Employer of Record Switzerland
Switzerland Statutory Leave
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Switzerland Maternity Leave
Pregnant employees are entitled to 14 weeks, (16 weeks in Geneva), of paid maternity leave, with the first 8 weeks post birth being mandatory.
To be eligible for Maternity leave, an employee must have been employed and contributing to social security for 9 months.
Employers are expected to make reasonable adjustments necessary to protect the health employees expecting a child. There are also provisions exempting employees from working night shifts, and to allow for breastfeeding. Employees are protected from being dismissed during pregnancy, and for 16 weeks after birth.
Maternity leave is paid for by the employer at a rate of 80% of the employee’s usual salary, capped at a rate set by the government.
Paternity Leave in Switzerland
Partners of people who have recently given birth are entitled to 2 weeks of paid paternity leave, paid for by social security at rate of 80% their usual salary, and capped at a rate set by the government.
This leave must be taken with 6 months of the child’s birth.
To be eligible for Maternity leave, an employee must have been employed and contributing to social security for 9 months.
Adoption Leave in Switzerland
Employees are entitled to two weeks paid leave, shared between both parents, on the adoption of a child under the age of 4. Adoption leave is paid for by social security at a rate of 80% of the employee’s salary.
Switzerland Annual Leave
Full time employees over the age of 19 are entitled to a minimum of 20 days paid leave per year, with part time employees accruing leave pro-rata. Employees aged 19 or younger, or over 50 are entitled to 25 days paid leave per year. Collective agreements or individual contracts may mandate additional paid leave.
Paid leave may be deferred when an employee is unwell.
Public Holidays in Switzerland
Switzerland has several public holidays celebrated throughout the country. The exact dates of these holidays may vary slightly depending on the canton (state) in which you are located, but the following are the main public holidays observed throughout Switzerland:
- New Year’s Day (Neujahrstag): January 1st
- Berchtold’s Day (Berchtoldstag): January 2nd
- Good Friday (Karfreitag): The Friday before Easter Sunday
- Easter Monday (Ostermontag): The day after Easter Sunday
- Labor Day (Tag der Arbeit): May 1st
- Ascension Day (Auffahrt): The 40th day after Easter Sunday
- Whit Monday (Pfingstmontag): The day after Pentecost Sunday
- Swiss National Day (Schweizer Bundesfeier): August 1st
- Christmas Day (Weihnachtstag): December 25th
- St. Stephen’s Day (Stephanstag): December 26th
It’s worth noting that on some public holidays, such as Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, many businesses and shops may be closed, so it’s a good idea to plan accordingly. Additionally, some cantons may observe additional public holidays.
Switzerland Sick Leave
Sick leave entitlements in Switzerland vary according to Canton, length of employment, collective agreements and any clauses in an individual’s contract.
It is typical for three weeks to be offered during the first year of employment, with the entitlement increasing with the length of employment, up to 720 days over a three year period.
Sick leave is commonly paid at a rate of 80% the employee’s usual salary, and Swiss employers often take out benefits insurance schemes to cover this cost. Swiss employees are also able to take out their own private insurance schemes to cover periods of sickness.
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We have extensive experience helping businesses expand their workforce in Switzerland. Take a look at our areas of expertise to find out more:
Find out how payroll works in Switzerland and what you can expect when it comes to salaries, bonuses and rates of pay
We will take care of all Payroll, HR and Legal processing with a fully-manged EOR service in Switzerland.
Unsure what’s required when employing staff in Switzerland? Find out about Switzerland Work Permits and Visas here
Wondering what it’s like to work in Switzerland? We’ve got you covered in our extensive guide
Learn more about how you can attract and retain staff in Switzerland with both statutory and enhanced employee benefits
Without Agility EOR, our ability to move quickly and scale would be extremely limited. Superb work from A to Z.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Payrolling the employees is a key part of the service offered by an employer of record company. The EOR will calculate and remit all taxes, social securities and similar payments, on behalf of both employer and employee. The client will be invoiced in advance by the EOR company, for the total cost of the payroll.
Yes. Our clients are free to dictate the structure of the employees’ remuneration including any bonuses or commissions they wish to offer. In some countries, there is a statutory requirement to provide “bonuses”, for example in the form of Christmas or holiday allowances.
Yes. Agility EOR will calculate what pay is due upon termination of an employee, factoring in such things as any untaken leave entitlements.
We find that most of our clients are in the Tech, IT, Finance and Professional Services industries. However, we have acquired the skills, knowledge and experience to help all industries across the globe.
As a private company, we’re not beholden to shareholders or asset-shredding Private Equity targets. We aim to build long-term relationships with our clients. At Agility EOR, our approach is that we never forget that our business is all about people. Our Employer of Record solutions are tailored to each requirement, not a one-size-fits-all tech platform. We do the right thing by our clients and by the laws of each country we operate in. And we believe in openness; if we don’t feel we can offer you the best solution for a specific territory, we’ll say so.
We pride ourselves on our personable-approach so once you enter your new employees details into our dedicated platform, we’ll arrange a call with you to go through the details of the employment contract where together we can review and amend to your requirements. We liaise directly with your employee to build a rapport and obtain the necessary information to hire them compliantly, and set them up ready for their first payroll.
We never stop delivering! Even if you’re employee has been onboarded and is happily working for you and being paid each month, we’re here to partner with you whenever you or your employees need us. Even your ex-employees may need our assistance for tax documents, proof of employment requests etc… Our service never stops!