The Sonntagszeitung newspaper reported Sunday that the number of authorisations granted for businesses to employ workers on weekends and public holidays in Switzerland has risen 30% over the last three years.
Swiss businesses wishing to have employees work on weekends or holidays must obtain special authorisation from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). The number of such authorisations granted has increased 30% over the last three years, the German-language paper found, surpassing 2,000. More than 800 of these requests were made specifically for work during Christmas.
Altogether in 2018, the authorisations granted to work on public holidays concerned some 70,000 individual jobs. These figures include only regular, multi-year permission requests and not short-term exceptions.
“In recent years, the number of requests for grants for holiday work has risen constantly,” SECO confirmed to the Sonntagszeitung. It added that there are several reasons for the increase, such as the fact that consumer needs continue even through the holiday season, as well as economic and logistical requirements of companies.
“There is a need for both the production companies and the logistics companies to meet the increased demand of consumers for fresh products on Sundays and public holidays,” a spokesperson for Swiss supermarket chain Migros told the newspaper.
Holidays also differ across Swiss cantons, so Swiss businesses as well as branches of international companies often apply for exemptions so that their employees in different cantons can still work together.
However, some are sceptical of the move toward more work during what has traditionally been family time in Switzerland. Arnaud Bouverat of Swiss trade union Unia told the Sonntagszeitung that holiday work for jobs beyond essential services, like nursing and public transport operation, is unnecessary.
“Many areas do not need Sunday work. Some of them do anyway because there is no reliable control,” Bouverat said, citing retail as an example.
More
More
More working hours for women? Easier said than done
This content was published on
With a labour shortage looming, there is a debate on how to incentivise women to increase their workload.
As a Swiss Abroad, how do you feel about the emergence of more conservative family policies in some US states?
In recent years several US states have adopted more conservative policies on family issues, abortion and education. As a Swiss citizen living there, how do you view this development?
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
This content was published on
From Wednesday, a Swiss passport will no longer be sufficient to enter the UK - Swiss travellers will also need an electronic travel authorisation.
This content was published on
A German security expert could imagine Swiss soldiers being part of a peacekeeping force in Ukraine after an eventual ceasefire.
Leading Swiss politician favours closer EU defence ties
This content was published on
Co-president of Swiss centre-left Social Democratic Party calls on Switzerland to step up security cooperation in Europe.
This content was published on
A 16-year-old boy was trapped in a shop door during an attempted burglary in Vevey, western Switzerland, on Friday night. He died on the spot.
This content was published on
The 39th Fribourg International Film Festival (FIFF) has ended with a new attendance record. It also crowned a Chinese film the winner of the 2025 Grand Prix: Black Dog.
This content was published on
The Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO) has proposed cutting its budget by a fifth. This comes after its largest contributor, the US, decided to withdraw.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Skills shortage on the rise in key professions
This content was published on
Switzerland’s talent shortage is more pronounced in 2018 with technical, financial, and medical professions the most affected.
This content was published on
For the past two years, seven petrol stations in canton Zurich have been defying a recently introduced law on late-night trading by opening their shops from 1-5am. But no longer. In July the Federal Court upheld a general ban on opening shops at petrol stations late at night, ruling that there could be no exceptions.…
Beware of exploitative part-time jobs in Switzerland
This content was published on
Gaurav tries to find a job in Indian restaurants to pay the bills but is shocked when asked to work long hours for a pittance.
This content was published on
Companies with over 100 employees will have to do regular pay equity checks thanks to a new law passed in the Swiss parliament.
Older people marginalised on Swiss labour market, says report
This content was published on
Despite recent government optimism about the Swiss economy, older people who lose their jobs are struggling, according to an expert panel.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.