My employer won't give me a Certificate of Employment — what are my rights?
Last updated: 2026-07-11 · Educational content; not legal advice.
Short answer
Under DOLE Labor Advisory No. 06-20, your employer must issue a Certificate of Employment (COE) within three (3) days from the time you request it. A COE simply states the dates of your engagement (and separation, if any) and the type of work you did — it is not a clearance or an endorsement, and it cannot be withheld because you have a pending clearance or an unpaid obligation. If it is not issued within 3 days, you can raise the matter with the nearest DOLE Regional/Provincial/Field Office.
Do it now — step by step
- Ask your employer IN WRITING for your Certificate of Employment, and keep a dated copy. The three (3) days under DOLE Labor Advisory No. 06-20 run from the time you request it.
- If they hold it back over a pending clearance or something you owe, reply in writing that a COE is a statement of your employment dates and type of work, not a clearance, and that Labor Advisory 06-20 does not make it conditional on one.
- If it is not issued within 3 days, raise it with the nearest DOLE Regional/Provincial/Field Office. Bring your written request and every follow-up.
The written ask — copy, fill the [brackets], send
To: [Company name], Human Resources I was employed by [Company name] as [position] from [start date] to [end date, or "present"]. I request a Certificate of Employment stating my dates of employment and the type of work I performed. Under DOLE Labor Advisory No. 06-20, the employer shall issue a Certificate of Employment within three (3) days from the time of the employee's request. Please send it to this email address. [Your full name]
Primary sources
Frequently asked
Can my employer refuse a COE because I still owe them or haven't cleared?
No. A Certificate of Employment is a factual statement of your employment dates and type of work; it is not a clearance. Labor Advisory 06-20 requires issuance within 3 days of request and does not condition it on settling a clearance or debt.
What should a COE contain?
It states the duration of your engagement — the dates you started and (if applicable) ended — and the type of work you performed. It does not have to include your reason for leaving or a performance evaluation.
What if they still refuse after 3 days?
Raise it with the nearest DOLE Regional/Provincial/Field Office, which handles disputes over the issuance of the COE under Labor Advisory 06-20.
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Boses ng kumakayod — your everyday rights as a Filipino worker on pay and dismissal: when your final/back pay must be released (DOLE Labor Advisory 06-20 — within 30 days of separation), 13th-month pay (PD 851 — 1/12 of your basic salary, on or before December 24), legal vs illegal salary deductions, unpaid wages and overtime, the twin-notice due-process rule before you can be dismissed, just causes vs authorized causes, separation pay, your Certificate of Employment (within 3 days of request), resignation notice, the regional minimum wage set by your RTWPB, and how to file with DOLE (SEnA conciliation first) or the NLRC.