Employ in Switzerland with ease.

Remote makes employment in Switzerland easy. With our localized contracts, easy invoice management, and best-in-class compliance, you can grow your global team with confidence.

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  • Availability

    Remote-Owned Local Entity

    We own our own entity in the countries where we operate to shield your company from risk and provide you and your employees with the signature Remote experience.

  • Capital city

    Bern

  • Currency

    Swiss franc
    (Fr, CHF)

  • Languages spoken

    German (Swiss-German), Romansh, French, Italian

  • Services available

    Services available:

Facts & Stats

Known for its high quality of life, beautiful nature, and highly educated population, Switzerland is home to talented workers in a variety of industries. As a country with one of the highest costs of living in the world, it’s also a place where salaries tend to match. People in Switzerland often speak multiple languages, so communication is rarely difficult. Come to Switzerland to find your next team member, then stay for the beautiful scenery (and the chocolate).

  • Capital city

    Bern

  • Currency

    Swiss franc
    (Fr, CHF)

  • Languages spoken

    German (Swiss-German), Romansh, French, Italian

  • Population size

    8,693,242

  • Ease of doing business

    Very easy

  • Cost of living index

    $$$$ (2 of 139 nations)

  • Payroll frequency

    Monthly

  • VAT - standard rate

    7.7%

  • GDP - real growth rate

    0.9%

Grow your team in Switzerland with Remote

Looking to employ workers in Switzerland? Companies hiring in Switzerland must either own a legal entity in the country or work with a global employment solutions provider to maintain compliance with Swiss employment regulations.

Remote's global employment services in Switzerland can grow your local team. The Remote platform is purpose-built to handle payroll, benefits, taxes, and compliance for all of your Swiss team members. You can also pay contractors now in Switzerland with Remote.

Risks of misclassification

Switzerland, like many other countries, treats self-employed contractors and full-time employees differently. Misclassification of contractors in Switzerland may lead to fines and penalties for the offending company.

If you're worried about whether to hire contractors or employees in Switzerland or anywhere else around the world, Remote can help. Our Solutions Consulting team are experts in preventing misclassification risks. Download our Contractor Compliance Checklist for a solid overview, then talk to our team about your specific situation.

Employing in Switzerland

Swiss employment law provides strong protections for workers. In addition, salaries in Switzerland are some of the highest in the world, so companies must be prepared to pay a premium for top talent.

Non-EU or EFTA citizens must acquire work permits to work in Switzerland. The Swiss government has strict standards about who qualifies for a work permit, with some skills weighted more heavily than others.

To employ workers or contractors in Switzerland, contact Remote to learn more about your options.

Minimum Wage

Switzerland does not have a national minimum wage, although a few cantons set their own laws regarding minimum worker compensation. Collective bargaining agreements within industries often substitute for legislation on a minimum wage for workers, though the Swiss government often revisits the subject.

Payroll Cycle

For customers of Remote, all employee payments will be made in equal monthly installments on or before the last working day of each calendar month, payable in arrears.

Onboarding Time

We can help you get a new employee started in Switzerland fast. The minimum onboarding time we need is often 7 working days.

Our team ensures your employees are onboarded and paid as quickly as possible while keeping your business compliant with all local employment legislation. The minimum onboarding time begins after the employee submits all required information onto the Remote platform. The onboarding timeline is also dependent upon registration with local authorities.

For all non-nationals of the country of employment, the Right to Work assessment (if applicable) will add three extra days to the total time to onboard. There may be extra time required if we need to follow-up on the right to work assessment.

Please note, payroll cut-off dates can impact the actual first day of employment. Remote has a payroll cut-off date of the 10th of the month unless otherwise specified.

Competitive benefits package in Switzerland

Remote supports our clients by offering competitive benefits packages that will help you attract and retain the best talent across the globe. Our benefits specialists have done the research on norms and requirements in each local market and have crafted packages that will allow your employees to thrive, no matter what country they call home. 

Our benefits packages in Switzerland are tailored to fulfil the local needs of your employees. Typically, our packages contain some or all of the following benefits:

  • Health Insurance
  • Dental Insurance
  • Vision Insurance
  • Mental Health Support
  • Pension or 401(K)
  • Life and Disability Insurance

Remote's core benefits offering (which often include healthcare provisions) are required in most countries of our operations. We do not require customers to offer benefits in Switzerland due to its strong public system and local laws that protect employers against claims of non-discriminatory hiring practices. However, we do recommend that employers in Switzerland offer benefits to their employees based on market standards. Note that Remote does not add a markup on any benefits premiums or administration costs.

For more insight into fair equity and benefits best practices, download our Global Benefits Guide and share with the rest of your hiring team.

Calculate the cost to hire an employee
in Switzerland

Taxes in Switzerland

Learn how employment taxes and statutory fees affect your payroll and employee paychecks in Switzerland.

  • Employer

    • 3.5-9% - BVG (pension)

    • 5.125% - AVS (social security)

    • 1.2-3.6% - FAK (Family Compensation Fund)

    • 1.1% - ALV (unemployment) on salary up to CHF 148,200

    • 0.5% - ALV (unemployment) on salary above CHF 148,200

    • Varies - UVG (accident insurance)

    • 0.043% - Maternity insurance

    • 0.07% - Early childhood fund

    • 11.038-19.438% - Total Cost of Employment

  • Employee payroll taxes

    • 5.125% - AVS (social security)

    • 1.1% - ALV (unemployment) on salary up to CHF 148,200

    • 0.5% - ALV (unemployment) on salary above CHF 148,200

    • Varies - UVG (accident insurance)

    • 0.043% - Maternity insurance

    • 0.07% - Early childhood fund

  • Employee income taxes

  • Federal taxes for single filers

    • 0% - CHF 0 to 14,500

    • 0.77% - CHF 14,500 to 31,600

    • 0.88% - CHF 31,600 to 41,400

    • 2.64% - CHF 41,400 to 55,200

    • 2.97% - CHF 55,200 to 72,500

    • 5.94% - CHF 72,500 to 78,100

    • 6.6% - CHF 78,100 to 103,600

    • 8.8% - CHF 103,600 to 134,600

    • 11% - CHF 134,600 to 176,000

    • 13.2% - CHF 176,000 to 755,200

    • 11.5% - CHF 755,200 and above

  • Federal taxes for married couples and single filers with children

    • 0% - CHF 0 to 28,300

    • 1% - CHF 28,300 to 50,900

    • 2% - CHF 50,900 to 58,400

    • 3% - CHF 58,400 to 75,300

    • 4% - CHF 75,300 to 90,300

    • 5% - CHF 90,300 to 103,400

    • 6% - CHF 103,400 to 114,700

    • 7% - CHF 114,700 to 124,200

    • 8% - CHF 124,200 to 131,700

    • 9% - CHF 131,700 to 137,300

    • 10% - CHF 137,300 to 141,200

    • 11% - CHF 141,200 to 143,100

    • 12% - CHF 143,100 to 145,000

    • 13% - CHF 145,000 to 895,900

    • 11.5% - CHF 895,900 and above

Note that the total income tax a Swiss employee income incurs may change based on the relevant canton's individual income tax regulations.

Types of leave

Statutory leave

Employees 20 years old and above receive at least four weeks of paid time off per year. Employees younger than 20 years old are entitled to five weeks. Employees are also entitled to paid time off for public holidays in the canton in which they live.

Pregnancy and maternity leave

Maternity leave in Switzerland lasts 14 weeks, with the employer paying 80% of the employees wages during leave, capped at CHF 196 per day. Employees in the Geneva canton receive 16 weeks. Employees must contribute to AHV (social security) for the nine months preceding childbirth and must be actively employed for five months preceding childbirth to be eligible. Employees who give birth may not return to work for at least eight weeks.

Partner/paternity leave

Switzerland does not have federally mandated paternity or partner leave, nor does the Swiss government require employers to provide shared parental leave. However, paid leave for parents and spouses is becoming increasingly common, and some cantons do have their own requirements. Employers commonly offer one or two days for partner leave.

Sick leave

Employees are entitled to ongoing payments during sick leave, depending on how long they have worked for the company. Typically, employees receive three weeks of sick leave during the first year. Employers commonly have benefits insurance schemes in lieu of sick leave, under which employees can receive 80% of their most recent salary for up to 720 days.

Employment termination

Termination process

On paper, Switzerland does practice at-will employment, in which the employer or employee may end the relationship at any time for any reason. However, most companies are more cautious regarding terminations and do provide fair reasoning for any termination. It is important for employers of workers in Switzerland to maintain accurate documentation of termination processes.

Notice period

While Switzerland has at-will employment, notice periods are common in employment contracts. Notice periods generally range from one to three months depending on seniority, tenure, and industry.

Severance pay

Severance pay is not required in Switzerland unless stated in the employment contract.

Probation periods

Probationary periods in Switzerland usually last from one to three months.

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