Vacation rights in Switzerland 2026: annual leave for employees

The minimum 4 weeks and what "weeks" means

The Code of Obligations specifies four weeks of paid leave. This means 20 working days for a full-time (100%) employee on a 5-day week schedule. For part-time employees, leave is proportional to the employment rate, an 80% employee on a 4-day week still earns 20 working days of leave, but each "day" is a part-time day. Contracts that express leave in "weeks" rather than "days" can be ambiguous: always verify the actual day count and whether the reference is working days or calendar days. When reviewing your employment contract, check both the leave entitlement and whether public holidays are counted separately.

Many employers in banking, consulting, and technology offer 25 days (5 weeks) as the standard package. Some sectors via CCT (construction, hospitality) provide specific entitlements. If your contract says "4 weeks" and market standard in your sector is 5 weeks, this is a legitimate negotiation point, particularly for experienced hires. For a fuller picture of how vacation rules sit within the broader legal framework, see our overview of Swiss labour law.

Public holidays in Switzerland

Switzerland has a complex public holiday system: some holidays are national (New Year, National Day on 1 August, Christmas), while others are cantonal (religious feast days that vary by religion and tradition). The number of official public holidays ranges from 8 in some cantons to 15 in others. Public holidays are NOT automatically in addition to your annual leave; their treatment depends on your employment contract and any applicable CCT. Most private sector contracts treat public holidays separately from annual leave days: verify this explicitly. The total number of days off (annual leave plus public holidays) is a key component of working conditions and directly affects your effective working hours across the year.

Geneva public holidays (2026 examples): New Year's Day, Berjeanne (January 2), Good Friday, Easter Monday, Ascension, Whit Monday, National Day (August 1), Geneva Jeûne (September), Christmas, Restoration of the Republic (December 31). That is approximately 13 official public holidays in Geneva. Vaud has a different set; Zurich differs again.

Accrual and carry-over rules

Leave accrues at 1/12th per completed month of service. An employee who joins on 1 July earns 10/12ths of their annual entitlement for that year (assuming December year-end). By law, at least two weeks of annual leave must be taken consecutively, reflecting the health and rest rationale behind the law. Employers can schedule when leave is taken (requiring company-wide shutdown periods, for example) but must give reasonable advance notice. Good annual leave planning from the start of the year avoids last-minute pressure at year-end and reduces the risk of forfeiting days.

Unused leave does not automatically roll over indefinitely. The Code of Obligations requires unused leave to be compensated or taken within a reasonable period, typically interpreted as by 31 March of the following year for leave from the prior calendar year. After this deadline, the employer can refuse to grant the carry-over, though they cannot force you to forfeit it without compensating in cash. In practice, most Swiss employers allow 5 to 10 days of carry-over into Q1 of the following year, but this is a contractual flexibility, not a legal right. How leave interacts with a notice period is another area to check carefully, since unused days must be paid out on termination but may also be "worked off" against the notice window if the employer agrees. For employees seeking a healthier balance, understanding your full leave entitlement is a core part of work-life balance in Switzerland.

Leave you don't schedule by year-end isn't savings, it's a deadline. Past 31 March, generosity replaces law as the only thing standing between you and forfeited days.

Leave and illness: the suspension rule

If you fall ill during a scheduled vacation period and have a medical certificate, the days of illness are not counted as vacation days, they are counted as sick leave instead, and you recover those vacation days. This is a statutory right that cannot be waived. The practical requirement: obtain a medical certificate for any illness during vacation, even for a single day.

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Frequently asked questions

Can my employer force me to take vacation at a specific time?

Yes, employers can designate mandatory shutdown periods (summer shutdown, Christmas-New Year closure) and count these against your annual leave entitlement, provided they give at least 3 months' advance notice. They can also refuse specific leave requests if the timing is operationally problematic, though they must offer an alternative period. If leave is denied twice for the same period, you have grounds to challenge the refusal.

What happens to my unused leave when I resign?

Unused accrued leave must be paid out in your final settlement at your daily rate of pay. If you have taken more leave than you have accrued at the point of resignation (e.g., taken 15 days in January but only accrued 3 days), the employer can deduct the over-drawn amount from your final payslip, provided this is specified in your contract. Never take more leave than you have accrued in the months before a planned resignation.

Is a 13th month affected by taking unpaid leave?

Yes, unpaid leave (congé sans solde) reduces the 13th month entitlement proportionally. A month of unpaid leave typically reduces the 13th month by 1/12th. This should be explicitly agreed in writing before taking unpaid leave, along with the impact on AVS contributions, LPP accrual, and any other entitlements tied to salary continuity.

Can I carry over unused vacation days to the following year in Switzerland?

Yes, within limits. Art. 329c of the Code of Obligations (OR) requires that at least two weeks of annual leave be taken in the current calendar year. Remaining unused days can be carried over, but must generally be taken by 31 March of the following year, a deadline courts have interpreted as the outer boundary of a "reasonable period." After that date, the employer can lawfully refuse to grant the carried-over days, though they cannot simply cancel them without paying compensation if the employee was not given a reasonable opportunity to take the leave. In practice, the rules differ between the statutory minimum (4 weeks for adults, 5 for employees under 20) and any contractual leave above that floor. For the statutory minimum, the employer bears stronger obligations to ensure the employee can actually take the leave before it expires. For days granted above the legal minimum purely by contract or collective agreement, the employer has more latitude to set stricter expiry conditions, including a hard 31 December cut-off. Always check your contract and any applicable CCT for the specific carry-over rules that apply to your situation.