Switzerland Leave Laws & Holidays

Last updated on May 13, 2026.

Paid Time Off (PTO) in Switzerland

Vacation Leave Quota (Annual Leave)

20 days

Regular employees in Switzerland receive at least 20 days of vacation. This number of vacation days applies to employees from the age of 20 to 50 years old.

However, two groups of employees are entitled to 25 days of vacation:

• Under 20 years old;

• More than 50 years old.

The CBA (collective bargaining agreement) and employment determine this matter, and many offer more than the minimum of 20 days of annual leave.

Vacation days are prorated for employees who have not worked for a full year at the company.

Taking a Vacation

The annual leave cycle follows the calendar year. An employee is required to have approval from their employer before taking vacation, and employers may request changes to dates of time off if there is a valid business reason.

Carryover

It is allowed for employees to carry over their unused vacation days, and employers have the discretion to establish their own policy for carryover. Therefore, unused leave can usually be carried over to the next year at the employer’s discretion, depending on company policy. The number of days that may be carried forward varies by employer.

Payout of Vacation Leave

Throughout the period of annual leave, the employer is obligated to maintain salary payments, unless the employee engages in work for another party during their leave.

Payment of Unused Annual Leave Upon Termination

Switzerland leave laws state that when employment is terminated, any remaining annual leave days must be compensated financially. However, vacation leave entitlements can’t be exchanged for money or other benefits during employment.

Sick Leave in Switzerland

At least 3 weeks of paid sick leave.

According to their length of continuous employment with an employer, employees have the right to paid sick time. They may take three weeks of paid sick leave in their first year of service, with the entitlement increasing as they continue their employment. Also, during this period, an employee is protected from being terminated.

Most employers provide 80–100% of salary for up to 730 days (2 years), funded through insurance coverage.

An employee is required to provide a medical certificate if they take more than three days off work due to illness.

Payout of Sick Leave

Generally, an employee who is on sick leave is entitled to between 80 and 100% of their usual salary. However, this compensation is typically capped at CHF 300,000 per year.

The specific duration of sick leave and the amount of sick benefits an employee is entitled to can differ depending on the canton. It might also be defined by a collective agreement or an individual contract.

Sick Pay Depending on an Employer’s Insurance

The standard scenario of sick days is as follows:

Eligible employees in Switzerland may take paid time off because of illness or injury lasting up to 720 days within a timeframe of 900 days.

There are two methods for handling sick leave.

If the employer provides group insurance for daily sickness benefits (most employers do), the payment scheme is:

• The employee receives their regular full salary for the first 30 days, paid entirely by the employer.
• The employee continues to receive their full salary from the 31st to the 720th or 730th day, with 20% of their pay coming from the employer and 80% from the insurance.

If the employer does not provide group insurance for daily sickness benefits, an employee is still compensated for their usual full salary. However, the duration of sick leave is limited based on the duration of the employee’s service to the employer. It may last from 3 weeks of leave (for the first year) and increase accordingly with the number of years of employment, up to 4 months of sick leave (with 10 or more years of work).

Please visit the following websites if you want to find out more about sick leave and sick pay in Switzerland or specifically about daily sickness benefits in Zurich.

Family Care Leave

3 days

Employees are also entitled to up to three days of paid time off for the purpose of taking care of a sick child or assisting a family member with a severe illness.

Maternity and Paternity Leave

Maternity Leave in Switzerland

14 weeks

Pregnant female employees in Switzerland are entitled to 14 weeks of fully or partially paid maternity leave. An employee is required to use 8 weeks of leave postnatally (after childbirth). In the Geneva canton, the duration of maternity leave is 16 weeks, and other cantons may implement provisions that allow for a longer period of leave.

After the leave ends, a mother has the option to extend their maternity leave by an extra 14 unpaid days.

To be eligible for maternity leave and allowance, an employee must be covered by compulsory pension insurance and have at least 270 days (9 months) of uninterrupted service at the company.

An employee is protected from termination of employment during the period of a woman’s pregnancy and for a duration of 16 weeks after the birth.

Payout

During maternity leave, the employee is entitled to at least 80% of their salary. Payments are covered by state insurance. This applies to both part-time and full-time working mothers. An employer may choose to top up maternity benefits beyond the statutory amount and provide employees with a full salary while on maternity leave. For more information, check this detailed guide on Maternity allowance in Switzerland.

Paternity Leave in Switzerland

2 weeks (10 working days)

As of 2020, when Swiss voters supported an initiative of parliament, fathers are entitled to paid paternity leave. It is at the employer’s discretion to provide leave longer than the statutory minimum. They may take two weeks of leave (10 working days), and it must be taken within the first six months after childbirth. This paternity leave may be taken fully in one period or divided into daily or weekly segments. Eligibility for paternity leave is the same as for maternity leave; at least 270 consecutive days of service must be completed before the leave.

Federal employees may take 4 weeks of paid paternity leave.

Payout

Similar to maternity leave, paternity leave is compensated at 80% of an employee’s salary, paid by state insurance.

Parental Leave in Switzerland

There are no regulations in Switzerland leave laws regarding parental leave.

Bereavement Leave in Switzerland

3 - 5 days

The law stipulates that in the event of the death of a close family member, bereavement leave (aka compasionnate leave) must be allowed. Although Switzerland leave laws do not specify the exact duration of leave, employees are generally entitled to 3 to 5 days of paid leave for these purposes.

The exact details of bereavement leave are determined by an employment contract or collective agreement and should be presented in the employee handbook.

Jury Duty Leave in Switzerland

An employer is obligated to provide their employees with paid leave if they need to perform their civic duties, like serving as a lay judge or participating in public and legal affairs, and employees are protected from getting fired during this service. Swiss courts ended general jury trials in 2011, but the ‘duty of loyalty’ still requires employers to give time off for lay judge roles.

Military Leave in Switzerland

Employees are entitled to paid time off while serving military or performing civil protection duties. An employer is required to ensure that employees are protected from dismissal while they are on their civilian, military, or civil defense duty. However, employees retain the right to give notice while on this leave.

Payout

Military leave in Swtzerland is paid through Swiss social security system (EO) at 80% of the employee’s normal salary. Payment is capped at a maximum of CHF 220 per day.

Voting Leave in Switzerland

Online data unavailable; check official or offline legal materials.

Public Holidays in Switzerland

The number of holidays depends on cantons.

These are the statutory holidays observed in Switzerland:

• New Year’s Day – 1st January
• Ascension Day – 40 days after the Easter
• Swiss National Day – 1st August
• Christmas Day – 25th December

All other public holidays are decided on a cantonal basis, with each canton being able to decide whether or not to grant a holiday on these days.

A complete list of official holidays celebrated in Switzerland:

Sources

1. Local Laws & Regulations, https://www.atlashxm.com/en/countries/switzerland

2. Payroll and Benefits Guide Switzerland, https://www.papayaglobal.com/countrypedia/country/switzerland-zurich/

3. Definitive Guide to Hiring in Switzerland, https://www.globalexpansion.com/countrypedia/Switzerland

4. Prevention of the employee at work performance, https://www.seco.admin.ch/seco/de/home/Arbeit/Personenfreizugigkeit_Arbeitsbeziehungen/Arbeitsrecht/FAQ_zum_privaten_Arbeitsrecht/verhinderung-des-arbeitnehmers-an-der-arbeitsleistung.html

5. Switzerland: Overview of Maternity, Paternity and Adoption Leave under Swiss Law, https://www.americanbar.org/groups/labor_law/publications/ilelc_newsletters/issue-spring-2023/switzerland/

Check out our Leave Laws page to learn more about laws in various countries.