Working hours in Switzerland: What does SECO say?

Working hours are a key component of every employment contract in Switzerland. But are you familiar with the legal rules on working hours, breaks, and overtime?

The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) has established clear guidelines to ensure a balance between the well-being of employees and the needs of companies. In this article, you will learn about the principles that apply to the calculation of working hours in Switzerland.

What counts as working hours?

Under Swiss law, working hours are defined as the time during which employees are available to the company and must perform their professional duties. The law clearly distinguishes between time that counts as working hours and time that does not.

The following are considered working time:

• training courses required or financed by the company

• medical examinations, including those related to pregnancy, if they cannot be carried out outside working hours

• changing times, if special protective equipment is required

• work-related travel time, for example for external customer appointments

The following are not considered working time:

• the journey between home and work (exception: field staff)

• training courses that are not paid for by the company

• certain breaks, such as lunch breaks

💡 Good to know: Breaks are regulated in Ordinances 1 and 2 of the Labour Act.

How long can you work in Switzerland?

Working hours are a key issue for both employees and companies: for employees, it's about work-life balance, while for companies it's about planning security and a healthy working environment.

What is the maximum daily working time in Switzerland?

In Switzerland, the maximum daily working time is 14 hours, including breaks. If you work more than 9 hours, your break must be at least 60 minutes long. This can be spread throughout the day. This leaves a maximum of 12.5 hours of effective working time per day.

Employees must also have at least 11 hours of rest between two working days.

Example: If a person working in the catering industry works from 10 a.m. to midnight on one day, they may not start work again until 11 a.m. at the earliest on the following day. Only then will the 11 hours of rest time have been fulfilled.

How many days per week may an employee work?

As a rule, a working week comprises a maximum of 5.5 working days. Under certain conditions, the working week can be extended to 6 days:

• if half rest days are combined within a maximum of four weeks

• and if the employees agree

What is the maximum weekly working time?

According to Article 9 of the Labour Act (EmpA), the following applies:

• 45 hours per week for office workers, technical staff, and other employees of a company

• 50 hours per week for all other sectors

For certain sectors—such as healthcare, construction, or hospitality—special provisions apply depending on the collective labor agreement or individual contract.

Switzerland also distinguishes between overtime (hours worked beyond the contractual working time but within the 45/50-hour weekly limit) and excess hours (hours worked beyond the statutory maximum weekly working time). This distinction is essential and differs from the rules commonly applied in France.

The aim of labor law is to protect the health of employees and prevent overload and accidents.

Overtime and excess hours: the legal requirements

What is the difference between overtime and excess hours?

Overtime refers to the hours worked beyond the normal weekly working hours agreed in the employment contract, but still within the statutory maximum working time of 45 or 50 hours.

In contrast, all hours worked beyond this statutory maximum weekly working time are considered excess hours.

Even though the two concepts are closely related, the Swiss Code of Obligations clearly distinguishes between them, particularly with regard to compensation.

Example: Thomas is an accountant and has an employment contract for 42 hours per week.

• In week 1, he works 44 hours: he therefore works 2 hours of overtime.

• In week 2, he works 48 hours: he works 3 hours of overtime and an additional 3 hours of excess hours.

How many hours of overtime are permitted in Switzerland?

Overtime is worked at the request or with the consent of the company. The following applies:

• a maximum of 2 hours per day (exception: emergencies)

• a maximum of

• 170 hours per year (for a 45-hour week)

• 140 hours (for a 50-hour week)

Overtime must be compensated:

• either with a minimum wage supplement of 25 percent

• or with time off in lieu of the same amount, if contractually agreed or jointly decided

Breaks and rest periods during working hours

What does Swiss labour law stipulate regarding breaks?

Swiss legislation defines the term “break” as follows: “An interruption of work that allows the employee to rest and eat is considered a break.”

Employers must grant at least one break for every 5.5 hours of uninterrupted daily working time. In principle, breaks are not considered working time and are therefore not remunerated. In practice, however, companies usually do not require compensation for short breaks such as coffee or smoking breaks, provided they remain within reasonable limits.

Breaks should generally be taken in the middle of the working day, but can be split up depending on their length and need. The minimum duration required by law depends on the actual working time:

• 15 minutes if the daily working time exceeds 5 hours and 30 minutes

• 30 minutes if the working time is between 7 and 9 hours

• 60 minutes if the working time exceeds 9 hours (the break can also be split)

Companies can voluntarily extend breaks and also remunerate them.

How long must the daily rest period be?

The law stipulates that employees must be given at least 11 hours of uninterrupted rest between two working days.

This rest period can be reduced to 8 hours under the following conditions:

• no more than once per week

• the average over two weeks must still reach 11 hours

💡 Good to know: If the daily rest period is reduced from 11 to 8 hours, employees are not allowed to work overtime on the following day.

How long must the weekly rest period be?

In principle, employees are entitled to at least one full day of rest per week. This consists of 24 hours of weekly rest and 11 hours of daily rest, for a total of 35 hours at a time.

As a rule, this rest day falls on a Sunday, except in industries with corresponding exceptions.

Areas where Sunday work is common include:

• catering establishments

• airports

• railway stations

Here too, the minimum entitlement of 35 hours of consecutive rest time per week must be observed.

What laws apply to evening work?

Swiss legislation clearly distinguishes between three categories of working time:

• day work: 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• evening work: 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.

• night work: 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.

No permit is required for evening work. However, employers must inform the employees concerned before setting the working hours.

A permit is required for night work, however. Temporary permits with a maximum duration of three months are issued by the respective canton, while permanent permits are issued by the federal government—more specifically, SECO.

What is a working time model?

A working time model describes a specific organization of working hours within a company. It specifies how working hours are distributed over a defined period of time, such as a day, a week, or a month. The aim is to reconcile the needs of the company, the expectations of the employees, and the legal framework and applicable collective labor agreements.

Here are some examples of working time models in Switzerland:

• Full-time model over five working days: the classic model, in which employees work five days a week, usually 40 to 42 hours.

• Part-time model: employees work fewer hours than in the full-time model, often with flexible distribution of days and working hours.

• Four-day week: working hours are distributed over four longer working days, still with a full-time workload.

• Annual working time: working hours are distributed over the year, with more intensive and quieter phases depending on the company's needs.

• Flexible working hours: employees can adjust their working hours within a framework set by the company.

• Split working hours: typical in the catering industry, where employees work at lunchtime and in the evening, for example, with a long break in between.

• Hybrid model: A combination of working from home and working on site, offering more flexibility in the organization of work.

Examples of special working time arrangements

Annual working time

Working hours are spread over the year. Depending on the industry, this can mean up to 45 or 50 hours per week during peak periods. Within a six-month period, the average weekly working time may increase by up to 4 hours.

Flextime

Employees can choose their own working hours within a specified time frame, provided they comply with the daily or weekly target working time. Companies that use this model offer their employees a high degree of flexibility in organizing their workload.

Home office

The company allows its employees to work from home or another agreed location, usually on a certain number of days per week or month.

The most important facts about working hours in Switzerland

Summary of the key points:

Swiss working time regulations combine clear guidelines with a great deal of flexibility. They protect employees and help companies to organize their work in a sensible way. Compliance with these guidelines creates an appreciative working environment that promotes motivation, productivity, and long-term success.