Employer's reference, verbal reference and letter of recommendation

Employer's references, verbal references and letters of recommendation are important for professional careers.

The HR partners are there to support line managers in preparing such documents and help employees with any questions they may have.

Employer's reference / Interim employer's reference

All employees of ETH Zurich - whether employed on a temporary or permanent basis - are entitled to a written employer's reference and interim employer's references. These documents provide information on the nature and duration of the employment relationship and contain details of the employee's performance and behaviour.

Access the reference generator

The reference generator supports line managers in writing employer's references. Find it on ETHIS Portal under Human Resources > Employees.

User manual / DownloadLeaflet on employers reference (PDF, 43 KB) (both in German)

The employer's reference is issued when an employee is leaving ETH Zurich. It evaluates the entire period of the employment relationship. It is written in the past tense (imperfect). The interim employer's reference, on the other hand, relates to a defined period of work in one area or function at ETH and it is written in the present tense.

Employees can request an interim employer's reference from their line manager at any time. It is issued during employment and describes a defined period in an area or function. Typically it is issued when there is a change of line manager, an internal job change, a reorganisation or when a position assessment is made.

ETH Zurich's employer's references follow the principles of truth, completeness, clarity and goodwill. In order to support the professional advancement of our employees, employer's references should be formulated with benevolent intent. It is advisable to discuss negative aspects of performance and behaviour with the responsible HR partner in advance.

The line manager usually hands the employer's reference to the employee on the contractual end date of the employment. It should be sent to the employee no later than 3 weeks after this date.

The interim employer's reference should be handed over to the employee 2-4 weeks after their request.

The right to an employer's reference expires 10 years after the end of the employment relationship with ETH.

The employer's reference is written in the language generally used at ETH Zurich: German.

The date of the end of the contract applies to the employer's reference and the date of issue applies to the interim employer's reference. Employer's references are not backdated.

A confirmation of employment (simple employer's reference) does not contain any statement on performance and behaviour and is usually issued in the case of separation during the probationary period or in the case of a short-term employment relationships.

It is the responsibility of the line manager to prepare the employer's reference for their employees. The reference generator (see above) should be used and HR partners provide support.

Employer's references usually bear a double signature: The line manager signs on the left and the HR partner signs on the right.

The signed version is archived by HR Operations in the electronic personnel file in SAP.

Employees can contact their HR partners if they have any questions or differences of opinion.

Verbal reference

A verbal reference is information about you that a future employer obtains from your current/former employer or from third parties. The verbal reference information serves to verify your written application and as a supplement to the job interview. Verbald references may only be obtained with your consent. However, it may be assumed that you have given your tacit consent if you name reference persons in your application.

The choice of the reference person is up to you; they should be familiar with your work. As a principle, you should name your direct line manager. When providing information, the reference person is bound by the provisions of the Data Protection Act and the associated ordinance. They may only provide information that is related to the future work situation.

If you name someone as a reference person, be sure to let them know. Also tell them about your career plans so that the reference person can prepare for the interview.

Letter of recommendation

A letter of recommendation in an academic context provides information about academic performance and behaviour from the professor's point of view. It contains an explicit recommendation for a position or research funding. A letter of recommendation is not legally binding.

DownloadExamples sentences for letters of recommendation (PDF, 311 KB)

The letter of recommendation is usually signed by the professor only.

Employees can request an employer's reference after having received a letter of recommendation. Employees are legally entitled to an employer's reference. The letter of recommendation though is not legally binding.