In the Swiss business world, summer jobs are very common. Young people have long vacations in the summer, and want to use some of this free time to work and earn money.
Some SMEs hire their employees' teenage children or young adults for short periods every year. Below, we have summarized the main points to be observed when working with young people.
Work contract:
Il n’y a pas forcément besoin de conclure un contrat de travail écrit. Dès que le jeune débute son travail, les rapports de travail naissent automatiquement. Il est toutefois préférable de confirmer les modalités du travail par écrit, en particulier les dates, les horaires et le salaire.
Tasks and age :
In Switzerland, you can work from the age of 15. However, from the age of 13, young people can perform light or occasional tasks, such as babysitting. Young workers may not be assigned tiresome work or carry loads in excess of 20 kg.
Salary:
There is no minimum wage in Switzerland, but some organizations recommend a wage of CHF 12 to CHF 17 per hour for summer jobs, depending on the tasks involved.
In principle, young people working on summer jobs are subject to the same social security deductions as adults. However, depending on their age or the total amount of their salary, they may be exempt from the usual contributions.
Work schedule: :
Working hours are regulated according to the age of the young workers. A 15-year-old is not allowed to work beyond 8pm. 16- and 17-year-olds can't work past 10pm.
Holiday :
Even for short-term summer jobs, young workers are entitled to vacation time. In many cases, vacation is paid in addition to their salary, especially if the duration of the summer job is less than 1 month.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to find out more about this or any other aspect of Swiss labor law!