Coop Eesti charges 50 for employment contract archive requests

Coop Eesti Consumer Society announced in November of last year that it will charge 50 for archive requests related to employment contracts. The company explains the circumstances under which this fee applies. The Labour Inspectorate clarifies when an employer has the right to charge for providing such information.

Coop Eesti Consumer Society notified its current and former employees last November that requests for employment contract-related archive documents will now incur a fee – 50 per request. The decision raised questions about whether such a charge is legal and under what conditions an employer may demand payment for releasing documents.

According to Coop Eesti, the fee is requested only in certain cases, not for all employment contract-related requests. The company emphasizes that the fee applies primarily to archive requests that require additional work and resources. However, the company has not publicly specified which concrete situations fall into this category.

The Labour Inspectorate has taken a position on the matter, clarifying when an employer has the legal right to charge for providing documents and when it does not. According to the Inspectorate's assessment, certain restrictions exist that protect employees' right to access documents related to their employment.

The right of employees to access their employment contract and related documents is an important matter, particularly in situations where people need this information for pension applications, legal disputes, or other important life purposes. In this context, the 50 fee raises the question of whether it unfairly disadvantages certain individuals.