If you plan to hire in Switzerland, knowing the basics saves time and helps you avoid surprises. If you work here, it helps you read your contract with confidence and speak up early if something looks off.
Switzerland runs on clear rules for working time. These rules help people plan their week, protect their health, and reduce disputes about pay and schedules. They apply to most employees across the country. Some senior managers and very independent roles follow different rules, but most office and service jobs are covered.
In this guide, we’ll talk about what you need to know about working hours and days in Switzerland.
Standard Working Hours in Switzerland
Switzerland does not set one single standard workweek for everyone. Federal law sets maximum weekly limits for many jobs. Contracts and sector rules then set the “normal” weekly schedule within those limits.
Here’s the basic frame most employers and employees use:
- The law sets a maximum weekly limit for many roles:
- 45 hours per week for industrial workers, office staff, technical staff, and sales staff in large retail.
- 50 hours per week for other employees covered by the law.
- Your contract sets your regular weekly hours. Many companies use 40-44 hours.
- A collective labor agreement (CBA) can refine this with industry norms, extra protections, or different overtime rules.
So your standard week is what your contract says, as long as it fits within the legal ceiling for your role.
Full-Time Working Hours
A full-time job in Switzerland is typically 40-44 hours per week.
The exact hours vary by sector and company:
- Offices and banks often use 40 hours.
- Technology and consulting often set 40-42 hours.
- Manufacturing and logistics frequently set 42-44 hours.
Many industries use CBAs that set regular weekly hours, overtime rates, and break rules in more detail. Your payslip and HR portal will reflect those terms.
Part-Time Working Hours
Part-time work is defined in your contract. It can be written as hours per week (like 20 hours) or as a percentage (like 60%). Pay, vacation, and public holiday pay are tracked at that percentage.
A few tips for managing part-time staff:
- Define how you calculate hours. Decide if you use fixed working days or flexible slots across the week, and write this in the contract and schedule.
- Set overtime rules in writing. Hours above the employee’s contract but below your full-time schedule are usually paid at the base rate or exchanged 1:1 as time off. Premiums typically start once hours exceed your standard full-time threshold under your company policy or the collective labor agreement (CBA). Explain approval, recording, and payout clearly.
- Explain public holiday treatment. State how you credit public holidays for part-timers who do not work that day. Most companies grant pro‑rata credits.
How Many Hours Can You Work in a Day?
Switzerland focuses on weekly limits and daily rest. That said, most people work 8-9 hours per day, five days a week. Daily schedules must also respect rest and break rules, as well as the legal spread of the day.
The “spread” is the window from the start to the end of your workday, including breaks. This window cannot exceed 14 hours for most covered roles. That means your day cannot stretch too far across morning and evening.
Normal Daily Working Hours
In many workplaces, a normal day means:
- 8-9 hours of work
- A lunch break of at least 30-60 minutes, depending on total hours
- Start and end times that keep the day within the 14‑hour spread
Breaks count as work time only if you must stay at your post. The break is unpaid in most cases, if you can leave and use the time freely. Your contract or CBA may add paid breaks, short morning or afternoon breaks, or a longer lunch.
Overtime and Extra Hours
People often use “overtime” to describe any extra hour. Swiss law splits extra time into two types:
- Overtime (Überstunden): Hours worked above your contract but still within the legal weekly maximum (45 or 50 hours, based on role). The Swiss Code of Obligations says overtime is usually compensated with time off 1:1 if both sides agree. If paid out, it is base pay plus 25%, unless your contract or CBA sets a different rule in writing. Many contracts define a small amount of overtime as included in salary for high-responsibility roles.
- Extra hours beyond the legal maximum (Überzeit): Hours above 45 or 50 in a week, depending on your category. These hours are tightly limited. Pay for these hours is base pay plus 25% or time off with agreement, with strict yearly caps.
Overtime should serve a real business need and be reasonable for the person’s role. Employers must keep records of working time for covered staff. Some senior managers with full schedule control fall outside the law’s working time rules and follow different recording models.
How Many Working Days Are in a Week?
A five-day workweek is the norm across Switzerland. Many companies plan schedules for Monday through Friday with weekends off.
Service roles, hospitality, healthcare, transport, and retail often use different patterns that include Saturdays and sometimes Sundays, with specific approval and compensation rules.
Most office and industrial roles use a standard five‑day work week:
- Monday to Friday
- 8-9 hours per day
- A lunch break in the middle
- No work on Sunday
This pattern helps teams coordinate across time zones and public holidays. It also aligns with the legal weekly rest period that centers on Sunday.
Weekend Work Rules
Work on Saturday is common in retail, hospitality, and events. Sunday is protected by law. Sunday work needs authorization in most cases. There are exceptions for continuous services, urgent repairs, and special events.
Compensation for weekend work depends on the type of approval and sector rules:
- Occasional Sunday work (a few Sundays per year) often includes a 50% wage supplement and compensatory rest.
- Regular Sunday work in authorized sectors may not include a wage supplement but must include compensatory rest on another day.
- Saturday work is allowed and usually follows normal overtime or shift rules set by contract or CBA.
Overtime Limits in Switzerland
Swiss law caps extra hours beyond the legal weekly maximum. These annual caps protect health and reduce burnout:
- 170 hours per calendar year for employees with a 45‑hour weekly maximum
- 140 hours per calendar year for employees with a 50‑hour weekly maximum
These caps apply to many roles covered by the Labour Act. Some senior managers with wide autonomy fall outside these limits. Managers should plan workloads so teams do not approach these caps.
Breaks and Rest Periods
Rest rules protect employees' well-being and reduce the risk of accidents. As an employer, you must organize schedules that meet these minimums.
Daily Rest Periods
Employees must get at least 11 consecutive hours of rest between two workdays. In some cases, this can drop to 8 hours once per week if you get extra rest later to make up the difference. Your employees need time to sleep, commute, eat, and reset.
Weekly Rest Periods
In a normal week, you should give a continuous weekly rest period that includes Sunday. The protected weekly rest totals at least 35 hours when combined with the weekly rest day and the daily rest period that follows.
Standard timing for Sunday runs from Saturday 23:00 to Sunday 23:00. Work that falls in that window counts as Sunday work.
Meal and Rest Breaks During the Day
Break length depends on the total time employees work in a day:
- More than 5.5 hours (at least 15 minutes)
- More than 7 hours (at least 30 minutes)
- More than 9 hours (at least 60 minutes)
Breaks can be split into shorter blocks. Meal breaks are unpaid in most cases unless the job requires staying on site and being ready to jump back in.
Many CBAs or company policies add short paid breaks in the morning or afternoon.
Flexible Working Hours in Switzerland
Many Swiss employers use flexible models that follow the legal rules:
- Flexitime (Gleitzeit): You pick start and end times within a daily window. Core hours may apply, like 09:00-12:00 and 13:30-16:00. You keep a running balance of plus/minus hours and adjust it across weeks.
- Compressed workweek: Work longer days and take a regular weekday off. This works only if you respect the 14‑hour daily spread, break rules, and weekly limits.
- Remote work: Work from home part of the week. The same rules for hours, breaks, overtime, and time tracking still apply.
Time recording is still needed for most staff. Swiss rules allow different models:
- Full recording: start, end, breaks, total daily time.
- Simplified recording: total daily time only, used for employees with a degree of autonomy under a written agreement.
- Trust-based models: used for senior, fully autonomous roles under a written agreement that meets legal criteria.
Night Shifts and Working Late
Night work follows special rules. It usually means working between 23:00 and 06:00. Some companies use 22:00 as the start by agreement.
There are two types of night shifts:
- Temporary night work: up to 24-25 nights per year. A 25% wage supplement applies to hours worked at night.
- Permanent or regular night work: 25+ nights. Employees receive compensatory time off equal to 10% of their night hours, rather than a pay supplement. In shift systems, that time reduction is often built into the schedule.
For long-term night shifts, health checks may be offered or required. Certain groups, like young workers and people late in pregnancy, have special protections around night work.
Many CBAs add clear shift premiums for evenings, nights, and Sundays that go beyond the legal minimums.
Public Holidays in Switzerland
What counts as a public holiday in Switzerland:
- Federal: 1 August (Swiss National Day) is the only nationwide public holiday. It is a paid day of rest.
- Cantonal: Each canton sets its own list. Up to eight of these days per year are treated like Sundays for work bans. Some communes add local days or half‑days. Your team may follow different calendars based on where they work.
Do public holidays count as paid working time?
Public holidays are paid non‑working days. Salary stays the same. These hours do not count toward overtime thresholds.
For hourly staff, pay depends on the contract or CBA and the planned schedule. Common approaches:
- Pay the hours that would have been worked on that day.
- Grant an average daily credit (often weekly target ÷ 5).
- No pay if the contract says public holidays are unpaid for hourly roles.
Write the rule clearly and apply it the same way for everyone in the same category.
If a public holiday falls on a weekend:
- No automatic weekday off at the federal level.
- Many cantons do not move the day.
- Some calendars already include a Monday holiday (Easter Monday, Whit Monday), so no shift is needed.
A CBA or company policy can grant a replacement day. If you choose this, state it in writing and keep it consistent.
Employee Rights and Employer Compliance
Employees covered by Swiss working time rules have the right to:
- Clear information on regular hours, overtime rules, and breaks
- Daily rest of at least 11 hours and weekly rest that includes Sunday
- Proper pay or time off for overtime and extra hours within the legal framework
- Accurate time records
Employers are responsible for:
- Setting schedules that fit the legal weekly maximum and rest rules
- Keeping time records in line with the chosen recording model
- Paying or crediting overtime and extra hours based on contract, CBA, and labor law
- Getting permits for night and Sunday work when needed
How We Simplify Compliance for You
When you work with us as your Employer of Record (EOR) in Switzerland, we manage all aspects of timekeeping, overtime, and rest period compliance on your behalf. We ensure accurate tracking of working hours, apply the appropriate CBA terms, and handle all necessary legal requirements
Key Points to Remember
Working hours in Switzerland follow a clear pattern. Your contract sets normal hours within a legal ceiling. Most full-time roles are 40-44 hours per week. The law caps weekly hours at 45 or 50, depending on the role, and limits the number of extra hours per year. Daily rest of 11 hours, weekly rest including Sunday, and set meal breaks protect your health.
Overtime comes in two forms. Hours above your contract are handled through time off or a pay premium set by law and agreement. Extra hours beyond the legal weekly maximum trigger strict annual caps and a 25% premium or time off. Sunday and night work need special approval and bring added pay or time credits.
If you want to hire staff in Switzerland and want a simple path, we can act as your Employer of Record. We set up compliant contracts, keep time records clean, and apply Swiss rules on breaks, night work, and overtime correctly so you can focus on your goals.
