CBA staff leasing: Fairness for temporary workers and security for staff leasing agencies

The Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for staff leasingGlossary is an agreement between employers’ associations and employee representatives that regulates the working conditions for temporary workers in Switzerland. Since its introduction in 2012, this agreement has played a key role in establishing fairer standards and more comprehensive social protection in the temporary workforce. It provides protection for employees as well as staff leasingGlossary agencies with clear specifications and security in their operational business.

The collective labour agreement for staff leasingGlossary applies to all employees employed in companies that have a federal or cantonal temporary employment permit in accordance with the Employment Services Act and whose main activity is staff leasingGlossary. This means that over 400,000 employees are subject to this comprehensive employment contract, which makes it the largest of its kind in Switzerland.

The CBA for staff leasingGlossary covers a wide range of working conditions, including:

• Minimum wages
• Continuation of salary in the event of illness and maternity
• Holiday schedules
• Working hours
• Termination protection

It also sets standards for occupational safety and health protection and offers financial protection in the event of occupational accidents. A central element of the contract is also the promotion of further training through the “temptraining” fund, which offers temp workers attractive opportunities for professional development.

The collective labour agreement for staff leasingGlossary becomes effective as soon as employees are employed in companies in accordance with the criteria of the contract. Its provisions apply nationwide and thus ensure a uniform and regulated working environment for temporary workers in Switzerland.

The CBA for staff leasingGlossary also applies in deployment companies that are subject to another CBA. Under certain conditions, the CBA for staff leasingGlossary accepts the wage and working time provisions of the CBA of the deploying company. Provisions on flexible retirement are also accepted under certain conditions. However, provisions regarding daily sickness benefit insurance, occupational pension, and contributions for implementation and further training will not be accepted, provided that the solutions provided for in the current CBA for staff leasingGlossary are at least equivalent to the provisions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (ave CBA) that are generally binding for the sectors.

In deployment companies with non-generally binding Collective Bargaining Agreement, the provisions of the CBA for staff leasingGlossary apply in full. However, there are also exceptions here: Regulations in certain industries such as the chemical and pharmaceutical industry, machine industry, graphics industry, watch industry, and food and beverage industry as well as in public transport operations may deviate from these.

In deployment companies with non-generally binding Collective Bargaining Agreement, the provisions of the CBA for staff leasingGlossary apply in full. However, there are also exceptions here: Regulations in certain industries such as the chemical and pharmaceutical industry, machine industry, graphics industry, watch industry, and food and beverage industry as well as in public transport operations may deviate from these.

The latest renewal of the CBA for staff leasingGlossary will bring some important new features. In addition to higher minimum wages and automatic compensation for increases in the coming years, the CBA contribution for execution, further training, and sickness allowance solution will also be adjusted. These changes will contribute to further improving working conditions and strengthening the social security for temporary workers.

The table below shows how the minimum wages will develop depending on the training of temporary workers until the end of the new collective labour agreement for staff leasingGlossary at the end of 2027.
Minimum wages per month (times 13)

With the expiry of the currently valid CBA for staff leasingGlossary at the end of 2027, the statutory employment law provisions will not automatically apply. New terms of employment must be agreed between the employer and the employee. In a continued social partnership between employers or employers’ associations and employee associations, a CBA is usually replaced by a new one after renegotiation of the working conditions has taken place and a new CBA has been agreed.

Creating an employment contract for a temporary employee is complex. Various factors such as the cumulative duration of assignment at the same company, compliance with the minimum wage, working hours, overtime compensation, holiday regulations, areas of responsibility, etc. must be correctly regulated. This requires an in-depth understanding of the legal framework, the CBA for staff leasingGlossary, the specific requirements of the customer company and the needs of the employee.

An employment contract that does not comply with the legal requirements may lead to legal consequences. To avoid this, we offer an industry solution with our Apriko software that makes everything easier. It records all of these parameters at the touch of a button and creates legally compliant employment contracts at any time, no matter how many are needed. This reduces complexity to a minimum.

The CBA for staff leasingGlossary glossary is applied to around 400,000 employees per year and is thus the Swiss CBA with the greatest reach. It contains specifications on working and wage conditions, modern regulations in the field of further training and occupational pensions, as well as an industry solution for daily sickness benefit insurance. Temporary workers can benefit from subsidies of up to CHF 5,000 for further training, as well as compensation for loss of salary via the “temptraining” training fund. Since the launch of this fund, more than 120,000 further training applications have been submitted and a total of over CHF 110 million has been invested in the professional future of temporary workers.

In the European political context, the collective labour agreement that has been in existence since 2012 makes an important contribution to protecting Swiss wage and working conditions thanks to its universally binding declaration. The CBA for staff leasingGlossary glossary plays a pioneering role in the social partnership-based design and safeguarding of the increasingly flexible working world.