Apprenticeship Federal Council does not want an additional week of vacation during the apprenticeship period
The statutory vacation entitlement during an apprenticeship is not to be increased to at least six weeks. The Federal Council rejects five corresponding motions from several parliamentary groups for an additional week of vacation.
20.11.2025, 11:53
SDA
Councillor of States Flavia Wasserfallen (SP/BE), National Councillors Franziska Ryser (Greens/SG) and Fabienne Stämpfli (GLP/BE) and National Councillors Marc Jost (EVP/BE) and Simon Stadler (Center/UR) have tabled five identical motions calling for the Swiss Code of Obligations to be amended accordingly.
The Federal Council should investigate how the burden on training companies could be reduced in return. The authors of the motions justify their request by arguing that young people are increasingly choosing grammar school instead of an apprenticeship, partly due to the longer school vacations. In addition, psychological stress during apprenticeships is increasing.
According to its statement published on Thursday, the Federal Council opposes the motions. Companies already have the option of granting their apprentices more vacation than the five weeks prescribed by law. This is an opportunity for them to score points in the competition for apprentices.
The Federal Council also warns that if apprentices miss an extra week of work, this could make companies less willing to train them. Under-30s can also apply for five days' unpaid leave for voluntary commitments in extracurricular youth work. According to the Federal Council, the increase to up to two weeks demanded by parliament was well received in the consultation process.
Finally, the Federal Council does not want to anticipate the results of a round table on vocational training. The meeting will examine the framework conditions for vocational training, including vacation entitlement. The Federal Council is also discussing a degressive model over the entire apprenticeship period.
A petition recently submitted to the Federal Council even called for eight weeks' vacation for young people undergoing an apprenticeship. The request met with a great deal of approval, with around 176,450 people signing the petition. It was a record petition, wrote the alliance formed by apprentices for the petition.
