Free Work Certificate Template for Employees in Johannesburg and South Africa
If you are leaving a job in Johannesburg or elsewhere in South Africa, you may need proof of your employment for a future employer, professional application or your personal records.
South African employment law provides for a certificate of service when employment ends. This page explains what the certificate should contain and provides a free template that can be adapted by an employer or employee.
⬇ Download Certificate of Service Template (Word)A certificate of service is an employment document confirming important details about a person's employment with an employer.
Section 42 of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) provides that, on termination of employment, an employee is entitled to a certificate of service.
The Department of Employment and Labour also provides a model BCEA 5 Certificate of Service form. The department states that the model is not a prescribed form, meaning that another document containing the required information can be used.
Yes. Section 42 of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act states that on termination of employment, an employee is entitled to a certificate of service.
The certificate must contain specified employment information. This applies to the employment relationship covered by the relevant provisions of the BCEA.
The legal entitlement is to a certificate of service. A separate, detailed employment reference or recommendation letter is a different type of document and is not the same thing as the statutory certificate.
Section 42 of the BCEA specifies the information that must be stated on the certificate of service.
| Required Information | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Employee's full name | The full name of the employee. |
| Employer's name and address | The legal or business name and address of the employer. |
| Applicable council or sectoral employment standard | A description of any council or sectoral employment standard covering the employer's business, where applicable. |
| Date employment commenced | The date on which the employee started working for the employer. |
| Date employment ended | The date on which the employment relationship terminated. |
| Job title or description of work | The employee's job title or a brief description of the work performed at the date of termination. |
| Remuneration | The employee's remuneration at the date of termination. |
| Reason for termination | The reason for termination must be included if the employee requests it. |
The following example follows the information required by section 42 of the BCEA and the structure of the official Department of Employment and Labour model.
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
This is to certify that [Employee Full Name] was employed by [Employer Name].
Employer Name:
[Company Name]
Employer Address:
[Company Address]
Employee:
[Full Name]
Date Employment Commenced:
[Start Date]
Date Employment Terminated:
[End Date]
Position / Job Description:
[Job Title / Brief Description of Work]
Applicable Council or Sectoral Employment Standard:
[Details, if applicable]
Remuneration at Termination:
[Amount / Applicable Remuneration]
Reason for Termination:
[Include if requested by the employee]
Issued at: [City]
Date: [Date]
For and on behalf of [Company Name]
Name: [Authorised Person]
Position: [Position]
Signature: __________________________
These two documents are often confused, but they serve different purposes.
| Certificate of Service | Employment Reference |
|---|---|
| Statutory employment document provided when employment ends. | A separate reference or recommendation provided by an employer or manager. |
| Contains factual employment information required by section 42 of the BCEA. | May contain an assessment of an employee's work, depending on what the referee is prepared to provide. |
| Includes employment dates, position, remuneration and other specified information. | Can discuss skills, responsibilities, performance or suitability where the referee chooses to provide such information. |
| Employee is legally entitled to it on termination. | It is not the same statutory entitlement as the certificate of service. |
Not in the same form as the Swiss or German employment-reference system.
The South African BCEA specifies the factual information that must appear in a certificate of service. It does not establish a statutory system in which phrases such as "always to our fullest satisfaction" correspond to official performance grades.
Therefore, employees should be careful when reading websites that describe Swiss or German coded employment references and apply those rules directly to South Africa.
A certificate of service can be useful when documenting your employment history.
A prospective employer may separately request references or other supporting information during a recruitment process.
The certificate-of-service rules are based on South African national employment legislation, so there is no separate Johannesburg version of the statutory certificate.
Whether you worked in Sandton, Rosebank, Midrand, Randburg, Fourways, the Johannesburg CBD or another part of Gauteng, the applicable national employment framework remains relevant.
The employer's name, address, employment dates, job information and remuneration should be recorded accurately.
The BCEA provides the entitlement to a certificate of service on termination of employment.
If you are leaving a job, it is sensible to ask HR or your employer about the certificate as part of the exit process.
If you need to request the document from HR or your employer, you can use a simple written request.
Subject: Request for Certificate of Service
Dear [HR Manager / Employer Name],
I am writing to request my certificate of service following the termination of my employment with [Company Name].
Please provide the certificate containing the applicable employment information required under section 42 of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act.
My employment details are:
Full Name: [Your Name]
Position: [Job Title]
Employment Start Date: [Start Date]
Employment End Date: [End Date]
Thank you for your assistance.
Kind regards,
[Your Full Name]
A certificate of service is an employment document and employers may provide employment documents electronically where appropriate.
The Department of Employment and Labour's official BCEA 5 document is a model rather than a mandatory form. The important point is that the certificate should contain the information required by section 42.
If you receive the certificate electronically, save a copy in a secure location and consider keeping a PDF version with your employment records.
Yes. Section 42 of the BCEA specifies remuneration at the date of termination as information to be stated on the certificate of service.
This means that the statutory certificate is not simply a document stating that someone worked for a company. It contains specific employment information, including remuneration at termination.
Section 42 provides that the reason for termination is included if the employee requests it.
Therefore, the reason for leaving should not simply be assumed to be mandatory in every certificate. If you want the reason included, make the request clear to the employer.
The statutory requirements in section 42 focus on the specified employment information. The Department of Employment and Labour also publishes guidance and examples in which training information may be recorded.
If you completed important employer-provided training, you can ask whether the relevant training should be documented separately or included where appropriate.
Professional certifications, qualifications and training certificates should generally also be kept as separate employment records.
Check the document carefully after receiving it.
Pay particular attention to:
If factual information is incorrect, contact HR or the employer and request that the certificate be corrected.
Keep the original version until the corrected document has been received.
An employee who resigns is still leaving employment and can be entitled to a certificate of service under section 42.
The certificate should record the relevant employment information at the end of the employment relationship.
The certificate does not need to be written as a recommendation letter merely because the employee resigned.
A certificate of service is also relevant when employment ends through dismissal.
The statutory certificate should contain the information required by section 42. If the employee requests the reason for termination to be included, section 42 specifically provides for that information.
A certificate of service should therefore be distinguished from a disciplinary record, dismissal letter or detailed employment reference. These are separate employment documents.
| Document | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Certificate of Service | Confirms specified employment information when employment ends. |
| Employment Reference | Provides a prospective employer with information or an assessment from a referee. |
| Recommendation Letter | Personal or professional recommendation for a future opportunity. |
| Employment Contract | Records the terms and conditions agreed when employment begins or changes. |
| Dismissal Letter | Communicates the employer's termination decision and relevant information. |
| Payslip | Records remuneration and deductions for a particular payment period. |
Section 42 of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act provides that, on termination of employment, an employee is entitled to a certificate of service.
It is an employment document containing specified information about the employee's employment, including the employee's name, employer details, employment dates, job title or work description and remuneration at termination.
No. A certificate of service is the statutory employment document provided on termination. A reference letter is a separate document that can provide additional information about an employee's work, skills or performance.
Not necessarily. The South African statutory certificate of service has specified factual content under section 42 of the BCEA. It should not be assumed to operate like the detailed Swiss or German Arbeitszeugnis system.
Yes. Section 42 provides for the employee's title or a brief description of the work for which the employee was employed at the date of termination.
Yes. It should state the date employment commenced and the date employment terminated.
Yes. Section 42 specifies remuneration at the date of termination.
The reason for termination is included if the employee requests it.
You can ask an employer, manager or other appropriate referee for an employment reference. A reference is separate from the statutory certificate of service.
The statutory certificate is intended to contain the information specified by section 42. If you believe the document contains inaccurate factual information, raise the issue with the employer and request a correction. More complicated disputes may require professional employment-law advice.
If information such as your employment dates, position or remuneration is factually incorrect, you can ask the employer to correct the document.
It can be useful as proof of previous employment, although individual employers may have their own recruitment requirements and may request references or other documents.
The certificate-of-service requirement comes from national South African employment legislation. There is therefore no separate Johannesburg certificate-of-service law replacing section 42 of the BCEA.
The Department of Employment and Labour publishes a BCEA 5 Certificate of Service model. The department states that it is a model and not a prescribed form, so another document containing the required information can also satisfy the requirement.
Yes. Keep it as part of your permanent employment records. It may be useful when documenting your employment history or applying for future positions.
This page is intended as general employment information and is not legal advice.
The main legislation governing the statutory certificate of service is the Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997. Section 42 deals specifically with certificates of service.
The Department of Employment and Labour also publishes an official model certificate of service known as BCEA 5.
Information reviewed against the South African Basic Conditions of Employment Act and current Department of Employment and Labour resources. Employment law can change, and individual employment arrangements may have additional requirements. Consider obtaining professional legal advice for a specific dispute or employment matter.