Employment law: legal foundations
For both employers and employees, knowing your rights and obligations is vital. Here is an overview of current rules in Switzerland.
Any company director should be aware of some of the foundations of employment law. Regulating relations between employers and workers, these laws enable companies to run smoothly.
For SMEs, the most important rules are to be found in the Code of Obligations (CO), which governs, among other things, the employment contract, and in the Employment Law (LTr), which deals with many other points such as working hours, breaks or agreements on the protection of young people and women.
The website of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) offers a great deal of information and advice about employment law. This section of the SME Portal summarizes the key points. It also provides links to the SECO website pages that deal with each subject in detail.
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Registering job vacancies: a requirement for SMEs
The requirement to register job vacancies with Regional Employment Centres (RAV) came into effect on 1 July 2018. Which small and medium-sized businesses are affected? What do they need to do?
Employment
Private employment and temporary recruitment are governed by the Federal Law on Employment and Labor Leasing. The requirement to register job vacancies with Regional Employment Centres (RAV) came into effect on 1 July 2018.
Contractual aspects
The employment contract legally binds the employer and employee and entails obligations on both parties.
Working hours
While the line between private life and work life is becoming increasingly blurred for employees, recording employee working hours is mandatory for employers. Here is an overview of the statutory framework.
Reference guides and additional information
The rules on termination periods, employee rights and contributions to implementation costs can be found on the SECO website.