The latest Swiss Labour Force survey from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) has revealed which job sectors are the most likely to offer flexible working to their employees. While remote and flexible work was largely a reaction to COVID restrictions in place at the turn of the 2020s, the government noted that many businesses in Switzerland continue to offer it as an option.

More than a third of employees in Switzerland work from home

Despite the COVID pandemic that made remote work essential having passed its peak, the survey found that 38,4 percent of employees in Switzerland still work from home at least occasionally, indicating that the phenomenon is here to stay. However, while it remains popular, the number of companies that offer home and remote working varies hugely by job sector.

In Switzerland, the most likely sector to offer home working as an option is information and communications. On average, 82,9 percent of workers in jobs related to anything from the media to public relations were able to work from home some or most of the time.

Perhaps naturally, jobs that can be done through the internet were some of the common to be offered as remote positions. Information and communications were followed by banking and insurance services (73, percent of workers) and education (63,3 percent).

Nearly half of workers in Switzerland have flexible hours

Alongside remote roles, in 2023 47,7 percent of workers in Switzerland operated with flexible working hours - meaning they were able to change their hours to suit their lifestyle and commitments so long as they fulfilled a weekly, monthly or annual quota, or had no fixed time requirement. Men (51,8 percent) were more likely than women (43,3 percent) to use flexible hours. 

However, the report noted that flexible hours were only common in a few major sectors. The most common employers to use relaxed hours were once again in information and communication (77,3 percent), banking and insurance services (75,3 percent) and professional, scientific and technical services (73 percent).

Remote and flexible work: A mixed blessing?

While many have praised flexible hours and remote working for giving staff more choice over when and where to work, several studies have indicated that the phenomenon may not have been as pro-worker as initially thought. For instance, many have questioned whether remote and flexible work’s blend of home and work life is to the detriment of staff well-being.

According to the 2023 Global State of the Workplace report by Gallup, while remote and flexible workers tend to be more productive and engaged than on-site employees, they are also more likely to be stressed and at risk of burnout. This was blamed on the “always online” culture and the mixing of work and social time associated with flexible hours.