federal Supreme Court decision BGE 136 III 510 shows why questions about illness and substantial absences depend on the circumstances of the individual case.

For contested wording or unusual facts, use the official sources and seek qualified advice.

FAQ

Who writes an employment reference for a cleaner or nanny?

The employing household prepares, dates and signs it. Helpore does not issue the reference. If you work for more than one household, each employment relationship has its own employer and document.

Can I ask for an employment reference while I still work there?

Yes. You can request a reference during the employment or after it ends. A document issued during ongoing employment is commonly called an interim reference. A final reference is prepared when the employment ends.

What is the difference between a full reference and a simple employment confirmation?

A full reference covers the kind and duration of employment and assesses work and conduct. A simple employment confirmation is limited to the kind and duration of employment. It contains no assessment and no reason for termination.

Can I request both documents?

Yes. The employee may request a full reference, a simple employment confirmation or both. Interim and final describe timing, so either document type can be requested at the relevant time.

What should a full employment reference include?

It should identify the parties, state accurate employment dates, describe the main duties and relevant periods, and give a truthful, complete and fair assessment of work and conduct. The employing household dates and validly signs it.

Can illness be mentioned in an employment reference?

A recovered illness that has no relevance to the assessment should not appear. A substantial interruption may need to be considered if leaving it out would misrepresent the experience. Do not include a diagnosis. Get advice on the particular circumstances.

How do I ask for a correction to an employment reference?

Identify the passage that is inaccurate or missing, explain why, propose factual wording and keep the request with the records that support it. If the issue remains unresolved, seek qualified employment advice or information about the competent civil process.