8 differences between the Swiss and UK work culture
From the dress code to formal greetings, Switzerland and the UK have a lot in common in the workplace. But there are some key differences that could come as a surprise. Reporter Sandra Sparrowhawk shares her experience of working in both countries.
The Swiss 13th salary
As with most countries in the world, Switzerland has 12 official months in the year but despite this rather obvious fact, many Swiss companies pay their employees a 13th salary at the end of the year.
But why is that?
The idea behind this system is that the 13th instalment paid out in December (in effect, two months’ salary) will help pay for Christmas expenses and other end-of-year bills.
The 13-salary system is not part of the Swiss labour law, as it is in some countries, it is more a matter of custom and does not affect your monthly income.
However, if it is part of the employment contract, then the company is obligated to pay it. Currently, nine out of 10 employers do so and if you ask any veteran Swiss resident, they will advise you against signing an employment contract with an employer that does not offer you this financial boost.
It goes without saying that this is the biggest perk I’ve missed while working in the United Kingdom.
If you’re curious about the ins and outs of Switzerland’s 13-salary system and how exactly it is calculated, you can find out more in our article on the topic here:
READ ALSO: What is the 13th month salary and how is it calculated?
Promotion and pay rise talks are welcome
While timing is certainly key when asking for a promotion and/or pay rise in any company, it has been my experience that many Swiss managers welcome career advancement talks at any time throughout the year.
This means you don’t have to wait until the end of the quarter to address your performance.
But don’t get the wrong impression: you will still be expected to provide valid arguments and a solid track record to prove why you deserve a promotion or a higher salary, so make sure you are always well-prepared for these meetings.
Typically, it is best to discuss your career development right after a great achievement at your workplace. This way your manager’s most recent image of you will be that of a stellar employee who worthy of a promotion.
So, while timing certainly isn’t everything, it can help propel you forward on your career path.
Swiss multilingualism
While some Swiss companies may discourage you from speaking in a foreign language the rest of the team doesn’t understand (out of respect for your co-workers), employees are usually more than welcome to speak in any of Switzerland’s four national languages (German, French, Italian, and Romansh) as well as in English.
In fact, most Swiss residents speak more than one of Switzerland’s national languages and will be able to communicate in English, which is often regarded as the language of business in larger Swiss cities, such as Zurich, Basel, and Geneva.
This presents not only a great learning opportunity for any newcomers, but you will often find that the Swiss are very welcoming of other languages and cultures in the workplace and outside of it, seeing as they are already exposed both multilingualism and multiculturalism on the daily.
READ ALSO: Can you get by in Switzerland with just English?
A person works at a desk. Photo by Unseen Studio on Unsplash
More bank holidays in Switzerland
Need I say more?
Switzerland has the UK beat when it comes to the number of bank holidays workers get to enjoy each year.
Depending on the canton, there are up to 17 bank holidays in Switzerland annually, many of which have a religious background.
Even the Swiss cantons with the least number of bank holidays, namely Graubünden (11) and Appenzell Ausserrhoden (10), still give employees more time off work than England and Wales (8).
And now onto the bits I haven’t missed as much…
Working from home not as prevalent in Switzerland
Home working, also called ‘tele-work’ or ‘home office’, became widespread during the first wave of the Covid pandemic in 2020, when Swiss authorities recommended that people leave their residences as rarely as possible to curb the spread of infections.
At a certain point during the pandemic, the Federal Council even made working from home compulsory whenever possible.
However, once Covid-19 was on its way out so was the flexibility of some Swiss companies which began to slowly backtrack on remote working.
In fact, a number of employers even came to regret this flexible work pattern as many employees chose to work from home either at the beginning or the end of the week.
Some companies in Switzerland, however, discovered that human nature quickly replaced work ethic, as home-based employees are often caught slacking off rather than actually working on those days, resulting in some employers banning home office work on Mondays and Fridays.
Working in the UK, however, I have been consistently met with more flexibility regarding both the weekdays I choose to work from home on and the number thereof.
As someone who values her lunchtime spent gardening and walking the dog (yes, on Mondays and Fridays, too), this is a perk I would have a hard time sacrificing. Sorry, Switzerland.
READ MORE: Why are Swiss companies cracking down on home-working?
Work chit-chat more laid back in the UK
If you are going to work in Switzerland (or are already employed here), you should know the rules that prevail in the office environment. Some of them – like dress code and punctuality - are pretty much the same as elsewhere in Europe.
However, one thing that has struck me as being different is workplace chatter, which I have found to be far less laidback (and encouraged) in Switzerland when compared to the UK. On top of that, in Swiss companies you have to always ensure you stay out of people’s personal business and mind which topics you serve up for discussion.
That’s right, the Swiss are notoriously private people which means discussions around divisive topics, such as finances, politics, and religion, are best avoided altogether. This is also the case outside the workplace.
Moreover, don’t forget that no matter how friendly you get with your co-workers – and manager – you are still in a work environment and the Swiss like to keep things professional at all times.
You can read more on Switzerland’s work etiquette here.
Mental health not as widely discussed in Switzerland
According to a report by Swiss news site 20min, Swiss youngsters are looking for more companies that care about their mental well-being and offer support where needed.
According to Stéphan Eliez, psychology professor at the University of Geneva, both the state and companies must act: “If young people are mentally unwell and they cannot find help, they risk losing their jobs. In addition to the personal tragedy, the mental health of young people also has social implications."
However, while I have always found my Swiss managers to be approachable, mental health was never a topic that was commonly discussed in the workplace, nor were there any obvious incentives to help struggling employees at any of the companies I worked for in Switzerland.
In short: I would not have known who to turn to had I found myself in a dark place and would have likely worried about being stigmatised or discriminated against any struggles with my mental health.
Many UK companies have made strides in recognising the importance of promoting mental well-being in the workplace and open discussions surrounding mental health have been very welcome from my personal experience working on the island.
Fewer vacation days in Switzerland
While Swiss cantons offer employees more bank holidays, the majority of full-time workers in the UK get to benefit from more vacation days.
In the UK, most full-time staff who work a 5-day week must receive at least 28 days’ paid annual leave a year. This is the equivalent of 5.6 weeks of holiday.
Part-time workers are entitled to at least 5.6 weeks’ paid holiday, but this will amount to fewer than 28 days.
For example, if they work 3 days a week, they must get at least 16.8 days’ leave a year.
In Switzerland, regardless of whether you work full or part-time, you are entitled to at least four weeks’ vacation per year.
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The Swiss 13th salary
As with most countries in the world, Switzerland has 12 official months in the year but despite this rather obvious fact, many Swiss companies pay their employees a 13th salary at the end of the year.
But why is that?
The idea behind this system is that the 13th instalment paid out in December (in effect, two months’ salary) will help pay for Christmas expenses and other end-of-year bills.
The 13-salary system is not part of the Swiss labour law, as it is in some countries, it is more a matter of custom and does not affect your monthly income.
However, if it is part of the employment contract, then the company is obligated to pay it. Currently, nine out of 10 employers do so and if you ask any veteran Swiss resident, they will advise you against signing an employment contract with an employer that does not offer you this financial boost.
It goes without saying that this is the biggest perk I’ve missed while working in the United Kingdom.
If you’re curious about the ins and outs of Switzerland’s 13-salary system and how exactly it is calculated, you can find out more in our article on the topic here:
READ ALSO: What is the 13th month salary and how is it calculated?
Promotion and pay rise talks are welcome
While timing is certainly key when asking for a promotion and/or pay rise in any company, it has been my experience that many Swiss managers welcome career advancement talks at any time throughout the year.
This means you don’t have to wait until the end of the quarter to address your performance.
But don’t get the wrong impression: you will still be expected to provide valid arguments and a solid track record to prove why you deserve a promotion or a higher salary, so make sure you are always well-prepared for these meetings.
Typically, it is best to discuss your career development right after a great achievement at your workplace. This way your manager’s most recent image of you will be that of a stellar employee who worthy of a promotion.
So, while timing certainly isn’t everything, it can help propel you forward on your career path.
Swiss multilingualism
While some Swiss companies may discourage you from speaking in a foreign language the rest of the team doesn’t understand (out of respect for your co-workers), employees are usually more than welcome to speak in any of Switzerland’s four national languages (German, French, Italian, and Romansh) as well as in English.
In fact, most Swiss residents speak more than one of Switzerland’s national languages and will be able to communicate in English, which is often regarded as the language of business in larger Swiss cities, such as Zurich, Basel, and Geneva.
This presents not only a great learning opportunity for any newcomers, but you will often find that the Swiss are very welcoming of other languages and cultures in the workplace and outside of it, seeing as they are already exposed both multilingualism and multiculturalism on the daily.
READ ALSO: Can you get by in Switzerland with just English?
More bank holidays in Switzerland
Need I say more?
Switzerland has the UK beat when it comes to the number of bank holidays workers get to enjoy each year.
Depending on the canton, there are up to 17 bank holidays in Switzerland annually, many of which have a religious background.
Even the Swiss cantons with the least number of bank holidays, namely Graubünden (11) and Appenzell Ausserrhoden (10), still give employees more time off work than England and Wales (8).
And now onto the bits I haven’t missed as much…
Working from home not as prevalent in Switzerland
Home working, also called ‘tele-work’ or ‘home office’, became widespread during the first wave of the Covid pandemic in 2020, when Swiss authorities recommended that people leave their residences as rarely as possible to curb the spread of infections.
At a certain point during the pandemic, the Federal Council even made working from home compulsory whenever possible.
However, once Covid-19 was on its way out so was the flexibility of some Swiss companies which began to slowly backtrack on remote working.
In fact, a number of employers even came to regret this flexible work pattern as many employees chose to work from home either at the beginning or the end of the week.
Some companies in Switzerland, however, discovered that human nature quickly replaced work ethic, as home-based employees are often caught slacking off rather than actually working on those days, resulting in some employers banning home office work on Mondays and Fridays.
Working in the UK, however, I have been consistently met with more flexibility regarding both the weekdays I choose to work from home on and the number thereof.
As someone who values her lunchtime spent gardening and walking the dog (yes, on Mondays and Fridays, too), this is a perk I would have a hard time sacrificing. Sorry, Switzerland.
READ MORE: Why are Swiss companies cracking down on home-working?
Work chit-chat more laid back in the UK
If you are going to work in Switzerland (or are already employed here), you should know the rules that prevail in the office environment. Some of them – like dress code and punctuality - are pretty much the same as elsewhere in Europe.
However, one thing that has struck me as being different is workplace chatter, which I have found to be far less laidback (and encouraged) in Switzerland when compared to the UK. On top of that, in Swiss companies you have to always ensure you stay out of people’s personal business and mind which topics you serve up for discussion.
That’s right, the Swiss are notoriously private people which means discussions around divisive topics, such as finances, politics, and religion, are best avoided altogether. This is also the case outside the workplace.
Moreover, don’t forget that no matter how friendly you get with your co-workers – and manager – you are still in a work environment and the Swiss like to keep things professional at all times.
You can read more on Switzerland’s work etiquette here.
Mental health not as widely discussed in Switzerland
According to a report by Swiss news site 20min, Swiss youngsters are looking for more companies that care about their mental well-being and offer support where needed.
According to Stéphan Eliez, psychology professor at the University of Geneva, both the state and companies must act: “If young people are mentally unwell and they cannot find help, they risk losing their jobs. In addition to the personal tragedy, the mental health of young people also has social implications."
However, while I have always found my Swiss managers to be approachable, mental health was never a topic that was commonly discussed in the workplace, nor were there any obvious incentives to help struggling employees at any of the companies I worked for in Switzerland.
In short: I would not have known who to turn to had I found myself in a dark place and would have likely worried about being stigmatised or discriminated against any struggles with my mental health.
Many UK companies have made strides in recognising the importance of promoting mental well-being in the workplace and open discussions surrounding mental health have been very welcome from my personal experience working on the island.
Fewer vacation days in Switzerland
While Swiss cantons offer employees more bank holidays, the majority of full-time workers in the UK get to benefit from more vacation days.
In the UK, most full-time staff who work a 5-day week must receive at least 28 days’ paid annual leave a year. This is the equivalent of 5.6 weeks of holiday.
Part-time workers are entitled to at least 5.6 weeks’ paid holiday, but this will amount to fewer than 28 days.
For example, if they work 3 days a week, they must get at least 16.8 days’ leave a year.
In Switzerland, regardless of whether you work full or part-time, you are entitled to at least four weeks’ vacation per year.
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