Time recording

Storage, directories, documents

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Wie lange müssen Arbeitszeitunterlagen in der Schweiz aufbewahrt werden? Unternehmen sind gesetzlich verpflichtet, Verzeichnisse und Unterlagen korrekt zu führen und mehrere Jahre bereitzuhalten. Dieser Artikel zeigt, welche Fristen gelten und worauf Sie bei der Aufbewahrung achten müssen.

Section 46 of the Working Hours Act – Registers and other documents

(Labour Act, Article 46)

The employer must make available to the enforcement and supervisory authorities any registers or other documents containing the information required for the enforcement of this Act and its regulations.

In all other respects, the provisions of the Federal Act of 19 June 1992 on Data Protection apply.

Meaning

This article forms the basis for the obligation to record working hours in Switzerland:

  • 👉 Employers must keep records of all relevant working time data
  • 👉 and be able to produce them during checks
  • 👉 The details are set out in the Ordinance (Art. 73 ArGV 1)

➡️ Consequently, the actual obligation to record working hours derives indirectly from Section 46 of the Working Hours Act – and is then set out in detail in the regulations.

Art. 73 ArGV 1 – Lists and other documents

(Labour Act, Regulation 1, Article 73)

Paragraph 1 (Content of time recording)

The registers and documents must contain all the information necessary for the enforcement of the law; in particular, they must clearly show:

a. the employees' personal details
b. Type of employment, as well as start and end dates
c. the daily and weekly hours worked (including compensatory time off and overtime) and when they were worked
d. the weekly rest days or compensatory rest days granted
e. the timing and duration of breaks of half an hour or more
f. Operational deviations from the definitions of day, night and Sunday
g. Regulations on statutory time-based pay supplements
h. statutory wage and/or time-related supplements
i. Results of medical assessments (e.g. night work)
j. Measures / Risk assessments (e.g. in the case of maternity leave)

Paragraph 2 (Duty to retain records)

The documents must be kept for at least 5 years.

Paragraph 3 (Inspection by the authorities)

The authorities are entitled to inspect the documents and, if necessary, take them away.

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