r/Switzerland • u/EnvironmentCommon429 • 2d ago
Getting up so early - is this just a Swiss thing?
I'm always amazed (being a Brit) at the 'early riser' mentality in Switzerland especially for tradespeople. If you have an appointment at 8am, they are usually there at 7:45. When I take my car into the garage, the place is buzzing at 7am. Incredible application to work which I haven't seen elsewhere in Europe...
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u/OK-Digi-1501 2d ago
If you start your 8,5 hr workday at nine, you'd be home at 6:30 pm (1 hr lunch break) and that sux.
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u/Ok-Firefighter7237 2d ago
Yep, that's the reason. Lunch break is excluded from working time and 8.5 h per day.
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u/77sxela 2d ago
Lunch break is always excluded from working time, isn't it? At least in Germany it would be, exactly like it is Switzerland.
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u/Foxy_llama15 2d ago
In Croatia it is included in work hours. So you work 8 h per day total, 7.5 h are working hours and 0.5h is the break.
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u/77sxela 2d ago
Let me get this straight - your work contract says, that you've got to do 8h/d or 40h/w (on 5d).
And then you come at 0900, take a break from eg 1245 to 1315 and leave by 1700? And that's according to law?
Edit: corrected small typo: s/1325/1315/
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u/Captin_Obvious Canada 2d ago
That's how it works in Canada. Lots of people work a literal 9 to 5 with a lunch break included.
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u/77sxela 1d ago
So you don't work 9 to 5, but rather you're at the workplace during that time. Similar, but not identical.
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u/dirtycimments 1d ago
No, some companies are exactly that , work at your desk 9 to 5, eat at the desk
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u/77sxela 1d ago
But then there's no break. Definition of break is, that you can leave your desk. Otherwise it doesn't count. See the definition of the SECO.
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u/dirtycimments 18h ago
I wasn’t talking about how it works in Switzerland, but how it works in Canada (and elsewhere). Seco doesn’t cover Canada.
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u/dirtycimments 2d ago
Yeah, that’s also the case in most if not all the Nordic countries, the break to eat is counted as work time. The other side of that coin is that you eat very quickly, and might be expected to eat at the desk in some shittier companies.
It’s not without its downsides, it’s not some amazing “wow you get to chill out and get paid” thing.
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u/77sxela 2d ago
The replies are interesting. So you folks don't work 8h per day but only 7h30m?
Really interesting. Thanks for sharing!
And at the same time, in Switzerland it's not unheard off having to actually work 42h30m per week. Excluding the break. In other words, 8h30m + 30m break, ie 9h at work.
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u/TheSleepiestNerd 2d ago
Yeah, 7h30m is pretty common. When my partner switched from a British company that was on 7h30m to a Swiss company on 8h + 1hr lunch he said the actual true working time is basically the same; at the British office everyone just got their work done quickly and left vs. at the Swiss office people are constantly giving themselves mini-breaks to go to the coffee machine.
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u/77sxela 2d ago
Yep.
That's something them Swiss (I'm German 😉) have to learn. Being in the office longer does not mean, that more work is being done. It's rather the opposite. Which is why it would make sense to cut the number of working hours but NOT reduce the payment.
Don't know how it is with others, but me, I am less productive the later it is (rather: the longer I've worked).
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u/MonOncleCharlie 2d ago
I work in the US and it’s the same. 0900 to 1700 (or 0800 to 1600, 1000 to 1800 etc.) 8 hours which includes a break for lunch. Now, my wife is 0800 to 1630 and that includes 30 minutes for lunch which is excluded (or should be) from working time
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u/Lucky-Fix-4459 2d ago
Yes coming from Ireland I found it weird to do 30 minutes extra and come in so early.
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u/FGN_SUHO 2d ago
It didn't use to be. People worked 9-5, which anyone would notice doesn't result in a 40h work week if there is an unpaid lunch break.
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u/InevitableVanilla36 2d ago
You are making me laugh here, because for some lunch break is another means for us to succeed with timing
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u/77sxela 2d ago
Fwiw, according to law, only ½h of break is required. But if you do 1h, then you'd of course have to enter 60m of break from eg. 1200 to 1300.
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u/Koxnep 2d ago
Can I split that 30 min break though? My employer automatically deducting a 15 min znüni break from my worktime, so can I just have a 15 min lunch and be done with the breaks?
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u/valkrys22 Thurgau 2d ago
I don't think so. 30min in one go is required by law. Up to 9h it's 45 min (30 lunch & 15 break) After 9h it's 60min I believe.
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u/Koxnep 1d ago
Im working less than 9 hours, but the 15 minute break on morning is still automatically deducted, that kinda sucks. I'm done eating in 15 minutes for sure, and hate to sit around. I'd rather take 2x 15 minute breaks if the other one is already forced on me, and öeave earlier.
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u/77sxela 1d ago
No. You're not allowed to do that. You may not leave earlier (or come later, which is the same logic).
The break is supposed to be at roughly "halftime" of your working day. Specifically, it is not allowed to be at the end.
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u/Koxnep 1d ago
So basically the employer is forcing me to stay longer in work by having that automatically deducted 15 minute break in the morning, if I have to have a 30 minute break in the middle of the day?
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u/77sxela 1d ago
No, that's not how it works (according to law).
Here's how it works:
When you work more than 7 hours but less than 9 hours per day, you have to have at least 30 minutes of break. These 30 minutes are supposed to be in the middle of the day.
You can, however, also split this into two breaks of 15 minutes each.
You are not allowed to take the break directly at the beginning of the day (aka. coming late) or at the end (aka. leaving early). See https://www.seco.admin.ch/dam/de/sd-web/HgQABCOvNmQV/ArGV-1-2-SECO-AB-2026-DE.pdf for that: "Pausen» am Anfang oder am Ende der Arbeitszeit sind keine echten Pausen und gelten nicht als gewährt" (p. 47).
If your employer forces you to take a Znüni break of 15 minutes, then it would be totally legal to take a lunch break of only 15 minutes.
https://www.seco.admin.ch/de/arbeitszeiten-uebersicht might have more.
Also https://timeshark.ch/ratgeber/pausenregelung-schweiz mentions that it's allowed to split the 30 minute break.
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u/Koxnep 23h ago
From the seco webpage: "Pausen müssen um die Mitte der Arbeitszeit gewährt werden. Pausen von mehr als einer halben Stunde dürfen aufgeteilt werden. Die Hauptpause um die Mitte der Arbeitszeit muss mindestens 1/2 Std. dauern"
What am I not understanding? As I understand that you NEED to have a 30 minute break around the middle of the day.
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u/77sxela 23h ago
From the seco webpage: "Pausen müssen um die Mitte der Arbeitszeit gewährt werden. Pausen von mehr als einer halben Stunde dürfen aufgeteilt werden. Die Hauptpause um die Mitte der Arbeitszeit muss mindestens 1/2 Std. dauern"
Yes, that's what I basically wrote (or at least: meant) as well. This doesn't say anything at all about whether it's allowed to split it or not.
HOWEVER… => https://www.seco.admin.ch/dam/de/sd-web/jXQQUhVJHpN6/ArGV1_art18_de.pdf
Artikel 18 -> Pausen -> (Art. 15 und 6 Abs. 2 ArG)
Pausen von mehr als einer halben Stunde dürfen aufgeteilt werden.
What does "mehr als" mean?
Is it "Pause > 30 Minuten", or "Pause >= 30 Minuten"?
And, well, as mentioned, you'll find lots of sources that claim that it is okay to split the 30 minutes. But not a 15 minute break.
Absatz 2 on the already mentioned https://www.seco.admin.ch/dam/de/sd-web/jXQQUhVJHpN6/ArGV1_art18_de.pdf is also interesting. When do you start/finish? Wouldn't have thought, that it matters, but it does, from my understanding.
So… Contrary to my understanding from yesterday, I now think that they might be able to do that, ie. have 15 minutes breakfast break AND 30 minutes lunch break and have that being unpaid.
I guess it might be important to know, whether it's always been like this (ie. you "knew" about this when you signed the contract) or whether they changed that later on.
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u/77sxela 2d ago edited 2d ago
Yes, I think that's allowed.
- Tägliche Arbeitszeit, Mindestpause
- Bis 5 h 30 min, Keine
- Mehr als 5 h 30 min, 15 Minuten
- Mehr als 7 h, 30 Minuten
- Mehr als 9 h, 60 Minuten
Source: https://www.seco.admin.ch/dam/seco/de/dokumente/Arbeit/Arbeitsbedingungen/Arbeitsgesetz%20und%20Verordnungen/Wegleitungen/Wegleitung-ArG/ArG_art15.pdf.download.pdf/ArG_art15_de.pdf and https://www.seco.admin.ch/de/arbeitszeiten-uebersicht
If you're working up to 5h 30m, you don't have to take a break. 5h30m - 7h: you've got to take a break of 15 minutes. 7h to 9h: total 30 minutes, possibly split in 2x 15m. More than 9h: total of 60 minutes break.
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u/3punkt1415 2d ago
Yea I don't work full time, but my work requires me to be there at 5.30 and I leave at 11 AM most of the days. One day per week I stay till the evening, but that's it. No traffic jams is just a bonus.
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u/No-Love-1222 1d ago
Other countries have 8.5 hours and the break is included. In switzerland its not
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u/echojunge 1d ago
If you start even 30mins later you completely avoid all traffic which is amazing.
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u/heliosh 2d ago
I'm Swiss and I'm completely unproductive until 10am
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u/Annales-NF Genève 2d ago
And apéro starts at 11:00. Right?
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u/dani2812 Aargau 2d ago
I was on the road in the early hours today between 4:15 and 5:15, as I had to drop off a relative at the airport. On the way I noticed at least five cyclists on their racing bikes getting their exercise done before sunrise. Some people truly are super early risers, even by Swiss standards
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u/thankyouihateit 2d ago
It’s crazy to me that that implies they went to bed at around 8pm, assuming they got 8 hours of sleep. That just seems so very early.
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u/Icy-Support-3074 2d ago
There are several things going on: A lot of people have 40+ hour workweeks (e.g. 43 or 45) so they need to start before 8 to be finished at 17:00 . A lot of people also like to finish work before 5. But IMHO there is also a bit of a a cultural fetish of getting up early: I often get the impression that someone who works from 7 to 16:00 is considered a better person than someone who works from 10:00 to 19:00. The latter is considered lazy even if they work the same amount of time.
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u/fryxharry 2d ago
I don't think it matters whether you start your 8 hours of work at 7 or at 9. Offices have for the most part realized this, but if you work in the trades or in construction you're out of luck: In this case you might be required to show up even earlier than 7 a.m. I have yet to hear a coherent explanation as to why this makes sense, that doesn't involve "we have alway done it this way" and "it shows you are a good worker". And then people wonder why young people don't want to do an apprenticeship and prefer going to university.
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u/WhamBar_ 2d ago
Yea would I prefer to hear construction workers jackhammering at 7am or 4pm? Easy choice…
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u/EconomicRegret2 2d ago
Your question reminds me of this hilarious (but wrong) copy-pasta:
I have an acronym for situations like this - Mother Fucking Swiss. I love/hate these people.
You park a bit crooked, but still inside the lines, and the neighbors call the police? MFS
You're training for a triathalon, cycling top speed, and get passed by a man in a suit on a mountain bike? MFS
A (rare) homeless man hits you up for change, and it turns out that he speaks 5 languages? MFS
You're meeting friends in a strange town and your phone dies, so you ask in bars and hotels whether you can use theirs, and every single person looks at you like an alien; they can't even comprehend the level of disorganization that would result in an unexpectedly dead phone, and all refuse you help, thinking it must be some kind of trick? MFS
You're applying for an apartment with a garden, and ask if you can plant in it too. You know, some tomatoes, a pumpkin, whatever. The Corbusier-looking mother fucker sucks his teeth and then finally says "perhaps... if you can prove geometrically that these plants would be elegant additions to the overall theme of the space." MMMFFFFSSSS
Climbing a terrifying ridge and get passed by a heavily pregnant woman, annoyed at your slowness. MFS
Use the bones from your chicken to make stock and get greeted with confused scorn. What is this guy, poor? MFS
Edit: I've been collecting these.
Referred to, depending on the language, as either a foreigner or a stranger. Ask to be called an immigrant, which carries far less stigma. Whoa, PC police! Fucking foreigners tell us how to speak? Forget it. MFS
Hear about a bar, which used to be cool, but is now "filled with students and foreigners". OH, you mean people like me? MFS
Fire needs to be lit / shed needs to be built / any physical task needs to be done properly? "Ask the Canadian". MFS
The bar closes at 12:00. At 11:55 the bartender announces last call, at 11:59:59 the last patron leaves the door, and at 12:00:01 the police appear. MFS
You hike up to a high alpine cabin. The other (swiss) climbers, in perfect unison, and without talking about it, sit down to eat, consume their bread, soup, and cheese in the same order, start their ovomaltine together, finish at the same time, go in shifts to brush their teeth, and, in total synchronicity hit the sack at precisely 10:00. The next day, without alarms, every person steps out of bed at 6:00, eats breakfast, and is gone by 7:00. You hang out until noon to soak up the incredible scenery and the sole staff member subtly mocks your hiking plans with his eyebrow and tone. "Ze col de la Forcla in zose boots!?" <utterly scandalized expression> MFS
You: We should get moving if we're going to catch that train. MFS: What? Why? The train leaves in 13 minutes and it's only a 7 minute walk, or 9.5 if you stop to buy cigarettes.
Hey, can I talk to you about a trip to Canada in January? You: Ok, it's a bit early for flights and stuff but it pays to think in advance I suppose... wait.... January of what year? MFS: 2015.
Swiss boss: Let's meet at the hotel in Munich (300 km away) at 8:25 pm. And we did.
You buy some "lard" (smoked bacon, meant to be eaten uncooked) at the farmer's market. It's good raw, but you want to try it fried. Your co-worker smells it from his office, suspects what you're up to, and bursts into the kitchen yelling "You cannot DO zis!" MFS
The used bike is 485 francs. I offer 400. Long stare. "My price, I think, reflects the actual quality of the frame, components, and labor." MFS
I'm from Canada, have you been? "Oh, on a small trip, I spent one month by bicycle in Quebec, and then bought a motorhome and drove to vancouver - what a long drive! I loved the open prairies - and then sold the motorhome and spent the next weeks skiing. Whistler was nice but I prefer Chamonix for the après ski culture. Tell me, is the climbing in Squamish as good as they say? And how do you compare Big White with Whistler? And do you prefer New York, Montreal, or San Francisco? I found things to love about each place." I... I, uh, I've never been to any of those places. MFS
People on the train begin to grumble and get exasperated. I look at my watch: we're 3 minutes late. MFS
Me: Sprechen sie Englisch? MFS: Yes, a little bit. <Actually has the grammar of Dickens and the vocabulary of Shakespear>
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u/TheTommyMann Genève 2d ago
Where are the Swiss time machines? Do they only go back to 2015? I guess Swiss neutrality prevents them from fixing the timeline.
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u/Significant-Nebula64 2d ago
How is starting (and finishing) work early "incredible application to work"? I really don't get it, I mean... isn't it just a matter of your personal chronotype/preferences/etc? Is the work somehow worth more if performed before 9 a.m.?
And fwiw, I have also noticed that people are often early to appointments (such as repair people etc) and honestly find that pretty impolite. It's not punctual either to be there at 7.45 when you've said 8, and I personally find it much worse because I can't plan properly and will probably still be in the shower or whatever. Obviously not talking about things like doctor's appointments where you have a waiting room anyway, or being early for a meeting at a café! But ringing somebody's doorbell early? Huge no-go for me usually, really had to adapt to this here.
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u/_whyarewescreaming 2d ago
Yea, honestly if it’s first thing in the morning and the workers are 15 minutes early, I’m gonna be a little annoyed. I do appreciate the arrival warning text.
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u/Curious-Strength-597 2d ago
As a rule, anything earlier than 5 min is too early. Being late however is a no go. That is rude. The other is an inconvenience.
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u/Significant-Nebula64 2d ago
Well, I'm sure that's a matter of personal preference, but for me, waiting 10 minutes is way preferable to being disturbed when I'm not ready yet.
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u/st3inbeiss 2d ago
What I have seen in most places where I worked is that really, people care about your chronotype. Some of then start at 7 and if you start at 9 they don't look down on you because they know that they are off work at 1600ish where you work until 1800h. The place seems busy from 7 to 18, but it's not the same people.
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u/Significant-Nebula64 2d ago
Yeah, same where I've worked, it's never been an issue and I'd never consider the late staters less productive or whatever! That's why I'm so confused by that type of statement...
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u/eyrthren 2d ago
There’s some stigma to the people that are "late risers", people think they are lazy because they don’t wake up early. God forbid you work nights, some people don’t understand that being asleep at noon is normal for night shift people since they get home at 6-7 am.
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u/Ill-Tangerine796 2d ago
At the places I’ve worked, the people who had done apprenticeships tended to start early (6:00 or 6:30 am) and those who had university degrees tended to start later (8:00 to 9:00 am). A lot of the apprenticeship schools start earlier in the morning than university classes, so I think people just stuck with the schedule they’d become accustomed to.
No one looked down on either group.
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u/AcrobaticStock7205 2d ago
It's hell on earth and since I have a job where only the work has to be done and I do not have to be present at a certain hour, I am so much more productive and this forced sticking to a certain schedule that makes no sense. Same for breaks. I hate lunch breaks, I rather have a late breakfast while working and an early dinner. I can sleep better and I do not have the Mittagstief when I do not eat a big lunch.
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u/ThrowRAwestero1234 2d ago
I worked in the states and the Netherlands before moving to Switzerland. In both countries, it’s quite normal to get to work from 8:30-9 in the morning. At my office here, I get to work 7:30 and I’m never the first one. I’m so tired all week help
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u/Ashamed-Simple-8303 2d ago
Either go to bed earlier or getup later and start work later. Ever wondered why it is quite out at 10 pm?
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u/BarracudaOk3360 1d ago
In the US this is very industry, role and city dependent. It can be just as normal to go in to work at 9:30am or 10am instead.
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u/Felyxorez Jura 2d ago
I'm sorry that you seem to have some slack in your workplace. Usually we start at 7 30 or so
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u/Chefseiler Zürich 2d ago
Usually we start at 7 30 or so
They mean working, not opening the first bottle of cabernet 😋
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u/Stunning_Leader_6156 2d ago edited 2d ago
Nahhh, my husband and neighbors leave home at 5 a.m. just to avoid traffic. In Mexico City many people live more than two hours away from work and have to leave home as early as 4:30 a.m. So, that's not impressive to me. Maybe people in Switzerland are privileged enough to leave home that late!
So many people start working very early everywhere in the world.
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u/Lm1601 2d ago
Im Swiss but lived in the UK for 12 years before I came back to live in switzerland for the first time, 6 years ago. I'm a carpenter and we start at 6 45 and go till like 5 30. I can leave at 5 if I want to. And having spent some time in the uk I would say a lot of Swiss are work obsessed.
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u/Temporarily-90210 2d ago
Even students are at it. My university days started at 8. Hell on earth.
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u/Common-Ground4989 2d ago
I mean, you sleep at 2am? If you over 30, thats the shift for most people
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u/zambiglioni 2d ago
Mine started 7.10 twice a week. Had to eake up 4.10 to make it.
Followed by 6 hours no classes, then 3 more hours.
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u/powstria St. Gallen 2d ago
Yes, very normal for switzerland. Also very strict schedules for luch (12am) and dinner (6pm). I prefer the more relaxed way in the south, where they sleep longer and eat later in the day.
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u/KelGhu Vaud 2d ago edited 2d ago
I am a life-long late night owl. But I have recently found that having early supper is actually better.
Personally, it feels like my evening only really starts after supper, when my hunger is satisfied. When my mind is not anymore pressured by the stress related to finding what to eat or cook. If I eat early, I have a longer and more relaxing evening. I get enough time to do what I need to replenish if that makes any sense. I even find myself going to bed earlier.
It's all about perception. I believe it is nexessary to exploit and trick our brains for things like these.
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u/underdoeg 2d ago
the only people I know that already eat at 6pm are those with very young children. the norm is more like 7, 7:30
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u/Davedoffy Bärn 2d ago
no one I know eats dinner at 6 what? I agree with lunch though its usually between 11:30 - 12:30
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u/No-Insurance5030 2d ago
In Lugano when I would get up at 8am to go shopping on a week day the streets would be almost empty.
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u/AutomaticAccount6832 2d ago
I don’t think many people eat dinner at 18:00. Lunchtime is usually dictated by the working hours and canteen opening times. On Saturdays and Sundays you also see people in restaurants later than that.
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u/habitual_citizen 2d ago
lol yeah as an emigrant to Australia I actually really much prefer the relaxed attitude here. People are often late, so I’m intentionally late. Then everyone ends up being on time! Foster’s camaraderie somehow.
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u/2suisse55 19h ago
Australians are not so disciplined, if an appointnent is at 10:00 am then you should be there then, it‘s rude to leave others waiting.
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u/bunny_ears_forever 1d ago
Not on the other side of the Röschtigrabe. We eat at 19:00 or 19:30 I think even school starts later here
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u/Stefan_161 1d ago
Möglicherweise liegt es auch an den längeren Wochenarbeitszeiten. Bei ein 42 oder 44 Stundenwoche und einer Stunde Mittagspause muss man entweder früh am Morgen beginnen oder bis abends spät arbeiten. Bei Wochenarbeitszeiten von weniger als 38 Stunden stellt sich diese Frage nicht
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u/Cum-Collector420 Glarus 2d ago
Electrician here. We have to be in the shop at 6:45 for preparations and instructions and on the job asap
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u/IntelligentGur9638 2d ago
I live in switzerland since decades and I'm still an owl. Don't feel bad at all and don't care
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u/peteuse 2d ago
From SF but live in CH since 2012, passing through Spain and (specifically) Berlin before landing here. Spaniards and Berliners are definitely my chronotype peeps and I miss the later schedule so much. Even after 14 years here, it's hard for me to vibe with the early everything.
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u/WhamBar_ 2d ago
Yeah my first job here was in an office of Californians, who reassured me that they were not early risers…
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u/peteuse 1d ago
HAHA you understand then. Yeah even more late are the Bay Area tech workers, it's definitely more flexible and accommodating of peoples' different chronotypes. That's what I think I miss a lot as well; in CH it's almost as if you're almost forced into the early mentality lifestyle. Honestly all my friends that are in the SF Bay Area hardly even go into the office! Take naps in the middle of the day and then go back for a little more work hahaha :D
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u/yawn_brendan 2d ago
It does go both ways - I've had a quick coffee with friends at 2pm on a Friday and then 2.30 I'll say "right, I'll get back to work" and they look at their watch and go "back to work? Are you crazy?"
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u/Electrical-Poem4852 2d ago
Had a founder next to me who decided to do cold calling 730-830 and it was perfectly acceptable
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u/JP_unchained Fribourg (Nomad) 1d ago
Where else have you been in Europe? Germany and Poland are early birds too.
But if you compare the Swiss with the Spaniard or French, then yes we wake up early.
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u/MeathammerBand 1d ago
I'm Polish and blame it on school starting at 8...
Side note: I'm not a morning person...
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u/JP_unchained Fribourg (Nomad) 8h ago
Some employee at my wife's previous job woke up at 5am to start work at 6am in Poland... (They didn't need to, but wanted to)
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u/MeathammerBand 8h ago
Heathens!
I mean I respect people who can be productive at such ungodly hour but unless it's something you can do on your own this may affect others.
And speaking of early risers - i heard that Australians are super early risers. But then e.g. in Sunshine Coast the difference between the longest and the shortest day is like 60-90 minutes while where i come from we have a period where it's bright at 3 am during summer.
Btw now we have this new guy who is Polish and the lad has a nasty habit of starting the login process at 9.00 even when working from home. This results in him joining the daily meeting that starts at 9.00 around 9.05
Although we're quite tolerant around being late occasionally (happy to elaborate on the "academic 15 minutes") and tend to rather solve issues without involving the managers. being a repeat offender is very frowned upon.
Guess who gives the new guy a shout-out when he decides to join late as always.
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u/somchai5 2d ago
Hold up, you call this early? I find it the complete opposite. You don’t even find a coffee shop open that early here. People are late to rise unless off to work.
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u/Individual-Sound5825 2d ago
À Genève tu trouves des cafés ouverts à 5:30. C’est plutôt cool et l’atmosphère est sympa.
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u/somchai5 2d ago
That’s cool! Too far to drive… what are some speciality coffee stores open at that time?
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u/polaroid_kidd 2d ago
more free time while the sun still shines. Once you get into the groove, there's little point in giving it up. Also, you're destroyed by 9pm so you hit hay early.
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u/dschmid-ch 2d ago
I consider arriving 15 minutes early to be somewhat impolite. Of course, you should be there when the meeting starts. So I prefer to arrive early, take a look around, and then show up at the meeting not more than five minutes before it starts.
I once learned that arriving up to five minutes early or late is considered polite. But in my experience, being late is always noticed.
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u/Gangstarville 2d ago
It's more a swiss german thing (Romandie not sure) but definitely not a thing from Ticino.
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u/BashBeaver 2d ago
Tradespeople here are so busy (and making so much money) that... time is money. Earlier show up, sooner done, can go to next client sooner, leaves more buffer for unexpected stuff.
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u/S_B_Phoenix 2d ago
This was a culture shock for me too coming from Scotland and looking at the timetable for my first semester and seeing classes STARTED at 8am.
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u/tinytiny_val 2d ago
Ooof, I hate it. I gre up here, but don't like getting up early. Usually I get to the office at 8:30 and my colleagues love making fun of me for this almost daily
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u/itsactuallyquinoa 2d ago
Yes. Most meetings start at 8-9am. Now if you minus your commuting time + how early you wanna leave + how much work you wanna get done before the first early meeting you will land most likely at around 6:30-7:30am leaving for work for most people.
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u/RudeMycologist9018 2d ago
just this afternoon i got a call from the builders who said they're ready to do some rennovation work on our bedroom terrace. 'we can get there on wednesday morning', he said. i know the guy and as joke said 'sure, anytime after 10 when i get up' (i'm retired). there was a long pause.. 'only joking,' i said, '7am ?'... he nervously laughed and said that would be best
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u/SiegLhein 2d ago
I mean the first busses around at 5 are already packed with people getting to work.
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u/dominikelmiger 1d ago
Getting up so late - is this just a British thing?
I'm always amazed (being Swiss living in London) at the 'late riser' mentality over here—it seems to have taken over my entire household! Back home in Switzerland, the whole world is up and buzzing early. Meanwhile, I’m often sitting downstairs at the breakfast table completely on my own while my British wife and our dual-citizen kids are all still fast asleep, having fully adopted the British sleeping habits. An impressively relaxed approach to starting the morning, which I’m definitely still not used to... (After 18 years)
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u/FlippinHeckles 2d ago
If you think the Swiss are early go watch the Australians. They are up at a sparrow’s fart. It’s to dodge the heat. I like early starts.
It also works out better when you have kids because you are home earlier.
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u/Upstairs-Border-7146 2d ago
I always thought this is due to the great beaches:byiu want to enjoy them before night falls-> start your day early. Also, you are tired early from surfing.
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u/schwerbherb 2d ago
It actually also has to do with where you are located within your time zone. The east coast of Australia is very far to the east of their time zone. Whereas for example Spain is very far to the west of their timezone. If you were to compare the schedules not by "clock time", but by "sun time" (meaning that noon is whenever the sun is highest), they would be a lot less different than they appear now.
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u/GlassCommercial7105 2d ago
Cannot agree, in my experience it is also 9am often and they leave a lot earlier too. Just in QLD maybe people get up earlier because their day light saving just doesn’t make any sense, sun rises at like 4am and sets at 5pm in summer.
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u/Financial_Club8611 2d ago
I'm a primary school teacher and school starts at 7.30 here so the parents don't leave their kids home alone because they're too poor for childcare.
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u/Swiss_bear 2d ago
Nah, it is your inborn British character. When I visit London I am always amazed at how late the morning starts.
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u/somchai5 2d ago
When I go hiking here, there is no one around. I’m either passing people on my way back or just getting started in the carpark.
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u/No-Bat6834 1d ago
The working culture here is very much against eating alone at your desk. Where I work, most people use the lunch break as networking time. Do an extra hour of ohysical presence required
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u/heyheni Zürich 2d ago
You found the answer to "Why is Switzerland so rich and clean and organized?" lol
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u/fdesouche 2d ago
Bullshit. Being from Western France, the time difference is so obvious, the sun rises much earlier in Switzerland. Sometimes it feels like an hour difference.
And obviously, same at night , when everything closes in Switzerland at 16:30.1
u/Tro_Nas St. Gallen 2d ago
never tought about that, it‘s 45min earlier Switzerland-Western France
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u/Lost-Buenzli 2d ago edited 2d ago
never tought about that, it‘s 45min earlier Switzerland-Western France
Bretagne is west of London, literally a solar hour behind. This includes cities like Bordeaux, Nantes, and Rennes. Even Paris should follow the WET timezone.
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u/Responsible-Tap2226 2d ago
normal closing time for shops is 18:00. Thursday closing time for many 20:00. Saturday some do 16:30
If you are in Zürich for example most grocery stores close at 22:00 Everyday except Sundays
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u/babicko90 2d ago
I have to manage kids schedules, so I start work at 8:30 and end around 17.00. I have a flexible role, so I can usually do residual tasks after they are asleep
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u/Yann39 2d ago
If you are travelling by car, roads are very often congested, you should therefore always plan to set off early to avoid traffic jams, that must be one of the factors, I have several colleagues who arrive early in the morning and leave early in the evening just to avoid the traffic jams.
As for appointments, in Switzerland you will very often be charged a late fee if you arrive late. For example, if you are more than 10 minutes late for your vehicle inspection, you will be charged a late fee (something like 50 francs), the same applies at the doctor's, and so on. People have therefore got into the habit of being punctual.
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u/kannichausgang 2d ago
There is nothing special about it. It just depends on your work schedule and whether you have flexi time. Switzerland has a lot of commuters so many people like me like to get ahead of rush hour.
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u/Anelyi_B 2d ago
I don't know if it's just a Swiss thing, although so far it is only here I encountered this behavior.
I got used to the earlier supper - not 6 pm though, that's too early - but I just can’t get used to meetings at 8 o’clock in the morning, and on a Monday, of all days. Not urgent calls, just the regular weekly team calls.
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u/Cat_of_Mysteries 2d ago
It depends on the person. On off days, I usually sleep in but when it comes to workdays, I leave the house fairly early in order to avoid rush hour. If I could, I'd sleep till 9-10 am but I have 0 desire to double my travel time just bc of a traffic jam.
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u/hersch_KreeDEX 2d ago
In one word : empathy. I hate waiting for people, so I do everything I can to not make them wait. As simple as that.
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u/OkPosition4563 2d ago
What are you going to do in the evening? I go to sleep at 10 or 10:30 so I can get up at 6 or 6:30. Get stuff done and then be back home early.
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u/RepresentativeFee585 2d ago
Try Colorado USA. People are up and banging it at 6AM. Its the culture, get it done, and get outside and enjoy the afternoon.
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u/Realistic-Elk-7423 2d ago
I'm am accountant and I like to start working at 7 am, so I can finish on time at 5 pm and still have long breaks in-between.
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u/Ilixio 1d ago
The fact that so many things close at 7pm or even earlier also pushes towards starting early, along with the long hours.
Public administrations on the other hand could do with earlier or later hours. As they stand it's mostly impossible to go there without taking time off if you're working. Talk about serving the public...
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u/Ashamed-Simple-8303 1d ago
Is it really true? Traffic is worst around 8-8:30. Much better before. So most actually do not start that early.
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u/ThrowRAgree 1d ago
Yes, Switzerland is strict with time schedules, way more than any other country.
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u/Bangkok_night 1d ago
We take punctuality very serious, time is money. Don’t waste other people’s time and show repect by holding to appointments
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u/Complex--Cucumber 1d ago
Its been trained into us from school. The way to my school was 1 and a half hours so I got up at like 5 in the morning. However I dont think its healthy, thats why the insurance keeps going up. We overecsert ourselves.
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u/Super_Tie_5330 1d ago
A core memory from my adolescence is going on an exchange for a week to Köln (From Wales) and being stunned at how early everyone was not just out of bed but AWAKE. If I remember correctly their school hours were 7am to 1pm? The mother had the full breads, meats and cheeses breakfast spread out by 530 so god knows what time she was up and about.
The hilarious thing was watching my own mother trying to reciprocate that same thing when the German kid came to visit us by putting a full continental buffet out. Before that week she had never done that and after that week didn't do it ever again.
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u/Powerful_Strategy244 1d ago
Love the discussion! I’m not an early bird but since coming here I’ve learned to love the dawn!
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u/Winter_Current9734 2d ago
German behavior in more rural areas is identical and it was like that all-over the german speaking part of europe i believe.
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u/MeatInteresting1090 2d ago
the Swiss work harder than the British (work more hours and are more productive for the hours they work)
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u/somchai5 2d ago edited 2d ago
Good to work harder than someone I guess.
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u/MeatInteresting1090 2d ago
depends what you want, it's certainly good for the economy
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u/somchai5 2d ago
I don't believe they are "more productive for the hours they work". Not from what I've witnessed, very slow moving workforce.
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u/MeatInteresting1090 2d ago
but the stats show the Swiss are way more productive than the British, and they work more hours https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_labour_productivity
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