Time Off

This section contains information about how to request holidays, or any other type of leave request.

Every employee has to take two consecutive weeks off once per year! The Swiss labour law demands this; People Operations check that this is done!
  • The respective holiday quotas are recorded by People Operations in the ERP.

  • The holiday credits from the previous year are converted into overtime, and credited individually at the beginning of each year (To be mentioned separately on the payslip) Let PeopleOps know, by e-mail, if you don’t want them to convert your vacation days into hours.

  • Leave requests must be entered for the current month before the wage payment, otherwise the payroll will be broken.

  • Leave requests can’t be granted subsequently. If you forgot to enter your holiday and had the day off, it will simply be deducted from your overtime.

How to Record Leave Requests

It doesn’t matter whether you first reduce your holiday credit or your overtime. What’s important is that you allow yourself regular rest and plan some holidays.

odoo app timeoff

In VSHN Central, navigate to Time Off and either click on New Time Off or directly in the calendar on the respective date. It’s also possible to select multiple days in the calendar by clicking on the first day, drag the mouse to the last day and release the mouse click again.

In the popup which appears, choose the appropriate Time Off type and fill-in the rest of the fields.

Approval of the leave request happens via the Team Facilitator.

leave request

Time Off types

Paid Time Off

These are your assigned Holidays per year, including the seniority days. See also Holiday Checklist.

Unpaid

Unpaid leaves do not necessarily have to be recorded, but to help with planning, they should be recorded in the Time-Off app as well. Use the Time Off type "Unpaid".

Sick / Medical Consultation

Use the Time Off type "Sick / Medical Consultation". See also Sick Leave Checklist.

Sick leaves
  • are the first 2 days sick at home.

  • are when you are on sick leave prescribed by the doctor.

Medical Consultation
  • In principle, visits to the doctor, dentist are not working time (that is, you may record no attendance), as we have annual working hours, and you can choose when you work.

  • Therefore, all appointments (including doctor’s appointments) can be scheduled at any time but are not work time (you must sign out) and must be coordinated with your team to limit any negative impact as much as possible.

  • In urgent situations, such as medical issues where you need to see a doctor as soon as possible, you cannot schedule. That’s why VSHN grants you this time as working time up to 2 hours per incident.

Authorities

In principle, visits to the authorities do not count as working time (that is, you are not allowed to record attendance), as we have annual working hours and you can choose when you work.

Therefore, visits to the authorities can be scheduled at any time, but are not working time (you must sign out) and must be coordinated with your team to limit negative effects as much as possible. In urgent cases where going to the authorities could not be planned in advance or postponed, VSHN may grant you this time as working time up to 2 hours per incident.

Requested Public Service

For example, this is for Militia Fire Service.

  • counts as work time during normal office hours for ordered assignments ("Einsätze" or "Angeordnete Übungen"), because:

    • according to Swiss law (Art. 324a OR) the fulfillment of legal obligations during normal office hours is work time.

    • There is a militia fire service obligation in most cantons and municipalities of Switzerland which counts as fulfillment of legal obligations.

    • VSHN decided in VIP-70 to give this right to any VSHNeer in active fire service duty, regardless of the canton or city of residence.

  • salary impact should be checked annually by PeopleOps only if a VSHNeer has an annual double payment exceeding CHF 500. We don’t actively enforce this and trust VSHNeers to report if they estimate this to be higher.

Military Service

  • Swiss Military service, Civil Service and Civil Protection Service.

  • Military service requests don’t have to be approved by People Operations.

Special Occasions

Additional paid days off include the following:

Event Duration

Own wedding

3 days

Wedding of a close relative

1 day (1st degree)

Birth of child with partner

20 days (paternity leave)

Change of residence

1 day per calendar year

Death of a family member

3 days (1st degree)
1 day (2nd degree)

Must be requested in Odoo (under Time Off / Allocation Request) with the Time Off type "Special Occasions." Once the allocation request has been granted, enter it into the calendar like any other absence.