Working in Switzerland
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In Switzerland, salaries as well as the general terms and conditions of employment are governed by employment contracts signed between an employer and an employee. In sectors and businesses that also have a collective labour agreement (CLA), the provisions of the relevant CLA must be complied with.
Employment contracts
Unia is a social partner in nearly 250 collective labour agreements (CLAs), and regularly negotiates with the employers of the respective industry and/or company. In concrete terms, this means: No protection without a CLA. Because Swiss law does not stipulate a general minimum wage, if there is no CLA, then employers are free to define workers’ salaries at will.
Legislation
Special rules apply to non-Swiss employees in some industries. The Swiss government provides online information in English concerning laws of employment, residence and social security.