One of the steps in the transition to a unified employment record system is the collection and updating of employees’ paper employment record books. Even after the legislative changes take effect, employment record books issued before June 1, 2025, will continue to serve as official documents verifying employment history. Therefore, they must be kept safe.

But what happens if an employment record book is lost or destroyed?

Labor law attorney Radostina Yaneva explains how to handle such a situation.

Restoring a Lost or Destroyed Employment Record Book

The restoration of a lost or destroyed employment record book is handled by the relevant regional Labor Inspection Directorate. The procedure varies depending on who is responsible for the loss or destruction of the document.

Initiating the Procedure

If an employment record book is lost or destroyed, the employee must submit a written application-declaration to the Labor Inspection.

The application must include personal details such as name, Personal Identification Number (PIN), address, and contact information. Additionally, the employee must specify whether the record book was lost or destroyed due to their own fault or the employer's.

This service is free of charge and is completed within seven days of submitting the application and the required documents.

Lost or Destroyed Employment Record Book Due to the Employer's Fault

If the employer is responsible for the loss or destruction of the employment record book, the Labor Inspection notifies the employer and requires them to submit the necessary documents for issuing a new record book within one month.

Depending on whether the employee has had one or multiple employers, the process may follow two different paths:

If There Is Only One Employer

• If the employee has worked for a single employer—the one responsible for losing or destroying the record book—the employer must complete Appendix No. 2 of the Employment Record Book and Service Length Regulation and submit it to the Labor Inspection along with a new record book.

If There Are Multiple Employers

• If the employee has had multiple employers, the employer responsible for the loss or destruction must contact the previous employers and request them to issue the relevant documents—completed Appendix No. 2 forms—for the periods during which the employee was under their employment.
• All employers must issue the Appendix No. 2 form within seven days of the request.
• Once the responsible employer gathers all the necessary Appendix No. 2 forms from previous employers, they submit them, along with a new record book, to the Labor Inspection.

Lost or Destroyed Employment Record Book Due to the Employee's Fault

If the employment record book is lost or destroyed due to the employee’s own fault, the process follows these steps:

If There Is Only One Employer

• If the employee has worked for a single employer, they must request the employer to complete Appendix No. 2 of the Employment Record Book and Service Length Regulation.
• Once the document is ready, the employee submits it along with a completed application, a new record book, and the employer's document to the Labor Inspection. The employer is required to issue the document within seven days of the request.

If There Are Multiple Employers

• If the employee has had multiple employers, they must request all their employers—both current and former—to issue Appendix No. 2 for the respective periods they were employed. Employers must issue the document within seven days of the request.
• If, due to mergers, acquisitions, or company closures, a former employer no longer exists but has a legal successor, the employee must request the document from the successor company. If the company was closed without a successor, the employee must request a Certificate of Employment History from the National Social Security Institute (NSSI), which keeps records of employment history for dissolved companies without successors.
• After gathering all necessary documents from current and former employers and/or certificates from the NSSI, the employee completes an application form and submits it, along with the supporting documents and a new employment record book, to the Labor Inspection.

Receiving the New Employment Record Book

The employment record book is issued within seven days of submitting the application. Upon submission, employees must provide a contact number and will be notified when the record book is ready.

Delays may occur if there are missing documents or errors/incomplete information in the submitted paperwork. In such cases, the processing time starts only after all missing documents are provided or errors are corrected.

The new employment record book can be collected in person or by an authorized representative.

Author: Radostina Yaneva, Attorney and Mediator

This publication does not constitute legal advice or a legal opinion regarding a specific situation or entity and does not claim to be exhaustive. If you found this publication useful, feel free to share it on social media