Job notification requirement: one in four companies restricted

Half a year after the introduction of mandatory job notification, one in four companies feels restricted in their recruitment efforts. This is the finding of a survey of 650 managing directors and HR managers conducted by the market and social research institute gfs-zürich on behalf of swissstaffing and the Swiss Trade Association. The proportion of companies that feel strongly affected by restrictions and additional administrative burdens is even higher, at 39 percent. The reason: For every vacancy, the obligation to report must be checked and, if necessary, a report must be made.

Mandatory reporting slows down recruitment

"Many companies are dependent on personnel at short notice during peak order periods and unforeseen events such as accidents and illness. In order to be able to fill the vacancies quickly, the five-day bidding block is far too long. Many corporate clients of temporary staffing companies need the employees they are looking for within 24 hours," says Leif Agnéus, President of swissstaffing and General Manager of Manpower Switzerland, explaining the high proportion of restricted companies. The result: delays, lower quality, overtime for existing staff, lost orders.

Reporting process successful, candidate proposals deficient

The focus of the federal government and the cantons on a business-friendly notification procedure has paid off. Eighty percent of the companies surveyed find the verification of subordination and the notification process simple. There is a lot of catching up to do when it comes to the RAV's candidate proposals. Only 31 percent of the companies surveyed rate these as good. In view of the figures, NR Hans-Ulrich Bigler, Director of the Swiss Trade Association, comments: "As long as the quality of the RAV's dossiers does not improve, extending the obligation to register to occupations with an unemployment rate of over 5 percent does not make sense, but only places an additional administrative burden on SMEs."

Job notification requirement hits French-speaking Switzerland particularly hard

An analysis of the survey by canton shows: The job notification requirement is hitting French-speaking Switzerland particularly hard. In the canton of Geneva and the canton of Vaud, 72 and 60 percent of companies respectively say they are severely affected by the job notification requirement. In addition, 44 percent of companies in the canton of Geneva feel severely restricted in their recruiting efforts. "In the canton of Geneva, there are more jobs than working-age residents. Uncomplicated recruitment options are therefore particularly important." explains swissstaffing economist Marius Osterfeld. Given the shortage of skilled workers and international competition, the goal should be to create a more transparent job market, but maintain the liberal labor market. For the political leaders in Bern, the survey results are a wake-up call, as a further increasing burden on the economy is foreseeable due to the extension of job notification requirements in 2020 and the introduction of controls.

Source: Swissstaffing