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The Active Population in Figures

Working Conditions

Legal Weekly Duration

45 hours for technicians and white collar employees; 50 hours for other employees (e.g. building, industry and agriculture).

Retirement Age

65 years

Working Contracts

Legal clauses regulate employment contracts and, to a lesser degree, collective agreements and individual negotiations. Under Swiss law, foreign citizens need a residence permit and a work permit to be employed in the country. They are granted at the cantonal level (quotas apply) and approved at the federal level.

The terms of employment contracts are rigid. The legal regime governing the employment relationship in Switzerland is generally more liberal and favourable towards the employer than in many other countries. Permission from the competent authority is needed for the appointment of a foreign employee and the requirements relating to the nationality of employees depend on the type of the company. In case of a stock company, the majority of the members of the board of directors must have Swiss or EU/EFTA country citizenship and must be domiciled in Switzerland, whereas for any other type of company there are no similar restrictions.

Labour Laws

Doing Business: Switzerland, to obtain a summary of labour regulations that apply to local enterprises

Cost of Labour

Minimum Wage

No national minimum wage exists, but several cantons have adopted their own minimal wage. For example, minimal wage stands at CHF 20.08 per hour in Neuchâtel, CHF 20.28 per hour in Jura and CHF 23.14 per hour in Geneva. The majority of the voluntary collective bargaining agreements contain clauses on minimum compensation, which vary according to the sector and the experience of the worker.

Average Wage

Wages in Switzerland are among the highest in the world. According to the latest figures published by the Federal Statistical Office, in 2020 the gross monthly wage averaged CHF 6,665.

Social Contributions

Social Security Contributions Paid By Employers: •    Old-age, survivors’, and disability insurance (5.3%)
•    Unemployment insurance/supplementary unemployment insurance (1.1% / 0.5%)
•    Family compensation fund (1% to 3%)
•    Occupational accident insurance (0.17% to 13.5%)
•    Occupational pension scheme (2nd pillar) (contributions depend on pension plan; the employee’s share is usually half of the total contribution, where the employer bears the other half).
Social Security Contributions Paid By Employees: •    Old-age, survivors’, and disability insurance (5.3%)
•    Unemployment insurance/supplementary unemployment insurance (1.1% / 0.5%)
•    Non-occupational accident insurance (1% to 4%)
•    Occupational pension scheme (2nd pillar) (contributions depend on pension plan; the employee’s share is usually half of the total contribution, where the employer bears the other half).
•    Medical insurance (depending on coverage, private insurance)

Social Partners

Employer Associations

Union Patronale Suisse - Confederation of Swiss Employers
Economie Suisse - Swiss Federation of Commerce and Industry

Social Dialogue and Involvement of Social Partners

Switzerland does not have strong trade unions. Labour/management relations are good, mostly characterised by a willingness on both sides to settle disputes by negotiations rather than by strikes. The rights to strike is limited for civil servants.

Labour Unions

SGB / USS SCHWEIZERISCHE GEWERKSCHAFTBUND UNION (Trade Union Centre)

Unionisation Rate

15.7% of wage and salary earners are trade union members as of 2014 (OECD data)

Labour Regulation Bodies

Switzerland Labour Law Profile
Swiss Managers Union