Switzerland is a country located in Central Europe, known for its beautiful lakes, villages, and the high peaks of the Alps. Banking and finance are Switzerland’s key industries, and Swiss watches and chocolates are also key features that make this country recognizable. The total area of the country is 41,285 square kilometers distributed across 26 cantons, making it the 135th largest country in the world. The country borders Germany to the north, France to the west, Italy to the south, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. The city of Zurich is the largest in the country with about 1,000,000 inhabitants. Switzerland’s administrative capital is Bern, while Lausanne serves as its judicial center. Companies looking to hire employees in Switzerland can benefit from understanding Switzerland working hours and statutory holidays in Switzerland.
*Please note that the official currency is the currency of remuneration when employed through WorkMotion in Switzerland.
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Switzerland is a country located in Central Europe, known for its beautiful lakes, villages, and the high peaks of the Alps. Banking and finance are Switzerland’s key industries, and Swiss watches and chocolates are also key features that make this country recognizable. The total area of the country is 41,285 square kilometers distributed across 26 cantons, making it the 135th largest country in the world. The country borders Germany to the north, France to the west, Italy to the south, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. The city of Zurich is the largest in the country with about 1,000,000 inhabitants. Switzerland’s administrative capital is Bern, while Lausanne serves as its judicial center. Companies looking to hire employees in Switzerland can benefit from understanding Switzerland working hours and statutory holidays in Switzerland.
*Please note that the official currency is the currency of remuneration when employed through WorkMotion in Switzerland.
The national holidays mentioned below are valid for the year 2026 and are critical for hiring in Switzerland planning:
The national holidays mentioned below are valid for the year 2025 and are critical for hiring in Switzerland planning:
| January 1 | New Year’s Day | |
| January 2 | St Berchtold's Day | AG, BE, FR, GL, JU, LU, OW, SH, TG, VD |
| January 6 | Epiphany | GR, LU, SZ, TI & UR |
| March 1 | Republic Day | NE |
| March 19 | St Joseph's Day | GR, LU, NW, SZ, TI, UR & VS |
| March 26 | Fahrtsfest | GL |
| April 3 | Good Friday | Movable; National except TI & VS |
| April 6 | Easter Monday | Movable; National except NE, SO, VS & ZG |
| May 1 | Labor Day | BL, BS, JU, LU, NE, SH, SO, TG, TI & ZH |
| May 14 | Ascension Day | Movable |
| May 25 | Whit Monday | Movable; National except NE, SO, VS, & ZG |
| June 4 | Corpus Christi | Movable; National except AR, BL, BS, BE, GE, GL, NE, SH, SG, TG, VD & ZH |
| August 1 | Swiss National Day | |
| August 15 | Assumption Day | Movable; AG, AI, FR, JU, LU, NW, OW, SO; SZ, TI, UR, VS & ZG |
| September 10 | Geneva’s Fast | GE |
| September 21 | Federal Fast Monday | VD |
| September 22 | St. Maurice Day | AI |
| September 25 | St. Nicholas of Flüe’s Day | OW |
| November 1 | All Saints' Day | National except AR, BL, BS, BE, GE, GR, NE, SH, TG, VD & ZH |
| December 8 | Immaculate Conception | Movable; AG, AI, FR, GR, LU, NW, OW, SZ, TI, UR, VS & ZG |
| December 25 | Christmas Day | |
| December 26 | St. Stephen’s Day | National except GE, JU, NE, SO, VS, VD & ZG |
| December 31 | St. Sylvester's Day | GL |
| December 31 | Restoration of the Rebuplic | GE |
The approximate time for sharing the contract with an employee in Switzerland is 2 business days assuming no special requests or changes to our standard employment contract. Any such requests or changes would need to undergo internal and external review, directly leading to a time delay. Using an EOR Switzerland can simplify and speed up this process.
NOTE: This number is subject to change and is only an estimation of the Contract Sharing Time. The estimated Contract Sharing Time begins from the moment that WorkMotion has received all required information from both the client and the employee.
| Benefits | Employer Contribution |
| OASI (Old Age and Survivor’s Insurance)
Disability insurance (DI) |
4.35%
0.70% |
| Unemployment Insurance | 1.1% |
| Supplementary Unemployment Insurance | 0.5% |
| Family Compensation Fund | 1-3% |
| Occupational accident insurance | 0.17 to 13.5% |
Under Swiss law, the maximum weekly working hours for industrial workers, office staff, technicians, and other employees are set at 45 hours. The limit for all other workers is 50 hours per week. Most employees work between 40 and 42 working hours per week.
An employee is entitled to breaks of the following minimum duration:
Extra hours accrue when working hours exceed the statutory maximum number of working hours per week (45 to 50 hours depending on the sector). Extra hours:
For employees working in large retail undertakings, office staff, technical employees, and others, including the sales staff, the employer shall pay overtime wage only where overtime work exceeds 60 hours in a calendar year.
The probation period for open-ended contracts lasts one month, but the employer may offer a shorter or longer probation period (up to a maximum of three months). In this case, the employee and the employer must have a written agreement. Understanding these rules is essential for hiring in Switzerland either directly or through an EOR Switzerland.
A seven-day period of notice before termination is served during probation.
At the end of the probationary period, an employment contract may be terminated with effect from the end of any month, subject to:
| Employment duration | Notice period |
| 1st year of service | 1 month |
| 2nd to 9th year of service | 2 months |
| More than 9 years of service | 3 months |
Under Swiss law, the maximum weekly working hours for industrial workers, office staff, technicians, and other employees are set at 45 hours. The limit for all other workers is 50 hours per week. Most employees work between 40 and 42 working hours per week.
An employee is entitled to breaks of the following minimum duration:
Extra hours accrue when working hours exceed the statutory maximum number of working hours per week (45 to 50 hours depending on the sector). Extra hours:
For employees working in large retail undertakings, office staff, technical employees, and others, including the sales staff, the employer shall pay overtime wage only where overtime work exceeds 60 hours in a calendar year.
The probation period for open-ended contracts lasts one month, but the employer may offer a shorter or longer probation period (up to a maximum of three months). In this case, the employee and the employer must have a written agreement. Understanding these rules is essential for hiring in Switzerland either directly or through an EOR Switzerland.
A seven-day period of notice before termination is served during probation.
At the end of the probationary period, an employment contract may be terminated with effect from the end of any month, subject to:
| Employment duration | Notice period |
| 1st year of service | 1 month |
| 2nd to 9th year of service | 2 months |
| More than 9 years of service | 3 months |
| Benefits | Employer Contribution |
| OASI (Old Age and Survivor’s Insurance)
Disability insurance (DI) |
4.35%
0.70% |
| Unemployment Insurance | 1.1% |
| Supplementary Unemployment Insurance | 0.5% |
| Family Compensation Fund | 1-3% |
| Occupational accident insurance | 0.17 to 13.5% |
Benefits
Employer Contribution
Maximum Base
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