Switzerland Working Hours: Limits and Recordkeeping (ArG)

Switzerland is not in the EU, but its working time law looks broadly compatible with the directive. The Arbeitsgesetz (ArG, Labour Act) of 1964 sets weekly maximums of 45 or 50 hours depending on the worker category, with daily and weekly rest, breaks, and a particular Swiss feature: three modes of working time recording, including a vereinfachte Arbeitszeiterfassung (simplified record) that's been a focal point of negotiation since 2016.

This post explains the ArG's headline limits, the three recording modes (full, simplified, opt-out), and when each is allowed.

#Quick Reference

#How Many Hours Is a Work Week in Switzerland?

The short answer: the legal ceiling is 45 hours per week for most office and industrial staff and 50 hours for everyone else. Those are the two statutory maximums in ArG Art. 9(1), and they apply to each week; averaging is allowed only in narrow cases (ArGV 1 Art. 22).

Swiss law does not set a normal working week. The ArG only caps it. The week you actually owe comes from your employment contract or the applicable Gesamtarbeitsvertrag, and it sits below the statutory ceiling. Hours between the contractual week and the statutory ceiling are Überstunden; hours above the ceiling are Überzeit, and the two are governed by different rules (see below).

Per day, the ArG sets no explicit maximum working time either. The practical limit follows from two other articles: Art. 10 requires the working day, including breaks and overtime, to fit inside a 14-hour span, and Art. 15a requires 11 consecutive hours of daily rest before the next working day (reducible to 8 hours once a week, as long as the two-week average stays at 11 hours). After the mandatory 60-minute break on days longer than 9 hours, the 14-hour span leaves at most 13 hours of actual working time.

#The Two-Tier Weekly Maximum

Article 9(1) splits Swiss workers into two groups:

• Group A (45 hours per week): industrial workers, office workers, technical and other salaried staff, and retail staff in large companies
• Group B (50 hours per week): everyone else (small retail, hospitality, crafts, etc.)

Most knowledge workers fall in Group A. The hospitality and crafts sectors are usually Group B.

The maximum applies to each week. It can be averaged only in narrow cases, for example by up to 4 extra hours for 45-hour workers on a five-day week, as long as the average over four weeks stays within the limit (ArGV 1 Art. 22). Sustained breaches can be compensated only through formal overtime arrangements with strict conditions.

#Overtime: Two Distinct Concepts

Swiss law separates two legally distinct kinds of extra hours: statutory Überzeit and contractual Überstunden.

#Article 12/13: Überzeit (statutory overtime)

Hours above the statutory weekly maximum (45 or 50) are Überzeit, governed by the mandatory rules of Articles 12 and 13 ArG. They are subject to annual caps:

• Maximum 170 hours per year for Group A workers (45-hour week)
• Maximum 140 hours per year for Group B workers (50-hour week)

For Überzeit, ArG Art. 13 makes a pay supplement of at least 25 percent mandatory, so the employment contract cannot exclude it. For office staff, technical and other salaried staff, and sales staff in large retail businesses, the supplement is due only for Überzeit above 60 hours per calendar year. It may be replaced by compensating time off of equal length (1:1) only with the worker's agreement; the employer cannot impose that choice unilaterally.

#Code des Obligations Article 321c: Überstunden (contractual overtime)

Hours above the contractually agreed working time, but still within the statutory weekly maximum, are Überstunden, governed by Obligationenrecht (Code of Obligations) Article 321c. Unlike Überzeit, this regime is flexible by contract: the 25 percent supplement can be excluded by written agreement (or by a standard or collective employment contract), and with the worker's consent the hours can be compensated with time off of at least equal length.

#Rest Periods (Articles 15, 15a, 18)

• Daily rest: 11 consecutive hours
• Weekly rest: typically Sunday; cantonal and sectoral exceptions apply for hospitality, transport, healthcare
• Spread: total daily presence including breaks cannot exceed 14 hours

The Sunday rest is more strictly observed in Switzerland than in much of the EU. Sunday work permits are granted by the cantonal authority for temporary Sunday work and by SECO for regular or permanent Sunday work, and only in defined circumstances (ArG Art. 19).

#Breaks (Article 15)

Three tiers:

• 15 minutes for a working day of more than 5.5 hours
• 30 minutes for more than 7 hours
• 60 minutes for more than 9 hours

The break must be a real interruption.

#The Three Recording Modes

This is what makes Swiss law distinctive: not one recording duty, but three.

#Mode 1: Full Recording (Standard)

The default. The employer records, for each worker, each day:

• Start and end of working time
• Breaks of 30 minutes or more (when and how long)
• Daily total
• Weekly total
• Overtime worked

Records are kept for at least 5 years (ArGV 1 Art. 73). They must be kept available to the enforcement and supervisory authorities, such as the cantonal labor inspectorates and SECO (ArG Art. 46).

#Mode 2: Simplified Recording (Article 73b ArGV 1)

Allowed since 2016, under conditions:

• Worker can set a significant part of their working hours themselves
• A basis for simplified recording exists: an agreement between the employer and the employee representatives of the sector or company (or, where there are none, the majority of the company's employees). In firms with fewer than 50 employees it can instead be agreed individually in writing with the worker, together with an annual year-end discussion about workload
• The agreement with the employee representatives names the worker categories covered, special rules for complying with working and rest time, and a joint procedure for checking compliance
• The simplified record still captures total daily working time, not just monthly summaries

A typical knowledge worker with flexible hours can opt into Mode 2, either through an agreement with the employee representatives or, in a smaller firm, through an individual written agreement. The record reduces to daily total hours; breaks no longer need separate logging.

#Mode 3: No Recording (Article 73a ArGV 1)

Even narrower:

• Worker earns more than CHF 120,000 gross per year, including bonuses (pro rata for part-time work)
• Worker has a high degree of autonomy and sets most of their working hours themselves
• A CBA explicitly authorizes the opt-out
• Worker gives written consent (either side can revoke it each year)

Mode 3 only drops the duty to record working time: the working time limits, breaks and rest periods still apply. It applies to a narrow band of senior workers and remains controversial.

#Ongoing Reform Discussion

More flexible working time rules remain under political discussion in Switzerland. Since July 2023, Ordinance 2 lets audit, fiduciary and tax advisory firms agree an annual working time model with managers and specialists (ArGV 2 Art. 34a). As of October 2026, two further proposals are pending in Parliament: a telework bill (parliamentary initiative 16.484) that would extend the daily span from 14 to 17 hours and cut daily rest from 11 to 9 hours for workers who set a significant part of their own hours, and a motion (24.3779) to largely free employees earning CHF 120,000 or more from the working and rest time rules. The National Council has approved both; the Council of States has not decided yet. Employers should watch for changes but plan around the rules currently in force.

#Special Categories

#Young Workers (ArGV 5)

Workers under 18 are covered by a separate ordinance:

• Maximum 9 hours per day, within a 12-hour span including breaks
• 12 hours of daily rest
• Stricter limits for school-age workers, for example 3 hours a day and 9 a week during the school term
• Prohibition of night work (with narrow exceptions for vocational training)

#Pregnant Workers

Pregnant and breastfeeding workers may not be employed beyond their agreed normal daily working time, and never for more than 9 hours a day (ArGV 1 Art. 60). Specific rest and risk-assessment duties apply.

#Senior Executives

A genuine senior executive (someone with autonomous decision-making power equivalent to a board member) can be exempt from the ArG under Article 3, although its health protection rules still apply (Art. 3a). The exemption is narrow.

#Inspection and Penalties

SECO (the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs) oversees enforcement at the federal level. Cantonal labor inspectorates (e.g., AWI Zurich, OCIRT Geneva) conduct most inspections.

Penalties under Articles 59 to 61 ArG:

Cantonal authorities can also impose administrative measures (e.g., revoking Sunday work permits) that hurt the business more than the fine.

#Practical Compliance Checklist

1. Classify each worker into Group A or B correctly. Misclassification is a common, expensive error.
2. Pick the right recording mode. Default to Mode 1 (full record) unless the conditions for 2 or 3 are clearly met.
3. Document the recording mode choice. Keep the written agreements for Mode 2 or 3, and document the annual workload discussion for individual Mode 2 agreements.
4. Schedule the Sunday rest. Sunday work is permit-based; do not assume it's allowed.
5. Honor the 11-hour daily rest and the 14-hour spread. These are hard ceilings.
6. Retain records for 5 years. ArGV 1 Art. 73 is non-negotiable.

#Common Questions

Are senior managers exempt? Only those genuinely autonomous and with board-equivalent power. Mid-level managers are not exempt.

Can I use Mode 2 without a CBA? Yes. Simplified recording never requires a CBA (only the Mode 3 opt-out does). It needs an agreement between the employer and the employee representatives of the sector or company, or, where there are none, the majority of the company's employees. In firms with fewer than 50 employees it can also be agreed individually in writing with each worker (plus an annual year-end discussion about workload).

Does Sunday rest apply to telework? Yes. Telework on Sunday is treated as Sunday work and needs the same permit basis.

What's the difference between Group A and Group B? Group A workers (industry, office, technical, retail in large firms) cap at 45 hours; Group B at 50. Classification is by employer type and worker category, not by worker preference.

Are bank holidays separate from the 4 weeks of leave? Yes. Switzerland has 1 federal holiday (1 August), and each canton can treat up to 8 further public holidays a year like Sundays (ArG Art. 20a). These are separate from the 4 weeks of statutory leave.

#Summary

• The Arbeitsgesetz sets a 45-hour ceiling for office and industrial workers, 50 hours for others
• Three recording modes: full (default), simplified (Mode 2, by agreement with employee representatives or, in firms under 50 employees, an individual written agreement), no record (Mode 3, requires CHF 120k+ and CBA)
• 11 hours of daily rest; Sunday rest with cantonal exceptions
• Breaks tiered at 15/30/60 minutes
• Annual overtime caps at 170h (Group A) or 140h (Group B)
• SECO and cantonal inspectorates enforce; monetary penalties of up to 180 daily rates for intentional breach

#Sources

• Arbeitsgesetz (ArG) on fedlex.admin.ch
• Verordnung 1 zum Arbeitsgesetz (ArGV 1)
• SECO Working Time information
• Code des Obligations Art. 321c on fedlex.admin.ch

#Where to Go Next

• Germany's Arbeitszeitgesetz: the 2026 time tracking mandate for the German DACH neighbor
• Austria's Arbeitszeitgesetz: recordkeeping duty in 2026 for the Austrian parallel
• The EU Working Time Directive explained for context on what Switzerland deliberately differs from