Your contract
A contract does not have to be in writing. But if your job lasts more than a month, your employer must confirm the key terms in writing within the first month: the parties, start date, role, salary and weekly hours.1
The first month is a probation period unless agreed otherwise; it can last three months at most. During probation, either side can end the contract with seven days’ notice.1
After probation, notice is one month in the first year of service, two months from the second to the ninth year and three months after that, each to the end of a month, unless your contract or collective agreement provides otherwise.1
You are entitled to at least four weeks of paid holiday a year, five until you turn 20. While you are employed, holidays may not be paid out instead of taken.1
The maximum working week is 45 hours in industry, for office and technical staff and in large retail businesses, and 50 hours for most other workers.2
Illness, pregnancy and dismissal
After probation, your employer may not dismiss you while you are unable to work through illness or accident: for 30 days in the first year of service, 90 days from the second to the fifth year and 180 days from the sixth.1
Notice given during pregnancy or in the 16 weeks after the birth is void.1
If you cannot work through no fault of your own, your employer keeps paying your salary for a limited time: three weeks in the first year, longer after that. Many employers cover this with daily sickness allowance insurance instead.1
Recognition of your qualifications
For a regulated profession, such as doctor, nurse, teacher or electrician, your foreign qualification must be recognised before you can work in it.46
The authority depends on the profession: SERI for most vocational and professional qualifications, the Federal Office of Public Health (MEBEKO) for the medical professions, the Swiss Red Cross for many health professions and the EDK for teaching. recognition.swiss tells you which applies.47
For a non-regulated profession you need no recognition. A level certificate from SERI can still help, as it shows employers where your qualification sits in the Swiss system.56
Only completed qualifications can be recognised. The procedure is subject to a fee and takes several weeks.56
Equal pay
Equal pay for work of equal value is a constitutional right for women and men.8
Employers with 100 or more employees must carry out an equal pay analysis every four years, have it reviewed independently and inform their staff of the result.3
Logib, the federal government’s free tool, lets any employer check its pay structure.9
If you lose your job
Register with the regional employment centre (RAV/ORP) as soon as you know your job is ending, at the latest on the first day you want benefits.10
As a rule, you are entitled to benefits if you paid contributions for at least 12 months in the two years before.10
The daily allowance is 70% of your insured salary, or 80% if you support children, have a disability or your allowance would be low.10
Starting your own business
A sole proprietorship must be entered in the commercial register once its turnover reaches CHF 100,000 a year.1
From CHF 100,000 in annual turnover, you must also register for VAT.11
To be recognised as self-employed, register with your cantonal compensation office. You then pay your own AHV/IV/EO contributions.12
EasyGov, the federal online counter, lets you found a company and handle many formalities in one place.13
Where to get help
Sources
- 1Fedlex · Code of Obligations, Art. 324a, 329a, 329d, 330b, 335b, 335c, 336c, 931 · fedlex.admin.ch →
- 2Fedlex · Labour Act, Art. 9 · fedlex.admin.ch →
- 3Fedlex · Gender Equality Act, Art. 13a–13e · fedlex.admin.ch →
- 4SDBB · Having your foreign qualifications recognised in Switzerland · sdbb.ch →
- 5SERI · FAQ on the recognition procedure · sbfi.admin.ch →
- 6Canton of Zurich · Recognition of foreign qualifications · zh.ch →
- 7SERI · National contact point for recognition · sbfi.admin.ch →
- 8Fedlex · Federal Constitution, Art. 8 · fedlex.admin.ch →
- 9FOGE · Logib · Equal pay self-test · logib.admin.ch →
- 10SECO · arbeit.swiss · Unemployment insurance: registration, entitlement, daily allowance · arbeit.swiss →
- 11FTA · VAT liability · estv.admin.ch →
- 12AHV/IV · Leaflet 2.02: contributions of the self-employed · ahv-iv.ch →
- 13EasyGov · The federal online counter for businesses · easygov.swiss →
General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules can differ by canton and commune, and amounts change. Check with the authority named in the sources before you act.