Federal Council approves clarification of working and rest time regulations
On February 2, 2022, the Federal Council approved an amendment to the ordinance on the clarification of working and rest time provisions. The main objective of the broadly supported revision is to simplify the legal application of working and rest time provisions and to make them more practicable.
Through a working group consisting of representatives of the cantonal enforcement bodies and Seco, a revision package on the legal application of working and rest time provisions was adopted and finalized in 2021. The revision concerns several articles of the working and rest time provisions of Ordinances 1 and 2 to the Labor Act (ArGV 1 and 2).
The focus is on simplifying the application of the provisions of the law and the distribution of competences between the Confederation and the cantons when issuing working time permits. The responsibilities as well as the requirements for the authorization of night and Sunday work are also adapted and harmonized between the cantons in order to simplify the control of the cantons. For example, special provisions for bakeries and butcher stores that are exempt from night and Sunday work will be redefined. For example, Articles 51a and 51b ArGV 2 are introduced, according to which certain maintenance and winter service work may be carried out at night and on Sundays without a permit.
The ordinance amendment will take effect on April 1, 2022.
Source: Federal Council
