Top 10 list - Vacation (#7)

The minimum paid vacation here is four weeks, which may be supplemented at the cantonal level or at the employer’s discretion.  This puts it at the low end of the range in Europe where most countries mandate five or even six weeks but it’s clearly more generous than the US requirement (i.e. no requirement).   In any case, what I like about it has less to do with the quantity and more with the mentality and how it is administered.  When supplemented, it is done so  dependent on an employee’s age, not service with the company .   Since I’m older than dirt I get six weeks, which is more than I’ve ever gotten or ever will get.   It’s one of the few advantages of being uralt.  Also, there is no “use it or lose it” here.  You’re expected to use it and no one ever resents you doing so.   Clearly, this also means that you cannot take money in lieu of time off.   What would be the point of that?   There is one feature that I find a bit overreaching but I appreciate the thought.  That is the law requiring you to take two of your vacation weeks consecutively.   The idea is to ensure a real mental break.  I don’t know how it’s policed but people do it, sometimes twice.   Having heard all this don’t make the mistake thinking the Swiss are vacation hoarding slugs.  They’re eminently practical, a characteristic that was evident in 2012 when a national referendum to increase the minimum vacation to six weeks was soundly defeated by a two-thirds majority.   Lastly, and perhaps the most important feature of the Swiss holiday landscape, is how the school breaks are spread out.   While kids here spend more or less the same number of days in school as in other countries, including the US, it’s broken up better.  The summer break is only six weeks which leaves six weeks to spread around to cover ski holiday (very important here), Easter and a Fall break.  It’s really quite nice.