Practical Geneva

The law does not impose any special form . The contract can be concluded in writing or orally . It is recommended that the parties conclude a written employment contract on the basis of the provisions of:

• the Code of Obligations (CO),
• the Labor and Ordinance Act (LTr).

In the event of a dispute, the legal provisions shall apply.

A detailed employment contract should include the following information :

• function and job description,
• date of entry into service,
• trial period (CO art. 335c): between 1 to 3 months notice maximum. During this period, the period for termination of the contract is 7 days,
• duration of the contract (indefinite or fixed),
• working hours : depending on the sector of activity (maximum 45 hours or 50 hours per week; beyond that, it is consideredas overtime),
• gross monthly salary (wages without deductions) (CO art. 322, 323, 323b),
• insurance for local employees or internationals,
• holidays (CO art. 329a): public holidays and working hours (LTr art. 9),
• overtime (CO art.321c) : the salary supplement is 25%,
• end of employment relationship (CO art. 334, 335, 335a, 335b, 335c, 337): depends on seniority: 1 year = 1 month; 2 to 9 years old = 2 months, over 9 years old = 3 months. The contract is terminated for the end of the current month. There is no national minimum wage in Switzerland.

A minimum wage of CHF 24.48- per hour (as of 1 January 2025) applies in the canton of Geneva. There is no national minimum wage in Switzerland.

Some sectors of activity benefit from a CCT collective labour agreement :

• overview of National collective labour agreements,
• consult the National Salary Calculator or the Union Syndicale Suisse (USS) online salary calculator.

Every employee is entitled to a reference letter. An intermediate certificate should be requested in the event of a change of manager.

The employee can also request an intermediate certificate if he/sheis transferred within the same company (CO art.330a).

In the event of unfair dismissal, appeals may be made to the Tribunal des Prud’hommes . The procedure is free of charge in Geneva.

The lawyers on duty at the “Permanence” of the Geneva Bar Association can advise you at a lower cost on any question relating to labour law.