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.

Teleworking

If the employer wishes to authorize teleworking, it is advisable to settle the terms and conditions between employer and employee. The Fédération des entreprises romandes provides a model of a teleworking agreement (FR), as well as an explanatory note for the employer (FR).

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.