What Are The Public Holidays in Switzerland in 2026?

List of Public Holidays in Switzerland (2026)

Switzerland has only a few nationwide public holidays, with most additional days set at cantonal level. The table below lists the main public holidays that are widely observed across the country in 2026, but your team’s exact days off will depend on the canton where they work.

Do Employers Have to Provide Paid Leave on Public Holidays?

Swiss federal law does not generally require employers to provide paid leave on public holidays, but it does treat certain public holidays as equivalent to Sundays, when work is heavily restricted. Whether a public holiday is a paid day off for your employees usually depends on the employment contract, company policy or an applicable collective bargaining agreement. Many employers choose to pay employees for public holidays as part of standard practice, especially for full-time staff.

New Year’s Day, Ascension Day and Swiss National Day are nationwide public holidays, and most cantons also recognise additional days such as Good Friday, Easter Monday, Whit Monday and Christmas Day. If a public holiday falls on a Sunday, there is no automatic right under federal law to a substitute weekday, but some cantons or employers grant a replacement day by agreement. For part-time employees, pay for public holidays is typically prorated based on their average working hours or included in an all-in hourly rate, which should be clearly documented to avoid disputes.

If employees are required to work on a day that is a public holiday in their canton, you must comply with the strict rules on Sunday and night work, including obtaining permits where necessary and providing compensatory rest. Many employers also offer additional pay or time off in lieu for holiday work, even where not strictly required by law, to remain competitive and fair.

Legal Penalties for Not Providing Paid Holiday Leave

Because Swiss federal law does not impose a general obligation to pay employees for public holidays, the main legal risk is not usually a fine for unpaid holidays, but rather for breaching working time and Sunday work rules or violating contractual commitments. If your contracts, policies or collective agreements promise paid public holidays and you do not honour them, employees can bring claims for unpaid wages and, in serious cases, damages.

Enforcement is handled by cantonal labour inspectorates and, where relevant, by courts. Authorities can issue orders to stop unlawful Sunday or night work and may impose administrative fines if you schedule employees on public holidays without the necessary permits or without granting the required compensatory rest. Common employer mistakes include assuming that public holiday rules are the same in every canton, failing to update work schedules when a canton adds or changes a holiday, and not documenting how holiday pay is calculated for part-time or hourly staff.

To reduce risk, you should map the public holidays that apply in each canton where your employees work, align your internal policies with those rules, and ensure payroll accurately reflects any contractual entitlement to paid holidays or premium pay for holiday work.

How Do Holidays Affect Overtime Thresholds?

In Switzerland, public holidays primarily affect whether work is allowed at all, rather than changing the basic overtime thresholds. Federal law sets weekly and daily maximum working hours, and overtime is generally any time worked beyond the contractual schedule or statutory maximums. Work performed on a public holiday that is treated like a Sunday is subject to the same restrictions and compensation rules as Sunday work.

If employees work on a public holiday with the required permit, they are usually entitled to compensatory rest and, depending on the circumstances, a wage supplement. Many employers treat hours worked on public holidays as overtime and pay a premium, often at 25% or more, or grant equivalent time off in lieu. These practices are often set out in collective agreements or company policies rather than mandated directly by federal law, so you should review the specific rules that apply to your sector and canton.

For payroll, it is important to code holiday hours separately so you can track when employees are approaching weekly or daily limits and ensure that any agreed premium rates or compensatory rest are correctly applied. This is especially important for shift workers and cross-border teams who may be subject to different cantonal or neighbouring-country holiday calendars.

Stay 100% Compliant with Leave Regulations Using Playroll

Managing Swiss public holidays across multiple cantons can quickly become complex, especially when you are coordinating teams in Zurich, Geneva, Ticino and beyond. Playroll helps you stay ahead of these differences by centralising local holiday calendars, working time rules and contract terms in one platform, so your managers do not have to track every cantonal nuance manually.

When you hire through Playroll, your Swiss employment agreements are drafted to reflect local practice on public holidays, Sunday work and overtime, and our in-country experts keep them up to date as laws or cantonal rules evolve. Payroll calculations automatically factor in regional holidays, part-time entitlements and any agreed premium rates for holiday work, reducing the risk of underpayment claims or compliance gaps.

Playroll also gives you clear visibility into upcoming holidays for each employee, helping you plan staffing levels, avoid scheduling employees on restricted days without the right permits and coordinate global project timelines. If you are unsure how a specific holiday applies in a particular canton, our team can walk you through the practical implications so you can make confident decisions.

By combining local legal expertise with automated payroll and scheduling, Playroll makes it far easier for your company to offer competitive, compliant public holiday and leave benefits to Swiss employees while keeping your operations running smoothly.