Will Switzerland allow managers to work 67 hours a week?
A revision of the federal labour law will include a provision allowing Swiss employees to occasionally work 67-hour weeks. But will it pass?
The project for extended work hours is outlined in a confidential document from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), according to Le Matin Dimanche newspaper
Employees would be allowed to work from 4 am until midnight, as well as telework on Sundays, the newspaper reported.
If implemented, the new measure would affect between 542,000 and 670,000 people, or between 14 and 18 percent of Switzerland’s workforce.
Under the current Swiss law, an employee can work a maximum of 45-50 hours in one week, depending on the sector and type of job.
The new plan is geared to those in managerial or specialised positions, permitting them to work more hours during certain weeks and less on others, with an annual average of 45 hours weekly.
Le Secrétariat d'Etat à l'économie pourrait autoriser certains employés à travailler jusqu'à 67 heures par semaine. Le Conseil fédéral s'est prononcé contre ce projet. https://t.co/I3QC8e1yN4
— Le Matin (@Lematinch) January 19, 2020
Workers' unions are against the move saying it will put the health of staff at risk.
The document specifies that employers will be required "to take measures for the health of the employees concerned".
The proposal will be debated this week by the Committee on the Economy and Royalties in the parliament’s Council of States.
However, the Federal Council, Switzerland’s seven-member cabinet, has already opposed this project, saying that its chances of being accepted in a national referendum are low.
READ MORE: Switzerland's job seekers handed boost as work offers see new rise
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The project for extended work hours is outlined in a confidential document from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), according to Le Matin Dimanche newspaper
Employees would be allowed to work from 4 am until midnight, as well as telework on Sundays, the newspaper reported.
If implemented, the new measure would affect between 542,000 and 670,000 people, or between 14 and 18 percent of Switzerland’s workforce.
Under the current Swiss law, an employee can work a maximum of 45-50 hours in one week, depending on the sector and type of job.
The new plan is geared to those in managerial or specialised positions, permitting them to work more hours during certain weeks and less on others, with an annual average of 45 hours weekly.
Le Secrétariat d'Etat à l'économie pourrait autoriser certains employés à travailler jusqu'à 67 heures par semaine. Le Conseil fédéral s'est prononcé contre ce projet. https://t.co/I3QC8e1yN4
— Le Matin (@Lematinch) January 19, 2020
Workers' unions are against the move saying it will put the health of staff at risk.
The document specifies that employers will be required "to take measures for the health of the employees concerned".
The proposal will be debated this week by the Committee on the Economy and Royalties in the parliament’s Council of States.
However, the Federal Council, Switzerland’s seven-member cabinet, has already opposed this project, saying that its chances of being accepted in a national referendum are low.
READ MORE: Switzerland's job seekers handed boost as work offers see new rise
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