Swiss Doctors Log 54.6-Hour Weeks as Half Report Exhaustion, Survey Finds

Switzerland’s healthcare system is under strain from overwork, according to a new survey by the Demoscope research institute. Among roughly 2,400 physicians polled, full-time practitioners reported an average workweek of 54.6 hours. That figure marks a slight dip from 56.3 hours in 2022, yet remains far above legal limits.

The toll is stark. More than half of doctors—52 percent—say they feel exhausted. Six in ten admitted that fatigue had led to patient safety risks in the past two years. Meanwhile, 58 percent said they had witnessed or experienced violations of labour law, particularly regarding mandatory rest periods. Extreme cases circulate within the profession: a surgeon routinely working 80-hour weeks, a neurologist who logged years of shifts without meaningful breaks.

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As parliament debates working conditions in the health sector, the Swiss government is taking international steps to improve workplace safety across all industries. The Federal Council has advanced ratification of two International Labour Organization conventions. Convention 190 targets the elimination of violence and harassment at work; Convention 191 enshrines a safe and healthy working environment as a fundamental right. No legislative changes are required for the second convention, while the first introduces a globally recognised definition of workplace violence.

Parallel talks are under way for the Landes-Gesamtarbeitsvertrag (L-GAV), the sectoral collective agreement covering more than 270,000 hospitality workers. The agreement regulates everything from minimum wages to holiday entitlements and occupational pension provisions.

Meanwhile, a push to expand Sunday shopping hours was blocked in the Council of States on Tuesday by the narrowest of margins. The chamber voted 22 to 21 against allowing up to 12 Sunday openings per year; president Stefan Engler cast the decisive tie-breaking vote. Currently, Swiss retailers may open on only four Sundays a year without special permits. The proposal originated in Zurich and aimed to help brick-and-mortar stores compete against online rivals and cross-border shopping. A coalition spanning the Social Democrats, Greens, the Centre Party and the Swiss People’s Party defeated the measure. Trade unions including Travail.Suisse had already threatened a referendum. The bill now moves to the National Council.

On the fiscal side, a planned European Union reform threatens to hit Switzerland’s unemployment insurance fund hard. Under the new rules, the state where a cross-border worker last held a job would be liable for benefits. The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) estimates additional costs of 600 to 900 million Swiss francs annually. Until now, Switzerland has run a surplus on cross-border contributions—payments from foreign commuters have exceeded compensation paid abroad.

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Compounding the financial picture, parliament remains at odds over how to fund the planned 13th old-age pension (AHV). The first payout is scheduled for December 2026. The Council of States favours a mixed model combining VAT increases and higher wage deductions. The National Council, by contrast, wants to fund the extra pension entirely through a 0.5 percentage-point VAT rise, which would apply until 2033.

These debates unfold against a vote this coming Sunday on the popular initiative “No 10-Million Switzerland,” which calls for strict limits on immigration. The Federal Council and cantonal governments warn that adoption would worsen the labour shortage and strain relations with the European Union.

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