Flexibility and work-life balance

FINMA offers its employees a lot of individual responsibility and sufficient scope to arrange their own working hours flexibly. They use an annual working time model with time recording (based on a 42-hour week). The working day (Monday to Saturday 6.00 am to 11.00 pm) and the rules on time compensation for overtime are set in such a way that they give employees a great deal of flexibility. Executive staff (the two highest levels of senior management) do not record their working hours.

About one-fifth of FINMA employees work part-time. Wherever possible, new jobs are also always offered at a part-time workload of four working days a week (80%). Job-sharing is encouraged where possible. In most functions, FINMA employees can chose between two different working time models.

Mobile working is standard at FINMA: all employees have a modern laptop and full remote access. This makes it possible to work on the road or from home.

Working from home and mobile working are also embedded as principles in the working time rules at FINMA. This option is used by employees in many functions and at all levels.

The FINMA head office in Bern and the office in Zurich are both centrally located only a few minutes’ walk from the main station.

Both FINMA sites have break rooms, meeting areas and subsidised catering facilities.

Paid maternity leave at FINMA is 16 weeks. This can be extended by at least four weeks with annual leave or unpaid leave. If they wish, female employees can reduce their workload to as low as 40% for 12 months after birth and still keep their position. Paid paternity or adoption leave is four weeks. This may be extended by up to two weeks by unpaid leave.

The FINMA care allowance for children in education is CHF 300 per month.

Employees can purchase an additional week’s holiday each year against a 2% reduction in pay.

Every five years of service, FINMA employees get a loyalty bonus of five paid days of holiday.

Every five years employees are also entitled to three months’ unpaid holiday. Anyone who does not use their unpaid sabbatical can take a six-month unpaid break after ten years of service.

Our employees have free access to advisory services on caring for children and relatives from Profawo. Profawo also helps arrange nursery and childcare places, childminders and nannies – this service is free for FINMA employees.

Paid leave for unexpected care situations is three days per incident. This applies not only to family members living in the same household. It also covers other relatives such as looking after parents when they need emergency care.

As an additional encouragement to mobility, all FINMA employees can choose between having an SBB GA travel card or an annual travel allowance.