Weekly working hours in Switzerland – what are the rules?

How many hours are you allowed to work per week? Weekly working hours in Switzerland are clearly regulated – but are often misunderstood. Find out what the limits are, when overtime begins, and what companies must take into account.

The weekly working hours are one of the most important principles in employment law. They determine how many hours may be worked, when overtime begins, and which legal limits must be observed.

Working hours are clearly regulated in Switzerland – though they are often misunderstood.

Statutory maximum working hours

The Swiss Labour Act (ArG) sets maximum weekly working hours.

👉 There are two main categories:

• 45 hours a week
  → for office staff, industrial workers, technical staff and sales staff in large companies
• 50 hours a week
  → for all other sectors (e.g. retail, hospitality, care)

👉 Important:
These figures are statutory limits – not target values.

What is the ‘standard’ working week?

In practice, the actual working hours are usually lower than this:

• typical full-time position: 40–44 hours per week
• varies depending on the company and industry

👉 It is the contractually agreed working hours that are decisive, not the statutory maximum limit.

Difference: working hours, overtime and extra hours

A common mistake is to confuse these terms:

✅ Normal working hours

• specified in the contract (e.g. 42 hours)

✅ Overtime

• Hours worked in excess of the contractual working hours
• but within the statutory maximum limit

Example:

• Contract: 42 hours
• hours worked: 45 → = overtime

✅ Extra hours

• Hours worked in excess of the statutory maximum working hours

Example:

• Office job: > 45 hours → Extra hours

👉 Extra hours is subject to stricter regulations and is usually compensated with a premium

Flexibility in weekly working hours

Working hours can be arranged flexibly, provided that the legal requirements are met.

Possible models:

• Flexitime
• Annual working hours
• flexible working hours

👉 In certain sectors, working hours may be temporarily increased:

but only if the average is maintained over a period of six months

+up to 4 hours per week

e.g. in the case of seasonal fluctuations

Purpose of the statutory provision

The main purpose of limiting weekly working hours is to protect employees:

• Promoting a social lifestyle.
• Avoiding overload
• Health protection
• Ensuring rest periods

Key points from real-world experience

1. The employment contract is crucial

👉 The working hours that are relevant in practice are the agreed hours, not the maximum hours.

2. Working hours must be recorded

👉 Employers must keep a record of working hours (including overtime).

3. Management and special cases

👉 Different rules may apply to certain senior executives.

4. Differences between sectors

👉 Working hours vary considerably:

• Office: usually 40–42 hours
• Industry / Manufacturing: 42–45 hours
• other sectors: often closer to 45–50 hours

Conclusion

The working week in Switzerland is clearly structured:

✔️ The contract specifies the normal working hours
✔️ The law sets the maximum limit
✔️ Overtime is strictly regulated

👉 The most important point:

„Modern time tracking helps ensure compliance with statutory weekly working hours and enables overtime to be identified at an early stage.“