Employees are entitled to four weeks of paid yearly vacation each year. Employees under the age of 20 are given five weeks.

Zurich recognizes twelve public holidays. Although, holidays vary depending on the canton. Many holidays are recognized in one or a few cantons of Switzerland but are not observed nationally.

Employees are usually entitled to three weeks of paid sick leave during their first year of employment with a company, and more the longer they stay with the company. The specific amount of sick leave and salary that an employee gets during this period varies by canton and may be established by a contract or collective agreement.

Maternity leave is granted to female workers for 14 weeks. In the canton of Geneva, the leave lasts 16 weeks, while other cantons may implement regulations allowing for greater time. Except in Geneva, a woman who has exhausted her 14 weeks of maternity leave is entitled to two more weeks of unpaid leave before returning to work.

After the birth of a child, fathers are entitled to 14 days of paternity leave. Compensation is set at 196 francs per day and is based on 80% of typical earned income previous to the child's birth.