Employee associations also call for more flexible labor law

In the view of many employers, the current labor law has long been in need of reform. Various political initiatives for a more flexible handling of working hours are in the pipeline. On the other hand, various unions have already announced resistance. But not all employee representatives are completely opposed to a reform of the labor law. The labor law must be adapted to the reality of the world of work, says, for example, the platform, an interest group representing the employee associations Angestellte Schweiz, Kaufmännischer Verband (kfmv), Schweizer Kader Organisation SKO and Zürcher Gesellschaft für Personal-Management (ZGP) vis-à-vis politicians and the public. Together, these associations represent the concerns of around 80,000 members in education, economic and employment policy issues.

The platform is now calling for the modernization of the labor law. The flexibilization of work, which is a reality for many employees, must also be regulated in the labor law, according to a press release sent to the media on August 28. With the advance of digitalization, the free organization of work is becoming more important; the compatibility of work, family and extra-occupational activities must be improved. The provisions of the current labor law are therefore insufficient for employees with working time autonomy, who are largely free to organize their working time as they wish. Adjustments for this group of employees are therefore necessary, argues the platform.

The platform calls for a legally anchored annual working time model that defines to which employees the flexibilization applies. At the same time, the term "employees who perform a higher managerial activity" must be explained more precisely. Flexibilization must be accompanied by effective health protection measures. The prevention of psychosocial risks is at the forefront of this. The proposal made in the platform organized employee associations provides for the following points in detail:

• The target group is employees with majority working time autonomy, i.e. employees with design autonomy who can determine at least 50% of their working and compensation time themselves.
• Working time is to be defined in partnership and on an equal basis with the employer within the framework of a contractual annual working time model.
• No change in the annual maximum working hours (52 x 45 hours).
• No change in annual overtime (170 hours).
• Possibility of a time-limited increase in the maximum weekly working time to 60 hours. Overtime and overtime are included in these times. → Simplified regulation, as regulations on daily overtime are omitted.
• Simplification of rest and working time regulations: Extension of the daily working period to 15 hours and, accordingly, a possible reduction of the rest period to 9 hours (but 11 hours on average over 4 weeks).
• Right to local flexibility (e.g., home office), especially overtime.
• Flexible scheduling of work over the work week.
• Health protection measures are mandatory in this annual working time model.

The associations of the platform take a position on the current parliamentary business concerning the labor law and advocate for this proposal in the further political consultation in the interest of their members.

More information: www.kfmv.ch, www.sko.ch