If your move is taking place during the week, you may wonder if your Swiss employer will give you time off from work. Here’s what you should know.
Your things are all packed up and the carton boxes are standing in your empty apartment, waiting to be picked up and whisked to their new home.
If you have hired a moving service, you probably don’t have to worry about taking much time off work. But if you rented a truck yourself, or your friends are coming to help you out and this can’t be done on a weekend, then you have no choice but to ask for time off.
Are you entitled?
In general, absences from work are covered by Switzerland’s labour law, collective employment agreements (CLA), or your individual work contract.
They all have provisions for situations that entitle employees to take time off work without having to miss pay or compensate for the missed hours.
They include:
- A doctor’s appointment
- A court appearance or similar legal obligation
- Public duties (working as a member of Parliament, for instance)
- Your marriage
- Birth of your child
- Death of a close relative
- Care of a close relative
And yes, moving house is included on that list as well.
That’s because in Switzerland, employees are entitled to a day off for moving house, as this falls under “special circumstances” in the Swiss Code of Obligations.
READ ALSO: For what reasons am I allowed to get a day off work in Switzerland?
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How long?
The exact duration will depend on the terms of your CLA or employment contract, or else your company’s policy in this regard.
It is also determined by the distance of the move.
Typically, though this may vary from one employer to another, you will be entitled to one day off if you are relocating locally or within the same region; a second day off may be granted if you move farther away.
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Can you choose a day of your move?
While the employer can’t refuse to give you a day off for moving, they can refuse the specific date you want.
Maybe something important is happening at work on that particular day that requires your presence – or there is another imperative reason.
That’s why you have to notify the company of your move well ahead of time and agree on the day in advance.
And you can find more relevant information about moving in this article:
READ ALSO: What you need to do if you move house in Switzerland
