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WORKING IN SWITZERLAND

Where in Switzerland do workers get a day off on Friday?

You may know that December 8th is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, and that it's a public holiday in half of the Swiss cantons.

Published: 1 December 2023 11:13 CET
Updated: 5 December 2023 12:31 CET
Where in Switzerland do workers get a day off on Friday?
Half of Switzerland's cantons mark Immaculate Conception. Image by Carlos Andrés Ruiz Palacio from Pixabay.

This year, December 8th falls on a Friday, meaning that workers in 13 (predominantly Catholic) Swiss cantons and municipalities will get to enjoy a work-free day.

What exactly is being celebrated?

This Catholic feast day marks the Immaculate Conception, which many may imagine was Mary’s conception of Jesus.

In fact, it actually marks the conception of Mary herself. Her mother Saint Anne became pregnant in the usual, biological way, Catholics believe, but the conception was ‘immaculate’ because God intervened, absolving Mary of original sin.

According to Catholic dogma, all humans are born with original sin, which is why babies are baptized shortly after birth to make them “worthy” of entry to Heaven. But Mary was never tainted by original sin, kept “immaculate” from the moment of her conception because God knew she would one day give birth to Jesus Christ.

While the event has been marked since as early is the seventh century, December 8th was first officially declared a holy day by the Vatican in 1854 by Pope Pius IX.

READ MORE: Public holidays: What days will you get off work in Switzerland in 2024?

How is it marked?

For some people, this date means a day off work (when the holiday falls on a weekday) and getting together for a family lunch.

However, if the holiday falls on a weekend, as for instance Easter Sunday does, you do not get an extra weekday holiday in lieu – though some churches have moved their service to the following day in the past whenever the holiday would coincide with a Sunday of Advent.

Switzerland has many churches and chapels dedicated to Mary and you can find them in different parts of the country, such as the St. Marien (Basel), Marienkirche (Bern) and the Ticino-based pilgrimage church Madonna del Sasso.

Which cantons give workers the day off?

If you happen to work in one of the following cantons or municipalities, then you’re in luck as you will not be expected to show up for work on December 8th: Appenzell Innerrhoden, Fribourg, Lucerne, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Schwyz, Ticino, Uri, Valais, and Zug.

The public holiday is also celebrated in nearly all of Solothurn with the exception of the Bucheggberg District, one of the ten districts within the canton.

In Aargau, the public holiday is only marked in Laufenburg, Muri, and parts of Rheinfelden (Hellikon, Mumpf, Obermumpf, Schupfart, Stein, Wegstetten).

Immaculate Conception is also a public holiday in parts of Graubünden though not canton-wide.

Does this mean everything will be closed?

Nor necessarily. Shops and museums in municipalities have the option to obtain a Sunday permit if they wish to remain open on December 8th and given that we are approaching the Christmas period, it can be assumed that many will choose to do so. It is best to check out your local canton’s website for further information on what shops will be open on the Friday.

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For members

WORKING IN SWITZERLAND

The pitfalls of Switzerland’s social security system you need to avoid

In most cases, Switzerland’s social benefits system functions well. But there are also some loopholes you should know about.

Published: 24 April 2024 13:37 CEST
The pitfalls of Switzerland's social security system you need to avoid

The Swiss social security system has several branches: old-age, survivors’ and disability insurance; health and accident insurance; unemployment benefits, and family allowances.

This is a pretty comprehensive package, which covers everyone who pays into the scheme for a wide variety of ‘what ifs’.

As the government explains it, “people living and working in Switzerland benefit from a tightly woven network of social insurance schemes designed to safeguard them against risks that would otherwise overwhelm them financially.” 

But while most residents of Switzerland are able to benefit, at least to some extent, from this system, others don’t.

What is happening?

If someone becomes ill or has an accident, Switzerland’s compulsory health insurance and / or accident insurance will cover the costs.

However, a prolonged absence from work can become costly.

That is especially the case of people employed by companies that don’t have a collective labour agreement (CLA), a contract negotiated between Switzerland’s trade unions and employers or employer organisations that covers a wide range of workers’ rights. 

READ ALSO: What is a Swiss collective bargaining agreement — and how could it benefit you?

It is estimated that roughly half of Switzerland’s workforce of about 5 million people are not covered by a CLA.

If you just happen to work for a company without a CLA, your employer is not required to pay your salary if your illness is long.

You will receive money for a minimum of three weeks – longer, depending on seniority — but certainly not for the long-haul.

You may think that once your wages stop, the disability insurance (DI) will kick in.

But that’s not the case.

The reason is that DI can be paid only after a year after the wages stop. In practice, however, it sometimes takes several years of investigations and verifications to make sure the person is actually eligible to collect these benefits, rather than just pretending to be sick. 

In the meantime, these people have to use their savings to live on.

What about ‘daily allowance insurance’?

Many companies (especially those covered by a CLA) take out this insurance, so they can pay wages to their sick employees for longer periods of time.

However, this insurance is optional for employers without a CLA is place.

As a result, small companies forego it because it is too much of a financial burden for them.

And people who are self-employed face a problem in this area as well: insurance carriers can (and often do) refuse to cover people they deem to be ‘too risky’ in terms of their age or health status.

Critics are calling the two situations —the length of time it takes for the disability insurance to kick in and gaps in the daily allowance insurance—”perhaps the biggest failures of the social security system.”

Is anything being done to remedy this situation?

Given numerous complaints about the unfairness of the current system, the Social Security and Public Health Commission of the Council of States (CSSS-E) will look into the “consequences of shortcomings and numerous dysfunctions in long-term illness insurance.”

But not everyone in Switzerland sees a problem in the current situation.

According to the Swiss Insurance Association (SIA), for instance, “making daily sickness allowance insurance compulsory for employers would not have the desired effect. Due to false incentives, it would only exacerbate the upward trend in costs and premiums.”

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