Switzerland Leave Laws & Holidays

A practical guide to statutory leave and time-off rights in Switzerland — annual holiday, public holidays, salary during illness, family leave and more. Every figure below comes from Swiss federal law: the Code of Obligations (CO, SR 220), the Employment Act (ArG, SR 822.11), the Federal Constitution (SR 101), the Accident Insurance Act (UVG, SR 832.20) and the official AHV/IV leaflets on loss-of-earnings compensation (EO).

One thing to know before you read on. Switzerland splits employment law in two. Private-law entitlements — holiday, most leave types, salary during absence — sit in the Code of Obligations and apply to virtually every employee. Public-law protections — working hours, breaks, rest, public holidays — sit in the Employment Act, which does not apply to some groups, most notably employees in a senior managerial position (Art. 3 lit. d ArG). And because Switzerland is a federation, public holidays are set by the cantons, so the calendar changes depending on where the employee works.

At a Glance

1. Annual Holiday (Paid Vacation)

Switzerland's statutory minimum is four weeks of paid holiday per year of service — and five weeks for employees under the age of 20 (Art. 329a para. 1 CO). Employers may grant more by contract or collective employment agreement (CEA), never less.

• Entitlement is expressed in weeks, not days, so part-time employees get the same four weeks — just fewer days in absolute terms.
• If an employee has not yet completed a full year of service, the entitlement is pro rata (Art. 329a para. 3 CO).
• At least two weeks must be taken consecutively (Art. 329c para. 1 CO).
• The employer sets the timing, taking the employee's wishes into account as far as this is compatible with the needs of the business (Art. 329c para. 2 CO).

Holiday Pay and the Ban on Buying Holiday Out

• The employer owes the full salary for the holiday period, plus fair compensation for lost benefits in kind (Art. 329d para. 1 CO).
• During the employment relationship, holiday may not be replaced by money or other benefits (Art. 329d para. 2 CO). Holiday that can no longer be taken is settled in cash only when the employment relationship ends.
• If an employee does paid work for a third party while on holiday and this harms the employer's legitimate interests, the employer may refuse — or reclaim — the holiday salary (Art. 329d para. 3 CO).
• For hourly-paid employees, standard market practice is to add a holiday surcharge to the hourly rate — commonly 8.33% for four weeks and 10.64% for five weeks. This is practice, not a figure written into the CO.

When Holiday Entitlement Can Be Reduced

• If the employee is prevented from working through their own fault for more than a month in total in a year of service, the employer may cut the entitlement by one twelfth for each full month of absence (Art. 329b para. 1 CO).
• If the absence is not the employee's fault (illness, accident, legal obligations, public duties, youth work leave) and does not exceed one month, no reduction is allowed (Art. 329b para. 2 CO).
• Holiday may never be reduced for pregnancy-related inability to work (up to two months), maternity leave, parental leave or leave after the mother's death, carer's leave for a seriously ill child, or adoption leave (Art. 329b para. 3 CO).

Carry-Over

Holiday should be granted in the year of service to which it relates (Art. 329c para. 1 CO). Swiss law sets no hard forfeiture date; untaken holiday is a claim arising from the employment relationship, and such claims prescribe after five years (Art. 128 no. 3 CO). Many employers set an internal carry-over deadline by contract or policy.

2. Public Holidays

Switzerland has exactly one federal public holiday: 1 August (National Day). The Federal Constitution states that in terms of employment law it is "regarded as equivalent to a Sunday, with equivalent rights to pay" (Art. 110 para. 3 Federal Constitution) — so 1 August is the one day that is both work-free and paid nationwide.

Everything else is cantonal. Under Art. 20a para. 1 ArG, the cantons may treat a maximum of eight further holidays per year as Sundays, and may set them differently for different parts of the same canton. In practice, an employee in Switzerland has somewhere between roughly 9 and 15 public holidays depending on the canton and municipality.

Two rules that surprise foreign employers:

• Public holidays other than 1 August are not automatically paid under federal law. Whether the day is paid follows from the employment contract, the CEA or cantonal law. Employees on a monthly salary simply keep their salary; for hourly-paid employees the Federal Supreme Court has held that there is no automatic entitlement to compensation for public holidays other than 1 August unless it has been agreed (BGer 4A_54/2010).
• There is no "substitute day" rule. If a public holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, it is normally simply lost — Switzerland has nothing comparable to the UK's substitute bank holidays. This makes 2026 a bad year: 1 August, 15 August and 26 December all fall on a Saturday, and 1 November on a Sunday.

Religious Holidays Not Recognised by the Canton

Employees are entitled to stay away from work on religious holidays other than those recognised by their canton, provided they notify the employer at least three days in advance (Art. 20a para. 2 ArG). The employer may require the lost hours to be made up under Art. 11 ArG. On request, the employer must also, as far as possible, free up the time needed to attend religious ceremonies (Art. 20a para. 3 ArG).

Public Holidays 2026

Always verify against cantonal law. The only holiday guaranteed federally is 1 August; the cantonal lists — and sometimes municipal ones — decide the rest, and some days apply only to parts of a canton.

3. Working Hours, Overtime and Rest

Maximum Weekly Working Hours

Art. 9 ArG sets two ceilings: 45 hours per week for employees in industrial businesses, office staff, technical and other salaried employees and sales staff in large retail businesses; and 50 hours per week for all other employees. The Employment Act does not apply to employees in a senior managerial position (Art. 3 lit. d ArG), among other excluded groups.

Two Different Kinds of Overtime

Swiss law distinguishes sharply between them, and mixing them up is a classic payroll error:

• Überstunden (contractual overtime), Art. 321c CO — hours beyond the contractually agreed working time. Compensated by time off in lieu of at least equal length with the employee's agreement, otherwise salary plus at least 25%. The supplement can be waived in writing.
• Überzeit (statutory overtime), Art. 12–13 ArG — hours beyond the statutory 45/50-hour ceiling. Carries a salary supplement of at least 25%; for office staff, technical and other salaried employees and large-retail sales staff, only for Überzeit above 60 hours per calendar year. No supplement is due if it is compensated by equal time off within a reasonable period, with the employee's agreement.

Statutory limits on Überzeit (Art. 12 para. 2 ArG): a maximum of 2 hours per day (except on non-working weekdays or in emergencies), and per calendar year a maximum of 170 hours for employees on the 45-hour ceiling and 140 hours for those on the 50-hour ceiling.

Breaks and Rest

• Breaks (Art. 15 ArG): at least 15 minutes if the working day exceeds 5.5 hours, 30 minutes if it exceeds 7 hours, and 1 hour if it exceeds 9 hours. Breaks count as working time if the employee may not leave the workplace.
• Daily rest (Art. 15a ArG): at least 11 consecutive hours, reducible to 8 hours once a week provided the 11-hour average over two weeks is respected.
• Weekly rest (Art. 20 ArG): at least one full Sunday off per two weeks. Sunday work of up to 5 hours must be compensated with time off; longer than 5 hours triggers a substitute rest day of at least 24 consecutive hours in the preceding or following week.
• Weekly free half-day (Art. 21 ArG): if weekly working time is spread over more than five days, employees get a free half-day each week, except in weeks containing a day off.
• No buying out rest (Art. 22 ArG): statutory rest periods may not be replaced by money or other benefits, except when the employment relationship ends.
• Supplements: temporary night work carries a salary supplement of at least 25% (Art. 17b para. 1 ArG); employees working nights permanently or regularly get 10% of that time back as compensatory rest (Art. 17b para. 2 ArG). Temporary Sunday work carries a 50% supplement (Art. 19 para. 3 ArG), and Sunday work always requires the employee's consent.

Employees With Family Responsibilities

Employees raising children under 15, or caring for relatives or close persons in need of care, may only be required to work Überzeit with their consent and, on request, must be granted a lunch break of at least 1.5 hours (Art. 36 paras. 1–2 ArG).

4. Sick Leave and Salary During Illness

Switzerland has no flat-rate statutory sick pay scheme. Instead, the employer keeps paying the salary for a limited time when the employee is prevented from working through no fault of their own — illness, accident, legal obligations, public duties, and pregnancy (Art. 324a paras. 1 and 3 CO).

• The duty applies if the employment relationship has lasted, or was concluded for, more than three months (Art. 324a para. 1 CO).
• The statutory minimum is three weeks of salary in the first year of service, and thereafter "appropriately longer periods" depending on length of service and circumstances (Art. 324a para. 2 CO).
• Because the law does not quantify "appropriately longer", the courts apply cantonal scales, as published by the federal KMU Portal:

Which scale applies depends on the court with jurisdiction — normally the employer's seat: the Basel scale in BS and BL, the Zurich scale in ZH and several eastern cantons, and the Bern scale in the remaining cantons. Entitlement starts afresh with each new year of service, and multiple absences within the same year of service are added together.

Where Insurance Replaces the Employer's Duty

If the employee has compulsory insurance against the financial consequences of the absence, the employer does not owe salary where the insurance benefits cover at least four fifths (80%) of the lost salary income. If the benefits are lower, the employer pays the difference up to 80%; if the insurance pays only after a waiting period, the employer pays at least 80% of salary during that waiting period (Art. 324b CO).

In practice most Swiss employers take out voluntary daily sickness benefits insurance (KTG) — typically 80% of salary for up to 720 days — or are required to by a CEA. This is contractual practice, not a statutory entitlement. Medical certificates are not regulated federally either: the threshold, commonly from the third or fourth day of absence, is set by the employment contract, staff regulations or CEA.

5. Accidents — Compulsory Accident Insurance (UVG)

Accident cover is compulsory for all employees in Switzerland, for occupational and non-occupational accidents.

• The daily allowance is due from the third day after the day of the accident (Art. 16 para. 2 UVG).
• It amounts to 80% of insured earnings in the event of full inability to work, reduced proportionally for partial inability (Art. 17 para. 1 UVG).
• During the two waiting days, the employer pays at least 80% of the salary (Art. 324b para. 3 CO).

6. Maternity Leave and Allowance

The Leave

• After giving birth, an employee is entitled to at least 14 weeks of maternity leave (Art. 329f para. 1 CO).
• If the newborn has to stay in hospital, the leave is extended by the period for which maternity allowance continues to be paid (Art. 329f para. 2 CO) — the allowance is extended by the number of days in hospital, up to a maximum of 56 days, where the child remains hospitalised for more than 14 days directly after birth.
• If the other parent dies within six months of the birth, the mother is entitled to two additional weeks, taken in full weeks or day by day within six months of the day after the death (Art. 329f para. 3 CO).

Employment Bans and Protection Around Birth

• Pregnant women and nursing mothers may only be employed with their consent; pregnant employees may stay away from work or leave work on simple notification (Art. 35a paras. 1–2 ArG). Nursing mothers must be given the time needed for breastfeeding.
• Absolute ban for eight weeks after birth; from week 9 to week 16, employment only with the employee's consent (Art. 35a para. 3 ArG).
• From the 8th week before the due date, pregnant employees may not be employed between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. (Art. 35a para. 4 ArG). Where equivalent daytime work cannot be offered, the employee is entitled to 80% of salary (Art. 35b ArG).
• Where a pregnant or nursing employee cannot perform certain arduous or dangerous work and no equivalent replacement work can be assigned, she is entitled to 80% of salary (Art. 35 para. 3 ArG).

The Allowance

• 98 daily allowances (14 weeks), paid at 80% of average earnings before the birth, capped at CHF 220 per day.
• The cap is reached at a monthly income of CHF 8,250 (8,250 × 0.8 ÷ 30 = 220).
• Eligibility: insured under the OASI/AHV during the nine months immediately before the birth (shorter for premature births) and gainfully employed for at least five months during the pregnancy.
• Employees in the canton of Geneva may qualify for supplementary cantonal benefits.

7. Leave for the Other Parent (Switzerland's "Paternity Leave")

Switzerland introduced this entitlement on 1 January 2021.

• Two weeks of leave for an employee who is the legal father at the time of the birth, or becomes the legal father within the following six months, and for a female employee who is legally the other parent at the time of the birth (Art. 329g para. 1 CO).
• It must be taken within six months of the birth and may be taken in full weeks or day by day (Art. 329g paras. 2–3 CO).
• The allowance covers a maximum of 14 daily allowances; for a full-time employee the two weeks correspond to 10 working days, and where the leave is taken as individual days, four extra daily allowances cover the weekends. The number of leave days scales with the level of employment.
• Rate: 80% of average earnings before the birth, capped at CHF 220 per day.

If the Mother Dies

If the mother dies on the day of the birth or during the following 14 weeks, the other parent is entitled to 14 weeks of leave, taken on consecutive days from the date of death (Art. 329g-bis para. 1 CO). Where the newborn is hospitalised, this leave is extended by the duration of the hospitalisation, up to eight weeks (Art. 329g-bis para. 3 CO). This entitlement has been in force since 1 January 2024.

8. Adoption Leave

In force since 1 January 2023.

• Two weeks of adoption leave, provided the conditions of Art. 16t of the Loss of Earnings Compensation Act are met (Art. 329j para. 1 CO). The child must be under four years old; adoption of a stepchild does not qualify.
• The leave must be taken within one year of the adoption (Art. 329j para. 2 CO).
• It may be taken by one parent or shared between both — but the two parents may not take their share at the same time (Art. 329j para. 3 CO). It may be taken in full weeks or day by day.
• Allowance: max 14 daily allowances (10 working days for a full-time employee), at 80% of average earnings, capped at CHF 220 per day, calculated separately for each adoptive parent.

9. Carer's Leave for a Child Whose Health Is Seriously Impaired

For parents who interrupt work to care for a child whose health has been seriously impaired by illness or accident:

• Up to 14 weeks of carer's leave, matching entitlement to the carer's allowance under Art. 16n–16s of the Loss of Earnings Compensation Act (Art. 329i para. 1 CO).
• The leave must be taken within 18 months, counted from the day for which the first daily allowance is claimed (Art. 329i para. 2 CO).
• If both parents are employed, each is entitled to a maximum of seven weeks, but they may apportion the 14 weeks differently (Art. 329i para. 3 CO).
• It may be taken in one stretch or day by day, and the employer must be informed immediately about the arrangements and any changes (Art. 329i paras. 4–5 CO).
• Allowance: max 98 daily allowances, at 80% of average earnings, capped at CHF 220 per day.

10. Care Leave for Family Members and Life Partners

In force since 1 January 2021 — and it is paid, which sets Switzerland apart from many neighbouring systems.

• Employees are entitled to paid leave for the time spent caring for a family member or life partner with health problems, limited to three days per event and no more than ten days per year (Art. 329h CO).
• The Employment Act adds the mechanics: the employer must grant this leave on presentation of a medical certificate, limited to the time actually needed for care and at most three days per event (Art. 36 para. 3 ArG).
• The ten-day annual cap does not apply to the care of one's own children (Art. 36 para. 4 ArG) — for children, the three-days-per-event limit applies without an annual ceiling.

11. Leave for Extracurricular Youth Work

• Employees under the age of 30 are entitled to up to one working week per year of service for unpaid leadership, care or advisory work in extracurricular youth work for cultural or social organisations, including related training (Art. 329e para. 1 CO).
• It is unpaid, unless an individual agreement, standard employment contract or CEA provides otherwise (Art. 329e para. 2 CO).
• Timing and duration should be agreed; failing agreement, the leave must be granted if the employee gives two months' notice. Leave not taken by the end of the calendar year is forfeited (Art. 329e para. 3 CO).
• The employer may require proof of the youth-work activity (Art. 329e para. 4 CO).

12. Customary Time Off (Marriage, Moving House, Bereavement)

Art. 329 CO covers days off work rather than holiday. The employer must grant one day off per week, generally Sunday, and must also grant the customary hours and days off work — the category that in practice covers a wedding, a move, a death in the family, medical appointments and similar events — plus, once notice of termination has been given, the time needed to look for another job (Art. 329 paras. 1 and 3 CO). In setting time off, the interests of both parties must be taken into account (Art. 329 para. 4 CO).

"Customary" is deliberately open: the exact number of days comes from the employment contract, staff regulations or the applicable CEA. Typical Swiss practice is 1–3 days for a wedding, 1–3 days for a bereavement in the immediate family, and 1 day for a move.

13. Military Service, Civil Protection and Civilian Service

Compulsory service counts as a "legal obligation" under Art. 324a CO, so the employer's duty to continue paying salary applies, and the loss-of-earnings compensation scheme (EO) provides the allowance:

• The basic allowance is 80% of average earnings before the service, at least CHF 69 and at most CHF 220 per day.
• Recruits in basic training receive a flat basic allowance of CHF 69 per day of service, on top of their military pay.
• Additional EO benefits may apply: child allowances, allowances for care costs and business allowances.

14. Protection Against Dismissal During Leave

Once the probation period has ended, the employer may not terminate the employment relationship (Art. 336c para. 1 CO):

• during Swiss compulsory military, civil defence or alternative civilian service — and, where the service lasts more than 11 days, during the four weeks before and after it;
• while the employee is prevented from working by illness or accident through no fault of their own — for up to 30 days in the first year of service, 90 days in years 2–5 and 180 days from year 6;
• during pregnancy and the 16 weeks following birth, and until the end of any extended maternity leave under Art. 329f para. 2;
• during the additional maternity leave following the death of the other parent;
• for as long as the employee is entitled to carer's leave under Art. 329i, but no longer than six months from the start of the 18-month window;
• while leave following the mother's death (Art. 329g-bis) is being taken.

15. What Switzerland Does Not Have

• No general parental leave. Beyond maternity leave, the two-week leave for the other parent, adoption leave and the care-leave entitlements above, there is no federal parental leave and no statutory right to reduce working hours after a birth.
• No statutory right to unpaid leave or a sabbatical. Unpaid leave is possible only by agreement with the employer; the effect on social insurance cover and pension contributions has to be settled case by case.
• No jury duty leave in the UK or US sense. Switzerland has no general jury system; time off for public duties such as militia offices or court appearances falls under Art. 324a CO.
• No substitute days for public holidays falling on a weekend.

Allowance Rates Summary (EO Loss-of-Earnings Compensation)

The CHF 220 daily cap corresponds to a monthly income of CHF 8,250, or an annual income of CHF 99,000. Rates are those in the AHV/IV leaflets in force for 2026.

Recent Changes and What to Watch

• 1 January 2021 — leave for the other parent (2 weeks) and paid care leave for family members (3 days per event, max 10 days per year) entered into force.
• 1 July 2021 — carer's leave for a child whose health is seriously impaired (up to 14 weeks) entered into force, together with the extension of maternity leave where the newborn is hospitalised.
• 1 January 2023 — adoption leave (2 weeks) introduced.
• 1 January 2024 — the "daily allowance for the surviving parent" reform: 14 weeks' leave for the other parent if the mother dies, 2 extra weeks of maternity leave if the other parent dies, plus the matching dismissal protections.
• No change for 2026. The Employment Act has been unchanged since 1 September 2023, and the 2026 consolidation of the Code of Obligations leaves Art. 329–329j untouched. Federal parliament continues to debate broader parental leave models — worth monitoring, but nothing is in force.

Sources

All facts are taken from Swiss federal law and official federal information:

• Code of Obligations (SR 220) — Art. 321c, 324a–324b, 328–330, 336c
• Employment Act / Arbeitsgesetz (SR 822.11) — available in German, French and Italian only
• Federal Constitution (SR 101) — Art. 110 para. 3, the National Day
• Accident Insurance Act / UVG (SR 832.20) — Art. 16–17
• AHV/IV leaflet 6.02 — Maternity allowance
• AHV/IV leaflet 6.04 — Allowance for the other parent
• AHV/IV leaflet 6.10 — Carer's allowance (Betreuungsentschädigung)
• AHV/IV leaflet 6.11 — Adoption allowance
• Federal Social Insurance Office (FSIO) — EO for persons performing service
• KMU Portal of the Confederation — scales for continued salary payment during illness
• SECO — working and rest time provisions of the Employment Act
• ch.ch — Right to holidays, annual leave and public holidays
• Federal Supreme Court, 4A_54/2010 — no automatic public-holiday compensation for hourly-paid employees

This guide is for general information only and is not legal advice. Public holidays and several entitlements depend on cantonal law, the applicable collective employment agreement and individual circumstances. Always confirm the current position with the federal sources above or a qualified adviser.