Swiss Hourly to Salary: How Vacation & Holiday Pay Works

Understanding Swiss Hourly Contracts

Under Swiss labor law, employees paid on an hourly basis are entitled to the exact same statutory benefits as salaried workers. This includes paid vacation, public holidays, and in many sectors, a 13th-month salary.

Because tracking hours off is complex, these benefits are compensated as percentage surcharges added directly to the base hourly wage.

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The Legal Surcharges on Hourly Rates

When comparing an hourly wage to a salaried position, check that your contract includes:

1. Vacation Pay Surcharge (Ferienentschädigung)

By law, employees are entitled to a minimum of 4 weeks of paid vacation.

• 4 Weeks Vacation: 8.33% added to your hourly rate.
• 5 Weeks Vacation (mandatory for workers under 20 or over 50): 10.64% added to your hourly rate.

2. Public Holiday Compensation (Feiertagsentschädigung)

Hourly workers must be compensated for public holidays. This is calculated based on the number of official holidays in your canton (typically 9 days), adding 3.0% to 4.5% to the hourly rate.

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Action Plan: Negotiate Hourly Contracts

1. Check Your Contract Clauses: Verify whether the hourly wage quoted is "gross base" or "inclusive of vacation and holiday pay".
2. Convert Rates: Use our Swiss Hourly to Salaried Salary Converter to find the exact annual salary equivalent of your hourly contract offer.