The trend is rising : more and more employees are taking on a sideline activity in addition to their main job. Sometimes it's in the same field - a cook, for example, will work in a restaurant during the week, and run a food-truck on Saturday evenings - and sometimes it's quite the opposite.
Young workers in particular are looking for a better work/life balance. They would often like to combine a “money” job with a “passion” job. For example, an office worker will also do sports coaching in the evenings and at weekends.
Is it legal? What are the employee's rights and obligations?
Under Swiss work law, the practice of an ancillary activity must not interfere with or compete with one's main job.
A full time employee must ask permission before taking on a second job, as this could affect their rest and performance. In addition, multiple jobs must not exceed weekly and daily working time limits, nor intrude on daily rest periods. These limits are detailed in Ltr.
Pour les employés à temps partiel, en théorie, cumuler deux emplois est autorisé tant que le total des taux d’activité ne dépasse pas 100%. Toutefois, certains employeurs ou conventions collectives exigent que les employés informent ou demandent l’autorisation avant de prendre un emploi annexe.
At Rhinnos, we believe that this trend will continue to grow in the years to come. That's why we recommend that employers be flexible and consider requests carefully. After all, while it's important that the main employer should not be prejudiced, it's also desirable that employees who would like to pursue a sideline activity should be able to do so within the law. Employees will be more grateful and motivated if they can increase their income or pursue a passion. This also helps to build long-term loyalty.
We hope you found this article useful! We'll be happy to answer any questions you may have about labor law in Switzerland, so please don't hesitate to contact us!