Vacation rights in Switzerland 2026: annual leave for employees
Swiss law guarantees a minimum of four weeks (20 working days) of paid annual leave for all employees — five weeks for employees under 20. In practice, most professional roles in the private sector offer 25 days, and some sectors provide 25–30 days through collective labour agreements. Understanding accrual rules, carry-over limits, and the rules governing public holidays (which vary by canton) is essential for planning your time off and confirming you receive what the law entitles you to.
- Legal minimum: 4 weeks (20 working days) per year for adults; 5 weeks under age 20.
- Market standard in professional roles: 25 working days (5 weeks).
- Public holidays: 8–15 days depending on canton — NOT automatically added on top of annual leave in most contracts.
- Accrual: leave is earned progressively through the year (1/12th per month worked).
- Carry-over: limited by law — unused leave from the previous year must generally be taken by 31 March.
- Termination: unused accrued leave must be paid out in the final settlement.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 5–10 days of carry-over into Q1 of the following year, but this is a contractual flexibility, not a legal right.
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.
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.