Fisher Phillips (JD Supra Switzerland)

This article is the third in a series which will provide an introduction to employment law in Switzerland and will cover the basic laws applicable to prohibitions against discrimination and harassment and the remedies available to employees who prevail in actions against their employers for violations of these laws. This article will also provide a brief overview of Swiss maternity leave laws.

This article is the second in a series which provides an introduction to the key elements of employment law in Switzerland. Although Swiss employment law is rather liberal in character when compared to employment laws of other nations, there are some limitations on the employer and requirements that each employer doing business in Switzerland should be aware of.

Switzerland is a democratic country with a population of almost 8 million people, located in the heart of Europe and comprised of 26 cantons, also known as districts, that operate utilizing three official languages: French, German and Italian. Each canton has its own constitution, legislature, government and courts. Due to Switzerland’s advanced infrastructure, skilled workforce, and unlike many...

On March 3, 2013, voters in Switzerland approved a referendum providing one of the world’s most onerous restrictions regarding executive compensation. The referendum entitled, “Eidgenössische Volksinitiative ‘gegen die Abzockerei’” or, in English, “Federal popular initiative ‘against the rip-off’” (the “Referendum”) was approved by 67.9% of those who voted in all of the country’s 26 cantons (Switz