Employer of Record Switzerland
Switzerland Business Culture
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Business Culture in Switzerland
Anybody considering visiting or relocating to Switzerland should familiarise themselves with the cultural norms.
Talented workers in a wide range of industries can be found in Switzerland, a country renowned for its high quality of life, beautiful nature, and highly educated population. The Swiss economy is widely regarded as one of the most developed and advanced free-market economies in the world, and boasts a particularly high GDP per capita.
About a quarter of the Swiss workforce is represented by a union. Strikes by labour unions are unusual in Switzerland.
Here is a flavour of the rules and standards of conduct that newcomers to Switzerland should be aware of:
Respect the weekend. Switzerland values Sundays. Mowing, drying clothing, and hammering are prohibited on Sundays to maintain neighbourhood tranquilly, and working is discouraged.
Keep small-talk impersonal. While the Swiss appreciate a little small talk before getting down to business, they place a high value on privacy. Try to stick to topics such as the weather or food, and avoid prying into a person’s personal life.
Switzerland values equality, so addressing others by their titles is unpopular. Be ready to use first names for everyone, and don’t treat the boss differently to their staff.
Timeliness is appreciated and expected. However, if you want to impress your Swiss counterparts, you need to be there 10 minutes early.
Switzerland Business Culture
When it comes to Switzerland business culture, there are a few things to keep in mind to make a good impression:
Do's
- Be punctual! Swiss people are very time-conscious and being late is seen as disrespectful.
- Do dress professionally and conservatively. Swiss business attire is typically more formal than in other countries.
- Shake hands when meeting someone for the first time and when saying goodbye.
- Do be polite and courteous in all interactions, as Swiss people value respect and politeness.
- Do be prepared for meetings and make sure to have all necessary documents and information ready.
- Separate work from personal life and not contact people outside of working hours unless it's an emergency.
Dont's
- Don't be late! Being punctual is very important in Swiss culture.
- Be too familiar with people you don't know well. Swiss people value professionalism and formality in business settings.
- Don't be loud or aggressive in your communication. Swiss people tend to be more reserved and appreciate a calm, measured tone.
- Don't be too pushy or aggressive in negotiations. Swiss people prefer a more collaborative approach to business.
- Don't make assumptions about people based on their language or cultural background. Switzerland is a multilingual country and people come from a variety of cultural backgrounds.
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Switzerland - Working Hours and Overtime
Working Hours
The standard working week in Switzerland vary by employer, particular job requirements, and industry. In practice, most people work somewhere between 40-42 hours per week, but anywhere from 38.5 – 45 hours would not be considered unusual.
Employment contracts stipulate the agreed upon weekly working hours, with anything over this being considered overtime. Office workers, and workers in the industrial, technical and sales sectors have a maximum standard working week of 45 hours. Workers in other sectors may have a standard working week of no more than 50 hours.
Overtime
Employment contracts stipulate the agreed upon weekly working hours, with anything over this being considered overtime. Overtime is usually compensated at a rate of 125% of the employee’s base salary.
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We are Switzerland Employer of Record experts
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
Enhance your understanding of what your employee is entitled to when it comes to Statutory Leave in Switzerland
Unsure what’s required when employing staff in Switzerland? Find out about Switzerland Work Permits and Visas here
We deliver a fully-managed EOR Service in Switzerland, including Payroll, HR and legal support.
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.
Carol Oliveira
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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!