HRSINGAPORE Community Discussions

QUESTION

Dear HR Professionals,

From time to time, we receive requests from our employees for a certificate of employment (COE). The COE helps them with their personal matters like bank loan applications etc.

We have one such employee who has requested for the COE. However, she has been in Malaysia since their Movement Control Order (MCO) and on no-pay leave (NPL) from April.

Do you think we should accept her request and provide her with the COE even though we are unsure if she will be returning to work and is currently on no-pay leave?

Any advice or views will be most helpful.

Thank you

Eunice

REPLIES & COMMENTS

Dear Eunice

As long as the employee is still under your company's employment, you should provide the COE upon request by the employee.

Best regards

Olivia

Hi Eunice,

As you noted, the COE letter is required for matters which have contractual or legal obligations, such as a bank loan.

You should probably issue it only when there is a need and not routinely.

The employee should make a formal request, stating reasons, and get the organisation i.e. the bank to contact you directly for this letter.

If it is a legitimate request, there should be no problems with this slightly onerous arrangement. At the same time, you are not turning down support to the employee.

Regards,

Alex

Hi Eunice,

I would ask for specifics i.e. details about the request.

And if the COE is for the bank, then I will send the COE directly to the bank after obtaining their contact details and verifying the request from the employee.

Hope this helps

Collin

Dear Eunice,

The key question is "is the person still your employee?"

The person is on NPL and thus still your employee.

I do not see any reason why HR should not provide the said document to the employee.

Chris