Paid absences:
Working time regulations (§ 17)
Medical appointments and prescribed therapies should be scheduled outside working hours whenever possible. However, if it is not possible to arrange an appointment outside working hours or if it is an urgent emergency, the time actually spent during working hours will be taken into account. However, a maximum of the difference to the regular working hours will be taken into account for each event.
In the event of illness, you must inform your line manager immediately. From the 4th day of illness , a doctor's certificate must be submitted to HR Shared Services, as well as any follow-up certificates (see §17 of the working time regulations).
Time off and public holidays:
Days off and public holidays that fall on a working day are calculated at 8.4 hours for a full-time employee. For part-time employees, the proportion corresponding to the workload applies. Any differences between the time off or public holiday credit and the daily target hours are offset against the working time balance.
Free days and public holidays include: New Year's Day (1 day), Carnival Monday (0.5 day), Carnival Wednesday (0.5 day), Maundy Thursday (0.5 day), Good Friday (1 day), Easter Monday (1 day), Labor Day (1 day), Ascension Day (1 day), Friday after Ascension Day (1 day), Whit Monday (1 day), National Holiday (1 day), Dies Academicus (1 day), Christmas Eve (0.5 day), Christmas Day (1 day), St. Stephen's Day (1 day), New Year's Eve (1 day)
The working hours are 42 hours per week for a 100% workload and are reduced accordingly for a lower workload.
The daily working hours should be between 06:00 and 20:00 from Monday to Friday, unless operational requirements demand different working hours. Within this framework, you can flexibly adapt your daily working hours to your operational and personal needs, in consultation with your line manager. In areas where fixed working hours are required for organizational reasons, these apply.
The maximum daily working time is 12 hours. With the agreement of your line manager, you can also work your planned working hours on Saturdays between 06:00 and 20:00 without receiving additional bonuses for Saturday work.
Late working hours refer to working hours between 20:00 and 23:00 on working days (Monday to Saturday).By mutual agreement, late-night work can be arranged to provide greater flexibility in your individual working hours, without the inclusion of bonus payments.
Working time balance - overtime - overtime
The working time balance corresponds to the working time worked by employees within the framework of flexible or fixed working hours. The working time balance may not exceed 80 hours or fall below minus 30 hours.
Extra hours are incurred if you perform additional work that has been ordered or approved. Overtime , on the other hand, occurs when this additional work exceeds the statutory maximum working time of 45 hours per week.
It is important to inform HR of any changes to your address, bank details and marital status as soon as possible.
Self Services are provided for this purpose (however, this is only possible via VPN and therefore only after you have received the key data sheets).
When starting a new job and every year thereafter, German and French cross-border commuters require a certificate of residence or an Attestation de résidence fiscale.
If HR Shared Services does not receive a certificate of residence by January of the following year, the full withholding tax will be withheld retroactively. However, it is possible to submit the corresponding form at a later date. In this case, the withholding tax already withheld will be refunded to the cross-border commuter.
A residence and work permit is required for all our employees who are not Swiss nationals. This requirement applies to both EU/EFTA citizens and third-country nationals.
In principle, work permits for employees are obtained by HR Operations Team 1 & 2. Exceptions are B, L and C permits for EU citizens resident in Switzerland and third-country nationals.
You have the option of contacting the Leadership & Development Office for professional, confidential counseling on challenging career situations.
The Youth developement office is the point of contact for all questions relating to academic careers and is at your disposal in particular for questions about funding and career advices.
After 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 years of uninterrupted service, our employees are entitled to a seniority award in the form of an anniversary bonus of CHF 5,000.00 for full-time employment. The list of years of service is not exhaustive. The calculation of the entitlement is based on the average employment level over the last five years, in accordance with the Personnel Regulations, § 24.
IT Services will set up of your e-mail account and send all the necessary information.
Family allowance
To apply for family allowances, please complete and sign the application for family allowances for employees and send it to HR Shared Services together with the required attachments. They will send the form to the family compensation fund, which will decide on the payment of a family allowance. The family allowances are paid out by the university.
HR must be notified of changes such as marital status, number of children, place of residence or the employment relationship of the partner.
Employees who are only entitled to second entitlement in accordance with the provisions of the Family Allowances Act will receive any differential allowance. At most, the difference up to the amount that would be paid in the case of a first entitlement will be paid.
Maintenance allowance
Only employees who are entitled to a family allowance according to the decision of a Swiss family compensation fund (FAK) are entitled to a maintenance allowance. If the family allowances are paid by the University of Basel, the maintenance allowance will also be paid. If the entitlement to family allowances passes through another family compensation fund or another employer, the maintenance allowance can be applied for at the University of Basel. To do so, complete the application for family allowances for employees and send it to HR Shared Services.
Employees who are only entitled to second entitlement in accordance with the provisions of the Family Allowances Act will receive any differential allowance. At most, the difference up to the amount that would be paid out in the case of a first entitlement will be paid. Child-related services by third parties, such as the employer of the other parent, other employers, family funds or institutions, are offset against the entitlement to a maintenance allowance.
Maintenance allowances are graduated according to the employment level. Entitlement to a full maintenance allowance passes from an employment level of at least 50% or 25% for single parents. Those who work less receive a correspondingly reduced maintenance allowance.
The amount of the maintenance allowance is graduated according to the number of children.
If the employee takes unpaid leave of absence, the family and maintenance allowances are paid during the current month and the following three months after the start of the leave of absence. The entitlement to family and maintenance allowances renews on the day on which work is resumed. If the employment relationship ends directly after the unpaid leave of absence, there is no entitlement to family and maintenance allowances for the entire period of unpaid leave of absence.
You are entitled to 25 working days' leave of absence per calendar year. This increases to 27 working days from the calendar year in which you reach the age of 50 and to 30 working days from the calendar year in which you reach the age of 60(see § 16 Para. 1 Working Time Regulations).
Please note that at least two weeks of the annual vacation entitlement must be taken in one go.
The remaining vacation days should be taken by June 30 of the following year (see § 16 Para. 2 Working Time Regulations).
Responsibility for monitoring your vacation days lies with the respective departments or units.
Further information can be found in the staff regulations (§ 29).
A Group is the association of university members of one or more categories with regard to elections and representation on internal university boards.
University members can belong to the following Groups:
| Group I: | Holders of professorships, assistant professors with tenure track, professors funded by the SNSF |
| Group II: | Assistant professors without tenure track, university lecturers, adjunct professors, university lecturers, private lecturers and academic employees with teaching obligations |
| Group III: | PhD students and postdoctoral researchers at the University of Basel |
| Group IV: | Academic, technical and administrative staff without teaching duties |
| Group V: | Students in BA and MA degree programs |
Further information can be found in the Statutes of the University of Basel or on the homepage under Co-determination & Groups.
We support our employees in administration with the home office working model in order to meet their individual needs as far as operational possibilities allow. Working from home and flexible working hours also enable our employees to commute outside rush hour, thus helping to reduce traffic congestion.
The employees themselves are responsible for the installation and operation of the working environment at home. The University of Basel does not contribute to any expenses.
Supervisors are responsible for implementing the work organization, including the home office.
Further information can be found in the home office information sheet.
International multiple employment refers to regularly recurring assignments for several employers in different countries. Regular assignments for one employer with work locations in different countries should also be regarded as multiple employment.
Persons working in Switzerland are generally subject to the Swiss social security system. If you work for other employers, the international coordination rules must be observed so that you are only subject to one social security system. The aim is to prevent a double burden of contributions, the loss of entitlements or problems in the event of an accident/unemployment. For counseling, please contact the HR Operations team responsible for you.
Our day care is a facility for students and employees and is located in the immediate vicinity of the Kollegienhaus (main building) at Herbergsgasse 1. Further information can be found here Childcare.
Every person who settles in Switzerland should take out health insurance no later than three months after taking up residence. The same applies to parents who must register their newborn child with a health insurer.
Due to the European provisions on the coordination of social security systems, certain persons may be obliged to take out insurance in an EU/EFTA country despite being resident in Switzerland. Further information on this can be found at the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).
Wages are based on the salary class with the corresponding level or the pay scale with the corresponding level in the case of assistants.
The salary is paid in 12 or 13 equal installments. The 13th month's salary (if entitled) is paid at the end of November. If an employee joins or leaves the company during the year, an entitlement to a pro rata 13th month's salary passes. Further details are set out in the salary regulations.
As soon as the probationary period has expired, in the event of illness or accident, the salary will continue to be paid for the duration of the employment relationship, up to a maximum of 730 days at 100% of the salary subject to AHV contributions(see Staff Regulations, § 27).
Pay slips are not sent out as they are stored in Self Services each month. You can inspect them there at any time and download or print them out if necessary.
Please note that you will no longer have access to Online Services after leaving/ending employment.
You will also find the salary statements for the tax authorities to download and print out in Online Services.
Due to the electronic provision, salary statements are no longer sent by post. The salary statements are issued in January/February of the current year for the previous year. If you belong to one of the following groups of people, the salary statement will continue to be sent to you by post:
- Employees who left the company in the previous year.
- Employees who will leave in the period from January 1, 20xx to January 31, 20xx.
- Employees who were exclusively fee earners or persons doing community service in the previous year.
The salary system of the University of Basel passes through salary classes and salary levels. The salary classes assess a position. The job description forms the basis for determining the salary class.
The salary levels reflect your individual experience. The salary level is calculated exclusively by HR Operations Team 1 & 2 on the basis of the professional experience you state on your CV, diplomas and the job description (including the salary class). This is usually adjusted annually, although automatic wage increases can be suspended by a decision of the University Council.
We use employee appraisals and target agreements as a management and leadership tool.
Our managers and staff regularly conduct structured employees appraisals to align expectations, assess the quality of collaboration and plan job content and objectives. Where possible, these meetings take place once a year at a time that is convenient for the organizational unit.
During these meetings, goals for the coming cooperation period are jointly agreed. Both strategic goals for the organizational unit and development goals for the employees are defined. In addition, quality maintenance goals are defined, such as ensuring that staff continue to provide services to the usual high professional standard.
The documents required for preparation, implementation and documentation are provided here: Employee appraisal toolbox.
In the event of pregnancy, employees should inform the decentralized HR and HR Operations Team 1 & 2.
→ In the event of pregnancy and maternity, our employees are entitled to 16 weeks'paid absencewith full salary, which can begin at the earliest 2 weeks before the expected date of birth(Working Time Regulations, § 19).
How leave of absence is regulated in the event of adoption is described in the staff regulations .
To change personal details such as address, marital status and IBAN number or to apply for an unpaid leave of absence, you can use the Self Services in Online Services (only via VPN, i.e. only after receiving the key data sheets). You can also inspect, save or download payslips and salary statements there. All TimeManagement functions can also be found in Online Services. In addition, HR processes can be initiated there in the role of management and/or in the role of decentralized HR.
All regulations on working hours and absences can be found in the working time regulations.
- You are entitled to a 15-minute break in the morning and in the afternoon, which counts as working time. These breaks should be used for rest and may not be used to credit working time at the beginning or end of the day's work
- If you do not take a lunch break of at least 30 minutes for a daily working time of more than seven hours, a break of 30 minutes is automatically deducted.
The legal basis for the University of Basel's occupational pension scheme can be found in the pension fund regulations.
Employees are subject to BVG contributions if their annual salary is above the pension fund entry threshold (as of 2024: CHF 22,050 gross/year) and the employment relationship lasts longer than three months.
We are committed to an appreciative work culture in which the personal integrity of students and employees is respected and protected. We do not tolerate...
- sexual harassment
- discrimination
- bullying
Further information can be found on the website of the Personal Integrity Coordination Office.
The probationary period is agreed to in writing and must be of equal length for employees and employers. In our company, it is therefore regulated in the employment contract and is normally agreed for a period of three months.
The probationary period...
- is normally set at three months (in exceptional and justified cases, it may be up to a maximum of twelve months),
- can be explicitly excluded / it can be waived,
- can also be agreed for fixed-term employment,
- can be extended by the duration of an absence due to illness or accident.
In the probationary period interview shortly before the end of the probationary period, the aim is to find out whether the employment relationship is satisfactory for both parties.
Foreign nationals without a Swiss residence permit pay withholding tax on their income from employment.
In principle, they do not have to submit a tax return as in the normal procedure.
If they have a certificate of residence, German cross-border commuters will only be charged a maximum of 4.5% withholding tax.
French cross-border commuters do not pay any withholding tax if they have an Attestation de résidence fiscale (exception: Swiss nationals resident in France with a public employer (e.g. University of Basel) pay the full withholding tax).
Persons who are Swiss nationals and work in Switzerland for an employer under public law are exempt from this regulation. The full tax is withheld for these persons.
Persons subject to withholding tax are obliged to inform us if they take up/leave gainful employment with another employer. In addition, information on the employment of a partner and changes to their tax circumstances (giving up / taking up employment, change of marital status, relocation, etc.) must be reported immediately to HR Shared Services.
All regulations and regulations can be found under the following link: Documents
The health and safety of our employees is very important to us. We take appropriate measures and promote the awareness and personal responsibility of our employees for preventive health care and maintenance.
All health protection measures are aimed at preventing illness and supporting staff at the University of Basel in maintaining or even improving their health and performance at every stage of their working life at the University of Basel.
University members have the opportunity to choose from a wide range of programs in the areas of sports, exercise and body awareness.
Further information can be found under University Sports.
The job description is essential for posting job advertisments and an integral part of the employment contract. It is based on the requirements profile drawn up in each case with the necessary and advantageous characteristics and skills for the person who is to fill the position.
In addition to funding the transparency of tasks, areas of responsibility and regulations in the workplace, the job description also serves as a basis for salary classification. It can also be used as resource for planning continuing educations and preparing interim and final certificates.
Unpaid leave of absence must be applied for with the line manager. After approval of the unpaid leave of absence, it must be registered via Self Services to HR Operations Team 1 & 2. It is the responsibility of the employees to examine on which day of the week the start and end date of the unpaid leave of absence falls.
An application for unpaid leave of absence must be submitted to the line manager at least 12 weeks in advance.
The duration of unpaid leave of absence may not exceed 6 months.
Employees with a weekly workload of eight hours or more are insured against the consequences of occupational and non-occupational accidents.
Employees with a weekly workload of less than eight hours are only insured against occupational accidents. They must insure themselves against non-occupational accidents unless they are already insured elsewhere. For employees who are only insured against occupational accidents, accidents on the way to and from work are considered occupational accidents(see Staff Regulations § 31).
Occupational and non-occupational accidents must be reported immediately using the web form in Online Services.
The premium for occupational accident insurance and the premiums for supplementary accident insurance are paid in full by the University. One third of the non-occupational accident insurance (NBU) is paid by the employees, two thirds are paid by the University of Basel as the employer.
The UNIcard serves as an employee ID card and as an access badge to certain university premises.
You can use the barcode on the UNIcard to obtain services from the University Library Basel.
The UNIcard authorizes you to participate in all university sports activities.
By showing your UNIcard, you can eat in the student cafeterias and cafeterias on the university campuses at a reduced employee rate.
The UNIcard also entitles you to discounted services in many places.
All university employees can use the services of the University Library free of charge.
The employee ID card (UNIcard) automatically serves as a library card for the University Library and the entire Basel/Bern information network.
The offer includes not only the lending of books and DVDs, but also access to all online databases and electronic media as well as the opportunity to participate in training courses, guided tours and events.
Further information can be found at University Library Basel.
You are requested to inform the Decentralized HR and/or HR Operations Team 1 & 2 of any paternity.
When a child is born, the University grants paternity leave / leave of absence for the other parent of 4 weeks on full salary, which must be taken within 6 months of the birth of the child (Working Time Regulations, § 19).
By showing your UNIcard, you can enjoy meals at the student cafeterias and cafeterias on the university campuses at a reduced employee rate.
We mandate an exciting range of further training opportunities. The guidelines for continuing education and the current continuing education programs can be found via the following links:
Continuing education at the University of Basel
Guidelines for continuing education
Twice a year, the University of Basel organizes a Welcome Day for new employees. You will receive a personal invitation from the Vice-Rectorate People & Culture. This day offers you the opportunity to get to know the university better and to exchange ideas with other new employees. We look forward to welcoming you to this event and giving you a warm welcome. See you soon!
Further information can be found under Welcome Day.