CV and documents · 5 min read
Work experience letter in Ethiopia: your right to one, and a free format
Your employer has to give you a work experience letter free, when you leave or whenever you ask. Here's what it must say, and a format you can use.
Your employer has to give you a work experience certificate free of charge, when your contract ends or whenever you ask, even if you're still working there. That's Article 12(8) of Labour Proclamation 1156/2019. It must state the type of work you did, how long you served and the wage you were earning. You'll need it: Ethiopian Airlines, for one, asks for written work experiences among its original papers.
What the letter must say
The law names three things. Everything else is good practice, and it's what makes the letter easy for the next employer to trust.
- The type of work you did
- Your length of service
- The wage you were earning
Ask for it on the company's letterhead, with a date and a reference number, signed by someone who can sign for the company, with the company stamp. Check that your name is spelled exactly as it is on your ID and your certificates, and that the dates match your CV.
A free format you can give your employer
Copy this, fill in the blanks and hand it to your HR office if it has no format of its own. It's the employer who signs. If your employer writes in Amharic, that's fine. Just keep the same facts in it.
[Company letterhead] Date: ________ Ref: ________ TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN Subject: Work experience certificate This is to certify that [full name] has worked at [company name] from [start date] to [end date, or the present]. Position: [job title] Type of work: [main duties, in one or two lines] Monthly salary: [amount] Birr [He or she] [left the company on (date), or is still employed with us]. This certificate is given at the request of the employee, free of charge, under Article 12(8) of Labour Proclamation No. 1156/2019. [Name, title, signature and company stamp]
If you moved between posts, ask for each post with its dates, since many adverts count years in a similar role. Write dates so the reader can't get them wrong, and say if they're in the Ethiopian calendar or G.C.
How to ask for it
Ask in writing, and keep a copy. A short letter or email to HR is enough. Here's one you can use, in your own words.
Dear HR Manager, Please give me a work experience certificate stating the type of work I do, my length of service and my wage, as set out in Article 12(8) of Labour Proclamation No. 1156/2019. I need it by [date]. Thank you, [Name, employee number, department]
What if my employer refuses?
Start with a polite written reminder that cites the article. If the answer's still no, go to a labour office and ask what they can do. Claims on the issue of a certificate of service go to the labour division of the first instance court, under Article 139(1)(d).
Watch the time. Unless the law sets another limit, an action from an employment relationship is barred after one year from when you could first bring it (Article 163(1)). So don't leave it for years after you've left.
Your employer can't charge you for the letter. The law says free of charge, and whenever you ask. It's harder to get one from a business that has closed, so ask while you're still there, and each time you change posts.
Who asks for it
- Ethiopian Airlines local posts list written work experiences among the originals and copies you bring
- POESSA asks for proof of earlier service when your years are added up for your pension
- Jobs that ask for years of experience: 117 of 144 Ethiopia adverts on this site mentioned years of experience on 1 November 2026
Don't buy a letter
If anyone offers to sell you an experience letter, or to add years to yours, say no. A false letter can follow you for years. Ethiopian Airlines says that anyone found to apply or join with false information faces termination from the process or from the job when it's found. If you're short on experience, use real work, such as an attachment, a project or volunteer work, and ask that organisation for a letter stating just what you did.
This page explains the law, and it isn't legal advice. Civil servants and others outside the Labour Proclamation have their own rules, so ask your HR office.
Sources and further reading
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Frequently asked questions
Can I ask for an experience letter while I still work there?
Yes. Article 12(8) says on termination or whenever the worker so requests.
Does my employer have to put my salary in it?
Yes, the law names the wage you were earning as one of the three things the certificate states.
Can I get the format in Amharic?
Your employer can issue it in Amharic. We only publish the format in English, since we don't machine translate. The facts to include are the same.
Can they charge me for it?
No, the law says free of charge.