The answer to this question is based on many variables, so there is no univocal ‘yes’ or ‘no’ reply.

A ‘typical’ work week in Switzerland is 42 hours on average for full-time employment, though in some jobs it could go up to 45 hours.

The number of hours you are expected to ‘put in’ every day, as well as specific timeframes (usually from 8 am to 5 pm, but that could vary), will be spelled out in your work contract and / or your Collective Labour Agreement (CLA) — if your company is covered by one.

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

If either, or both, documents mention nothing about overtime hours, then your employer cannot, under normal circumstances, ask— and even less so, expect — you to work beyond your regular schedule.

What about circumstances that are not ‘normal’?

Say there is some kind of ‘emergency’ situation in your workplace — for instance, your co-workers got sick — and the temporary staff shortage will affect productivity and customer service.

Under such circumstances, your boss would not be out of line to ask you if you could fill in for your sick colleagues — but that would be a request rather than an outright command.

You are then free to accept or refuse; in the first case, you would be compensated for the extra hours you put in, and in the latter, there should be no consequences for not stepping in.

This is how it would be in case of a regular, 8-to-5 job.

But what if you work irregular hours or shifts, or if your job description requires you to be ‘on call’ on certain days?

There are many professions where employees must be ready to be called to work to provide emergency help, do urgent repairs, or generally handle ‘extraordinary’ events after the regular work hours.

According to the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), employees are on-call if, outside their normal work duties, they are ready to come into work at odd hours.

If that is what your employment contract calls for, then yes, the company can call you to come in when such a necessity arises.

Your contract will specify how you will be remunerated for the extra hours you worked — in money or additional time off.

One thing to remember, especially if you are a foreigner and unfamiliar with the Swiss labour law, is that your rights and obligations are laid out in your contract or the CLA; any additional tasks (or hours) that are not included therein but that your employer asks you to do, cannot be imposed.