Working in Switzerland - Special categories

Disabled persons

Under the Swiss Federal Constitution, "no one may be discriminated against, especially [...] on account of a physical, mental or psychological disability" (Article 8). 

The Federal Office for Justice has drawn up a Federal Law on Equality of Disabled Persons, which will come into force on 1 January 2004.

This law provides for the elimination, or at least mitigation, of unequal treatment of disabled persons in Swiss society – in particular, in the fields of public transport, buildings (homes) and services. To satisfy the needs of the disabled, a number of Federal laws must be amended – for example, the Telecommunications Law, the Federal Law on Vocational Training and the Road Traffic Law – the amendments to all of which will also take effect on 1 January 2004. Even if the new Federal Law does not go far enough in the opinion of the aid organisations for the disabled, whose main objection is that it does not contain any measures for occupational integration, it nevertheless constitutes a major step forward on the path that will eventually lead to equality for the disabled. 

The Office for Equality of Persons with Disabilities, which will commence work shortly, will have the same objective.

The Office for Equality of Persons with Disabilities

The Office for Equality of Persons with Disabilities, which will operate under the auspices of the General Secretariat of the Federal Department of the Interior, will commence activity as soon as the Law comes into force. Its functions will be as follows:

• improvement of information on the specific needs of disabled persons;
• initiation of and support for programmes and information campaigns;
• coordination of activities of the private and public institutions working in this field;
• periodic analysis of the effectiveness of the measures adopted.

For further information on this subject, see the websites listed below.

Young workers

Work by young people is regulated by the Federal Labour Law for Industry, Commerce and Trade (Labour Law). The term "young workers" relates to young people of both sexes up to the age of 19 inclusive and apprentices up to the age of 20 inclusive. 

The main provisions of the Law for this category of employees are as follows:

• Young people up to the age of 15 inclusive must not be employed except in certain special cases (young people over the age of 13 may be used for messenger services and light work; young people below the age of 15 may be employed for cultural, artistic and sporting performances and in advertising).
• Daily working time must not exceed nine hours (including any overtime and compulsory education during working hours).
• Young people up to the age of 16 inclusive must not be employed after 20.00 (and young people over 16 after 22.00).
• Young people must not work overtime until they have reached the age of 16.
• Young people may not be employed for night-time and Sunday work (with possible exceptions for the purposes of vocational training).

Source: European Union
© European Communities, 1995-2006
Reproduction is authorised.