Swiss Parliamentary Committee Rejects Sixth Vacation Week for Apprentices

The Committee for Science, Education and Culture of the Swiss Council of States has recommended the rejection of a parliamentary proposal to grant apprentices in Switzerland a sixth week of annual vacation. In a decision announced by the parliamentary services, the committee voted seven to four, with one abstention, against a motion introduced by Social Democratic Councillor of States Flavia Wasserfallen representing the canton of Bern.

The committee majority argued that annual leave entitlements represent just one aspect among many that determine the overall attractiveness of a vocational apprenticeship. According to the majority position, establishing a mandatory sixth week of vacation by law would represent an unnecessary, targeted intervention in the operational authority of employers, who should retain primary responsibility for structuring workplace conditions and employment contracts.

The Swiss Federal Council has also formally recommended that the motion be rejected by Parliament. A minority of the committee members supported the initiative, maintaining that an increase in mandatory leave would serve as an explicit endorsement of the dual vocational training system and directly enhance working conditions for young professionals entering the workforce.

Current Swiss labor law under the Code of Obligations guarantees all employees a statutory minimum of four weeks of paid holiday per year, with workers under the age of twenty entitled to five weeks. Companies retain the legal flexibility to offer vacation benefits beyond these statutory minimums at their own discretion. The motion now proceeds to the full Council of States for a final vote, where a rejection by the chamber will permanently dismiss the measure.

Written by Christiane Hofreiter christiane.hofreiter@alpineweekly.com