Labor market inspections and sanctions for offences during work assignments in Switzerland

/by

The Posted Workers Act ensures minimum working and pay conditions for workers posted to Switzerland. These Swiss regulations apply to short or long-term work assignments by foreign employees or self-employed persons from EU/EFTA and UK.

More controls will be carried out post-Covid.

Foreign employees from all sectors are, randomly and without notification, inspected by the supervisory authority at their place of work in Switzerland.

In addition to the salary, the applicable working conditions such as working hours and rest periods, minimum vacation time, safety and health protection at the workplace must be observed. In the case of a labor market inspection, documents relevant to the inspection must be made available. These include: copies of employment contracts, diplomas, work time reports and payslips. Also required are: receipts of the payment of a 13th or 14th month’s wages, holiday and Christmas bonuses, secondment allowance, travel, food and lodging costs as well as bonuses. Violations of the Posted Workers Act may result in sanctions that range from warnings and fines up to a ban on the Swiss job market. On the linked page, SECO (State Secretariat for Economic Affairs) publishes a monthly list of sanctioned companies.

Please do not hesitate to contact International HR Services Ltd. for further questions.