DON’T MISS
IamExpat Job BoardIamExpat HousingIamExpat Webinars
Newsletters
EXPAT INFO
CAREER
HOUSING
EDUCATION
LIFESTYLE
EXPAT SERVICES
NEWS & ARTICLES
Home
Career
Swiss news & articles
Remote workers less likely to take sick days in Switzerland
Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy

Remote workers less likely to take sick days in Switzerland

Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy
or
follow us for regular updates:



Related Stories

Moving to Switzerland: A step-by-step guideMoving to Switzerland: A step-by-step guide
Why does Switzerland have fewer strikes than other countries?Why does Switzerland have fewer strikes than other countries?
7 things expats in Switzerland need to know about in October 20227 things expats in Switzerland need to know about in October 2022
New study exposes huge gap between Swiss and expat salariesNew study exposes huge gap between Swiss and expat salaries
The most popular employers in Switzerland revealed by new staff surveyThe most popular employers in Switzerland revealed by new staff survey
Rates of sick leave in Zurich soar by 31 percent since 2010, data showsRates of sick leave in Zurich soar by 31 percent since 2010, data shows
Sizeable number of Swiss companies underpay their staff, report findsSizeable number of Swiss companies underpay their staff, report finds
Swiss firms shouldn't be required to pay a liveable wage, says employer group headSwiss firms shouldn't be required to pay a liveable wage, says employer group head
For expats of all colours, shapes and sizes

Explore
Expat infoCareerHousingEducationLifestyleExpat servicesNews & articles
About us
IamExpat MediaAdvertisePost a jobContact usSitemapRSS feeds
More IamExpat
IamExpat Job BoardIamExpat HousingWebinarsNewsletters
Privacy
Terms of usePrivacy policyCookiesAvoiding scams

Never miss a thing!Sign up for expat events, news & offers, delivered once a week.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy


© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
Apr 27, 2022
Jan de Boer

Editor at IamExpat Media

Jan studied History at the University of York and Broadcast Journalism at the University of Sheffield. Though born in York, Jan has lived most of his life in Zurich and has worked as a journalist, writer and editor since 2016. While he has plunged head-first back into life in Switzerland since returning to the country in 2020, he still enjoys a taste of home at pub quizzes and karaoke nights.Read more

Many Swiss companies have noticed that people who work from home tend to take fewer sick days, leading to an increase in productivity. As Switzerland emerges from COVID restrictions, many international companies and local businesses are debating the merits of working from home, and many have found productivity has increased as people avoid the office.

Pandemic saw fewer sick days filed by Swiss workers

According to the Swiss Commercial Association, workers who do their jobs from home are absent less often. "The reason for this is that they can use the computer without much effort within the apartment or house - even if they are not feeling well," said spokesperson Dominic Karrer.

Media spokesperson for the Swiss postal service, Erich Goetschi, agreed that those who work from home are less absent, “Especially in the case of short absences.” Swisscom, a major phone and internet provider, said that they had seen a significant decrease in absence requests since the pandemic began.

Employees try to work from home, even when ill

According to 20 minuten, the lack of a commute means more employees are emboldened to work from home or even bed, regardless of how ill they are. Rudolf Minsch, chief economist at Economiesuisse, said that the phenomenon is “productivity-enhancing” and that employers may encourage those who are ill to work from home instead of taking days off in future.

However, many have voiced their concern that the culture being developed by employers puts workers under pressure. Laurenz Meier, a psychologist at the University of Neuchâtel, noted, “It is possible that [employees] also work when sick for fear of giving the boss the impression that they are lazy."

Working when ill prolongs recovery times

Meier made the point that working when ill often makes recovery take longer. Stefen Studer, Managing Director of Employees Switzerland, said that remote working “has a lot of catching up to do” in regard to how illnesses are managed.

He said that the statistics show that many workers try to do their jobs from bed when they are ill, leading to increased burnout. Studer called on employers with remote workers to study the state of their employees’ health so that they can give the right assistance to those struggling.

By Jan de Boer