How a copy of a work book is certified: procedure according to GOST and common mistakes

No application - no documents

Before we talk about how a copy of the work book is certified, let us remind you that the work book itself is the property of the worker. But it is temporarily kept by the employer so that he can enter into the document all the necessary information about the citizen’s professional activities.

In order to receive a work book, an extract from it or a copy, according to Article 62 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, a person must not only ask a personnel department employee to prepare the document, he must contact his superiors in writing. Below is a sample application for a copy. Its form is not established at the legislative level, so the appeal can be drawn up arbitrarily, but taking into account the requirements for personnel documentation (to whom and from whom it is written, the reason and grounds for the appeal, date and personal signature of the applicant). The application can be drawn up by hand or using a computer, as the sample shows. In the latter case, it is important that the application be signed personally by the applicant.

Sample application for issuance of a copy of a work record book

Please note that local regulations of the company may establish another form of applying for labor.
In this case, the corresponding form is issued to the employee, who fills it out according to the prescribed rules. A very important point: the reasons for applying for a copy can be different - to obtain a loan from a bank, obtain a foreign passport, provide data on work experience to the Pension Fund, etc. But in the application, the worker is not required to answer the question why he needed it. This is not provided for by law. Therefore, if in the application forms developed at the enterprise it is required to indicate why it was necessary to certify documents related to the work, GIT inspectors may regard this as a violation of legal norms.

Personnel officers should also remember that it is necessary to consider an employee’s request for a copy of the work book or other documents within three days. And not only to consider, but also to have time to correctly prepare the requested extracts. All of them are provided free of charge. Please note that the employer cannot refuse to provide a copy; this is contrary to the Labor Code of the Russian Federation.

Subtle art of decoration

It would seem that what’s so difficult about filling out a blank space? A regular table with a header and a side panel. But in the case of a work book, filling out the form is regulated by three serious government documents, including one code, one government resolution and one resolution of the Ministry of Labor. And practice shows that, unfortunately, in most cases there are inevitable inconsistencies between different regulatory acts devoted to the same object of regulation.

Table: regulations of the Russian Federation regulating the filling out of work books

If, when filling out a work book, a situation that is ambiguous from the point of view of legislation arises, it is necessary to be guided by the Labor Code as the document of the greatest legal force.

One-two-three

For work books, uniform general rules of registration have been established, according to which the entries made in them are mandatory:

• comply with the text of the relevant order;
• reflect all career events, including military service;
• in each section are numbered in order;
• do not contain any abbreviations;
• are made in Russian (for foreign enterprises operating on the territory of the Russian Federation, duplication of entries in another language is allowed; the same is possible for employers registered in the national republic of the Russian Federation, which has its own current language);
• contain only Arabic numerals;
• are carried out with black, blue or purple ink.

And of course, all entries must be made carefully and carefully so that errors or inaccuracies do not creep into the text, and subsequent corrections are not needed.

In general, filling out a work book occurs in three stages:

1. Stage one is to check or fill out the title page (aka the first section of the book).
2. Stage two is to make a record of admission, transfer or dismissal.
3. Stage three - if necessary, enter information about the award or encouragement.

An appointment for an employee at his main place of work must be made within a week from the date of his return to work; The dismissal of an employee is formalized by a corresponding entry on the last day of his work.

Let's get acquainted, or show your passport

A new person who opens the door of an enterprise in search of work may already have work experience behind him or may not yet have it. When employing such an employee, the first step of the HR department employee depends on this: he either checks the information in the first section of the existing work book, or opens a book and fills out its first section. In both cases, to confirm personal data, the applicant is required to provide a passport and documents confirming receipt of education.

The first section of the work book is located on the title page and contains the personal data of the owner

Changes in personal data and their reflection in the work book

During the employee's work at the enterprise, events may well occur as a result of which his personal data will change. Since the work book at each current moment in time must reflect the real state of affairs, appropriate amendments will need to be made to its first section. Most often, such changes are associated with:

• with a change of surname after marriage or divorce;
• with a change in the employee’s qualifications;
• with changes in education level.

In such cases, the old data is crossed out and new information is entered. The entry containing it is made on the inside of the cover. This entry must indicate the document that serves as the basis for its registration (for example, a divorce certificate or a diploma of education received during work).

Photo gallery: examples of making changes to the data on the title page of the work book

Nuances of hiring, transferring and dismissing an employee

Records of an employee’s hiring, transfer to another position, or dismissal occupy the second section of the work book. Although making such entries is subject to general rules, there are still some differences in their design.

Table: hiring, transfer and dismissal of an employee: required elements of records

If, before starting work, the employee completed compulsory military service, the first employer places a record of it before the employment record.

Photo gallery: samples of entries made in the second section of the work book

I'll write down how great you are

Perhaps the most pleasant part of the work book is the third, dedicated to awards and incentives. The assignment of new titles, the presentation of certificates, honorary diplomas and badges, the presentation of gratitude - in general, everything that is provided for in this regard by the legislation of the country and the collective agreement is reflected in the third section.

Records of awards and incentives are drawn up in the same order as the records of the second section of the work book, and at the same time they must contain a description of the employee’s achievements.

The award record is entered in the third section of the work book and contains a description of the employee’s achievements

An entry in the work book about rewarding or encouraging an employee is preceded by the name of the enterprise

How to be part-timers

It's no secret that living on one average salary can be somewhat difficult at times. Therefore (and also, probably, out of pure love for work), part of the working-age population finds part-time work. Or even several. Does this mean that in each such place a person will be issued a work book? Not at all.

No matter how many jobs a person has, he will have one work book, and it will be kept at his main place of work. But if the owner wishes, part-time work can be reflected in the work book using the appropriate entry.

To do this, the employee needs to take an official certificate from his non-main place of work, containing all the information necessary to fill out the book, and give it to the personnel service at the main place of work. Based on the information from such a certificate, a corresponding entry will be made in his work book.

A record of part-time employment is issued at the employee’s request by the personnel department at his main place of work.

The record of dismissal from a part-time job is not signed by an employee of the personnel service and is not certified by the seal of the enterprise: at the main place of work there is no reason for this (since the employee was fired from another enterprise), and at a non-main place there is no possibility (since the book is located at the place of the main job).

Video: how to make entries in a work book

Sample: how to properly certify a copy of a work record book

A copy issued at the request of the employee, in our case, is an official document. Therefore, it must meet certain requirements. Let's look at them in detail to find out how to properly certify a work record book.

1. You need to scan (print) all completed sheets, starting with the title page.
2. Each sheet must contain printed text on one side only. If the text is printed on both sides of the sheet, it may not be accepted.
3. The text after printing should be clear and easy to read.
4. The sheets must be numbered and stitched, as is done by notaries. On the back of the last sheet, you need to “seal” the ends of the thread with a paper sticker and write how many sheets have been collected.
5. Each page must be certified. This must be done by a person who is granted such a right by a local regulatory act of the organization or a power of attorney. Otherwise, the personnel officer is obliged to certify the papers from the general director.
6. According to clause 5.26 of GOST R 7.0.97-2016 “National Standard of the Russian Federation. System of standards on information, librarianship and publishing. Organizational and administrative documentation. Requirements for document preparation”, the person certifying the document writes “Correct”, then indicates his position, signs and deciphers, and puts down the date.
7. The certification note must be supplemented with a record of the place where the original is stored. The inscription “The original document is located in (name of organization) in file No. ... for ... year” is necessary so that the recipient of the copy is informed about the place of storage of the original - please note that the sample certification of a copy of the work book shown in the article contains such a line.
8. According to GOST, the employer can use a special stamp to mark the certification of a copy of the work book.

9. It is believed that the accuracy of the data must also be confirmed by the seal of the employing organization. However, in the Russian Federation, some companies are exempt from the obligation to have round seals, so they physically cannot affix them. But the documents certified by them will have the same force, even if there is no stamp.
10. Regarding the location of the “Correct” entry, the signature and date of the person certifying the duplicate, the seal. All this should capture the data being certified, but not cover or overlap it. Otherwise, the recipient will not be able to read the information and the employee will have to return.
11. In some cases, the employee may ask to write the phrase “Currently working.” There is no legal prohibition on this, so it is permissible to make an appropriate entry.

Please note that all of the above requirements are described in GOST, which is voluntary. Therefore, banks, Pension Funds and other organizations may have their own requirements for document certification. They should be clarified in advance.

Sample: how to certify a work book according to the current GOST

Mirror of everyday life

A work book is an official document containing complete and reliable information about a person’s work activity. This information includes:

• about the employee;
• about the work he performs;
• about transfers to another permanent job;
• about dismissal;
• on the grounds for termination of the employment contract;
• about awards for success in work.

The work book contains the personal data of its owner and detailed information about his work activity at all places of work.
But records of penalties are not entered into the work book (unless the disciplinary sanction is dismissal). So, during my working life, the book turns out to be capacious, and for the most part it’s a pleasure to leaf through it. Although, of course, it was not intended for reading at all.

By the way, the work book was invented in monarchical France, back in the mid-eighteenth century. True, then her purpose was somewhat different from now: the requirement to present paper from the previous employer was due to the fight against vagrancy.

Why is all this needed?

In essence, a work book is a “working” biography of a person, written by impartial personnel officers. And as such, it performs several functions:

• the first and main function is that the work book confirms the employee’s length of service when assigning a pension;
• the second function is that it informs potential employers about the facts of a person’s work activity, his work skills, successes and reasons for dismissals;
• the third function is to assist the owner in the event of a labor dispute (for example, in case of disagreement with the reason for dismissal).

And although the Russian Pension Fund has been taking into account length of service according to the personalized accounting system for quite a long time, the legislator is in no hurry to abolish work records. This is due to periodic failures in the operation of this system, and to the insufficiency of the data available in it (in particular, those that are needed to confirm the presence of special experience that allows early retirement). In addition, the opportunity to study the “work background” of a person before hiring him is very useful for employers.

So, a work book today is an indispensable attribute of a representative of the working part of the country’s population. Where does it come from and what does it represent?

On what, by whom and for whom is the chronicle of everyday work written?

A work book is a strict reporting form that has several degrees of protection and is produced by the GOZNAK Association. It is a small book with the obligatory watermarks and serial number.

If desired, the work book can be further protected from counterfeiting using a special hologram - a three-dimensional image of the coat of arms of the Russian Federation, laser-applied onto a transparent adhesive film. Such a film cannot be peeled off without destroying it. Homemade production of a hologram is impossible, just as its separate purchase is impossible: a sheet with six holographic stickers is sold as an insert for a work book. As a rule, a hologram is pasted onto the title page of a book to protect one of its main elements (for example, the owner’s signature or the serial number of the form). This is usually done at the time of document creation, but the use of holographic stickers is not mandatory.

Although anyone can buy the required form at an office supply store, only the employer has the right to fill it out. More precisely, his responsible representative. Most often, this is done by HR employees. And if there is no such service at the enterprise, then any employee who has been granted the appropriate authority. So in order to get a work book, you will have to get a job, and officially.

The work book is a small, tightly bound book with the coat of arms of the Russian Federation on the cover.

The first entries in the work book are made at the time of the citizen’s first official employment. The Labor Code assigns to all employers (both legal entities and individual entrepreneurs) the obligation to maintain work records:

• for employees employed at their main place of work and who have worked for more than five days;
• for employees hired under a temporary employment contract;
• for seasonal workers;
• for freelancers who are subject to social insurance.

However, there is no rule without exceptions: if an employer uses hired labor, but is neither a legal entity nor an individual entrepreneur, the obligation to maintain work books does not apply to him. This is possible, for example, when an ordinary person hires a housekeeper. In this situation, the work book is not filled out.

In addition, a work book is not required when concluding a civil agreement with an employer.

What's hidden under the cover

The first meeting with your work book inevitably causes some trepidation, since it marks a new stage in life: transformation into a Working Person. And the strict cover of the document is quite appropriate for the moment. And under the cover, waiting in the wings, is a typographically printed blank, consisting of three sections:

1. In the first section - directly on the title page - the basic personal data of the owner is entered (last name, first name, patronymic, date of birth, education received and specialty). After filling out, the page is certified by the signatures of the employee and the person filling out the book, as well as the seal of the enterprise.
2. The second section contains detailed records of work activity: information about employers, hiring, transfers and dismissals. Each entry indicates the number of the corresponding order, and the last entry of each employer is certified by the seal of the enterprise. Ten spreads of the book are allocated for this section.
3. The third section reflects information about the employee’s awards and incentives, indicating the dates, achievements and documents on the basis of which the corresponding entry was made. This section also has ten spreads.

The work book form is a blank page consisting of three sections; each section is intended for making entries of a certain nature

It happens that a person leads a rich and eventful work life, and the entries in the second or third section do not fit in the space allocated for them. Then an insert is issued for the work book - essentially the same book, but without a thick cover. Further entries are made in the appropriate sections of the insert, and the insert itself is sewn into the book and becomes an integral part of it.

Carry everything you have with you

When leaving the first official place of work for any reason, the employee takes his work book with him. Now, with each subsequent employment, the next employer will check it to ensure its authenticity and validity:

• will check the owner’s personal data with his passport and education documents;
• make sure that the last entry in the second section is a dismissal entry;
• will check the presence of the required signatures and seals.

If during such a check it turns out that the work book is filled out with violations, the employer will open a new one. But if the book does not contain a record of dismissal from a previous job, the applicant will not receive a new job: without such a record, he is considered working.

Common mistakes

If the personnel officer incorrectly certifies a copy of the work record book, the employee will bring it back and everything will have to be redone. To prevent this from happening, you can print out and keep on hand a sample copy of the work book certified by the employer.

What mistakes do experts often ignore?

• Due to the seal imprint, part of the text is hidden, which makes it difficult for the recipient of the document to understand the records. Place the seal correctly so that it does not interfere.
• The seal itself is worn out, it is difficult to make out which organization it belongs to.
• There are no signatures, position or other information and the person who certified the copy of the work book. Or this employee is not authorized to perform such actions.
• Errors were made when making entries and corrections were made. Any blots are unacceptable; because of them, the document may be declared invalid and returned to the person. If an error is made during certification, the sheet must be scanned again, printed, and the correct information entered.
• Not all sheets are certified. This is only permissible if all sheets of the copy are stitched, numbered and sealed.

Carefully study the sample on how to certify a copy of a work record book and remember the proposed instructions. It will be needed more than once, since the authenticity of other documents relating to the professional activities of workers is similarly confirmed.

Where else can you get a certified copy of a work book?

Until now, we have considered the situation when a person works, and his work book is kept by the employer - in the personnel department or accounting department, if it deals with personnel documentation. But if a citizen is unemployed, he has a work book in his hands, and he needs a certified copy, he must contact a notary. Additionally, you need to take your passport. In a notary office you can certify a copy of a work document for a working person. To do this, he asks the employer for a document against receipt, and then returns it.

The notary copies the necessary pages (usually only completed sheets), stamps them, dates them, and signs them.

But keep in mind that a notary can only make copies of the original work book. If the employee makes copies in advance and brings them, the papers will not be accepted. Because the lawyer checks all the records before copying and only then can certify the work book. By the way, if a notary finds errors or inaccuracies in the records, he will suggest that the person first correct them with the employer, and then make a certified copy.

Notary services are always paid. It is better to check the cost at a specific notary office.

To obtain a loan and maternity leave

If an employee requires a copy of a document to submit to the bank , then the procedure for certifying the work book does not differ from that indicated above. The algorithm of actions will be as follows:

• The employee submits an application to the HR department of the enterprise, which indicates the need to obtain a copy.
• An authorized person reviews the submitted application within 3 days, after which a decision is made.

If an employee is refused to issue a requested document without motivating the refusal in accordance with the law, this is a gross violation that infringes on the rights of a citizen.

• If the decision is positive, the authorized employee makes copies of each spread of the document, then marks the accuracy of the copy on each sheet, puts the organization’s seal, his own signature with a transcript, and indicates his position.
• On the last page, in addition to the above information, the current date must be indicated, as well as a note indicating that the employee works in the specified position in this organization.
• Then the employee signs, deciphers it and puts the date.
• Lastly, the document is certified by the stamp and signature of the manager or other authorized person.

If such a document is needed by an employee who is currently on maternity leave , the algorithm for preparing a certified copy will not differ from the above. It should also indicate that the employee is “Employed at the time the copy is issued.”

If the bank does not allow additional inscriptions on the provided copy, the HR department issues the maternity leave a certificate on a separate sheet, which will indicate information about the work.

Find out how to get a job without labor with us.

How long does a copy last?

At the legislative level, it is not stated anywhere during what period it is possible to present a copy of the work record book certified by the employer or a notary. But credit institutions, Pension Funds and other organizations may have certain requirements. Typically, the “expiration date” of the document is no more than 30 days. When applying for large sums, they may require a copy prepared within 3–14 days.

Please note that if a new entry appears in the work book, then the copied copy made earlier is no longer considered valid. It needs to be redone.

Legal documents

• Article 62 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation. Issuance of work-related documents and their copies
• "GOST R 7.0.97-2016. National standard of the Russian Federation. System of standards on information, librarianship and publishing. Organizational and administrative documentation. Requirements for document preparation"