Is there a 4-day week in Switzerland?
No. We found no national 4-day-week law or scheme in Switzerland. The federal Labour Act sets only maximum weekly hours, not a shorter standard week.
The main test is a pilot study run by the consultancy Tempora Labs and 4 Day Week Global, with Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) as scientific partner. The organisers describe a supervised six-month trial of a shorter week at unchanged salary. BFH lists the research project as planned for 1 March 2024 to 31 December 2027. The organisers say first results will be presented in Bern on 19 November 2026. No company count or results are published yet.
Two public-sector proposals followed in 2026. In June, Vaud's parliament voted 77 to 61 against a pilot of a week of at most 35 hours for cantonal staff. In August, Zurich's city government approved a framework for 35-hour-week pilots, but had not yet chosen which department would host one.
Caveat: this is a research pilot with pioneer firms, as BFH calls them, not a government programme, so it says little yet about how a shorter week would work across Swiss employers.
Latest developments
Zurich city government sets framework for a 35-hour-week pilot
On 20 August the city government approved a directive setting the legal framework for pilots of a 35-hour week, down from 42. It has yet to decide which department will host the pilot.
swissinfo (Keystone-SDA): Zurich sets framework for 35-hour working week trial (opens in new tab)Vaud parliament rejects a four-day-week pilot for cantonal staff
The Grand Council voted 77 to 61 against a postulate for a pilot of a week of at most 35 hours, without a pay cut, in the cantonal administration, plus a study of its effects.
La Télé: Vaud : le Grand Conseil rejette le test de la semaine de 4 jours (opens in new tab)
4-day-week trials in Switzerland
What each pilot reported. Figures are the organiser's own, from the linked report.
Swiss 4-day week pilot study (Tempora Labs, 4 Day Week Global, BFH)
Run by Tempora Labs and 4 Day Week Global, with BFH Wirtschaft (Institut New Work) as scientific partner
A supervised six-month trial of a shorter week at unchanged salary, with BFH as scientific partner (research project planned 1 March 2024 to 31 December 2027). No company count or results are published; first results are due to be presented in Bern on 19 November 2026.
BFH: Pilotstudie zur 4-Tage-Woche (research project page) (opens in new tab)Jobs in Switzerland
CRM Application Engineer
lastminute.com · Remote · Europe
Half Day FridaysData Architect
lastminute.com · Hybrid · Chiasso, Switzerland
Half Day Fridays
Who offers a 4-day week in Switzerland
We do not list a company with a 4-day week in Switzerland yet.
Suggest a companyHow Switzerland compares
Switzerland, the labelled dot, against the other countries we cover.
Average weekly hours
8th shortest of 25 countries, 1.6 hours below the median of 37.3.
Netherlands 31.3 to South Africa 42.3
See all 25 countries
| Country | Hours |
|---|---|
| Netherlands | 31.3 |
| Denmark | 33.3 |
| Germany | 34.5 |
| Norway | 34.6 |
| Australia | 35.4 |
| Austria | 35.6 |
| Finland | 35.6 |
| Switzerland | 35.7 |
| Belgium | 36.0 |
| Ireland | 36.0 |
| United Kingdom | 36.3 |
| France | 36.9 |
| Sweden | 37.3 |
| Iceland | 37.4 |
| Japan | 37.5 |
| Spain | 37.5 |
| New Zealand | 37.6 |
| United States | 38.2 |
| Lithuania | 39.0 |
| South Korea | 39.4 |
| Brazil | 39.5 |
| Chile | 39.8 |
| Poland | 39.9 |
| Portugal | 40.0 |
| South Africa | 42.3 |
Usual weekly hours on the main job, all employed people, from the OECD (latest year, 2024 or 2025). It includes part-timers. No comparable figure for: Canada, Philippines, United Arab Emirates.
Statutory paid leave
Joint 12th longest of 26 countries, level with the median of 20.
United Kingdom 28 to United States None
See all 26 countries
| Country | Days |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 28 |
| Austria | 25 |
| Denmark | 25 |
| Finland | 25 |
| France | 25 |
| Sweden | 25 |
| Iceland | 24 |
| Brazil | 22 |
| Portugal | 22 |
| Spain | 22 |
| Norway | 21 |
| Australia | 20 |
| Belgium | 20 |
| Germany | 20 |
| Ireland | 20 |
| Netherlands | 20 |
| New Zealand | 20 |
| Poland | 20 |
| Switzerland | 20 |
| Chile | 15 |
| South Africa | 15 |
| South Korea | 15 |
| Canada | 10 |
| Japan | 10 |
| Philippines | 5 |
| United States | None |
The legal minimum a year, in working days on a five-day week, before public holidays. Definitions differ: some countries set weeks or calendar days (converted here), the UK lets public holidays count and the United States has no national minimum. Each country page says what its number covers. No comparable figure for: Lithuania, United Arab Emirates.
Working in Switzerland
Working hours
The average employee works 35.7 hours a week (OECD, 2025). Under the Labour Act, the maximum working week is 45 hours for industrial staff, office and technical staff and other employees, including sales staff in large retail, and 50 hours for all other employees.
Paid leave and holidays
The Code of Obligations gives employees at least four weeks of leave a year, and at least five weeks until the age of 20. On a five-day week, four weeks is 20 days.
Remote work
In 2025, 36.7% of employees aged 15-64 worked from home usually (5.6%) or sometimes (31.1%), according to Eurostat.