Pushing overtime – “I have to cut off my vacation because my colleague is in quarantine”

Over 140,000 people in Switzerland are in quarantine or isolation. Many of them can no longer do their work. In order for business to continue, work colleagues in many places now have to work extra shifts.

The 20-minute community is also affected. Readers tell how much more they have to work and how they are doing in times of mass quarantine.

“At the moment I work ten to eleven hours a day,” says Nina *, 30 from Basel. She works in a retirement home and around a third of the staff is in quarantine due to Corona. Instead of the usual five, only three people now work per shift. The situation is stressful and exhausting.

“Above all, the residents are now neglected, that makes me really sad,” says Nina. There is already an emergency plan in place if even more staff should be absent. “But I hope it doesn’t get that far, the whole thing scares me.”

Heinz, 32 from Bern, feels the same way. He works in a social institution for mentally ill people. “At the moment a quarter to a third of the workforce is continuously missing because of the quarantine.” The remaining staff therefore work 20 to 40 percent more.

It is difficult because some patients are tested positive again and again. “I have the most trouble when my children say that I am only working or when they ask my wife whether I am on vacation,” says Heinz.

Markus, 56 from central Switzerland, is also overloaded. “I’m a bus driver and had to work through the last seven days because so many employees are in quarantine.” He doesn’t finish work until one or two o’clock at night.

In general, there is a lack of staff in the job, but Corona is now making the situation worse. All employees are fully utilized. “We are slowly reaching the limit,” says Markus. Due to the strict working hours, younger employees are already quitting.

Coiffeuse Conci, 56 from Solothurn even had to cancel the vacation due to a lack of staff: “My work colleague has Corona and has to stay at home, so I flew home from Dubai.” Otherwise the company would have had to be closed.

According to lawyer and labor law expert Boris Etter, employees cannot avoid working overtime: “Employees in Switzerland are obliged to work overtime if it is operationally necessary.” However, overtime must be personally reasonable for the employee and, unless otherwise agreed, be compensated with wages or free time.

“In addition, the maximum weekly working hours of the labor law must be adhered to,” says Etter (see box below). The performance of overtime may be demanded, among other things, because of the urgency of the work or the avoidance of operational disruptions. However, overtime may not exceed 140 or 170 hours a year – depending on the maximum working hours.