Termination During Protected Periods in Switzerland (Art. 336c CO)
In Switzerland, termination of an employment contract during illness, accident or pregnancy is void (Art. 336c CO). Protection lasts 30 days in the first year of service, 90 days from the second to the fifth year, and 180 days from the sixth year onward. If the notice was served before the illness, the notice period is suspended until recovery.
An employee receives a letter of dismissal whilst on sick leave at home. Or falls ill during the notice period. These are common situations, and Swiss employment law addresses them with precision. Art. 336c CO provides that a notice of termination served during certain protected periods is void, without exception. Haab Legal regularly advises both employees and employers on these matters in Lugano.
What is termination during a protected period?
Termination during a protected period (Kündigung zur Unzeit) is a concept in Swiss employment law that prohibits employers from dismissing an employee at certain moments of particular vulnerability. The prohibition covers illness, accident, pregnancy, military service and foreign service ordered by the federal authorities.
Note: the protection applies only after the probationary period. During the probationary period (Art. 335b CO), the employer may terminate the contract at any time, even if the employee is ill, with 7 days' notice.
Protected periods under Art. 336c para. 1 CO
Illness and accident (let. b)
The most frequent case in the practice of Avv. Hugo Haab and Avv. Roberto Haab. The employer may not dismiss an employee who is wholly or partially incapacitated for work due to illness or accident not attributable to the employee's own fault. The duration of protection depends on the length of service:
| Length of service | Protected period |
|---|---|
| 1st year | 30 days |
| 2nd to 5th year | 90 days |
| From the 6th year onward | 180 days |
If a doctor certifies partial incapacity (for example 50%), the protection applies all the same. Total incapacity is not required.
Pregnancy and childbirth (let. c)
The employee is protected throughout the entire pregnancy and for 16 weeks after childbirth. A notice of termination served during this period is void.
Military and civil protection service (let. a)
The prohibition covers military service, civil service and compulsory civil protection service. Where the service lasts more than 11 days, the protection extends to the 4 weeks before and after the service.
Foreign service (let. d)
The employee is protected during participation in a foreign aid mission ordered by the federal authorities.
Practical consequences: two distinct scenarios
Scenario 1: the notice is served during the protected period
The notice is void. It produces no legal effect whatsoever. In the eyes of the law, it is as though the notice had never been sent. An employer who wishes to dismiss the employee must wait until the end of the protected period and serve a fresh notice.
The nullity operates automatically: the employee need not file a formal objection. It is nevertheless advisable to inform the employer in writing that the notice is void, stating the reason and enclosing the medical certificate.
Scenario 2: the notice precedes the incapacity
If the termination was validly served before the employee fell ill (for example, the letter of termination arrives on 1 October and the employee falls ill on 15 October, during the notice period), the notice period is suspended. It remains frozen for the entire duration of the incapacity, up to a maximum of the applicable protected period.
A concrete example: an employee with 3 years of service receives notice with a 2-month notice period to the end of November. In mid-October, the employee falls ill. The notice period stops running. After recovery (or after a maximum of 90 days, since the employee is in the 2nd to 5th year of service), the notice period resumes. The employment relationship ends at the close of the month following the expiry of the remaining notice period.
Special cases
Fresh illness during the notice period
If the employee recovers from a first illness and then falls ill again from a different and independent cause, a new, autonomous protected period is triggered. Each incapacity not attributable to the employee's own fault gives rise to its own protection.
The probationary period: no protection
We repeat this point because it is a frequent source of confusion. During the probationary period, Art. 336c CO does not apply. The employer may dismiss even an employee who is ill, provided 7 days' notice is given.
Practical advice for employees and employers
If you are an employee and have received a notice of termination during a period of incapacity for work, the first step is to obtain a medical certificate and keep it safe. Write to the employer stating that the notice is void, specifying that you are in a protected period under Art. 336c CO. Do not let too much time pass.
If you are an employer, before serving any notice of termination, verify whether the employee is in a protected period. Should the employee fall ill after the notice has been served, bear in mind that the employment relationship may continue for weeks or months beyond the date originally envisaged. Plan accordingly.
Riassunto in italiano
Disdetta in tempo inopportuno in Svizzera (art. 336c CO)
Il diritto svizzero del lavoro vieta al datore di lavoro di disdire il contratto di lavoro durante determinati periodi di protezione (art. 336c CO). La disdetta notificata durante un periodo di protezione è nulla.
Il periodo di protezione più frequente riguarda la malattia o l'infortunio non imputabili a colpa del lavoratore. La protezione dura 30 giorni nel primo anno di servizio, 90 giorni dal secondo al quinto anno, 180 giorni dal sesto anno in poi. Altri periodi di protezione comprendono la gravidanza (l'intera gravidanza più le 16 settimane successive al parto), il servizio militare o civile obbligatorio (più le 4 settimane prima e dopo, se il servizio supera gli 11 giorni) e il servizio di aiuto all'estero ordinato dall'autorità federale.
Se la disdetta è stata validamente notificata prima dell'insorgere dell'incapacità, il termine di preavviso è sospeso per la durata dell'incapacità (fino al limite massimo della protezione applicabile). Esso riprende a decorrere una volta che il lavoratore guarisce o scade il periodo massimo di protezione. Il rapporto di lavoro termina alla fine del mese successivo alla scadenza del preavviso residuo.
Durante il periodo di prova (art. 335b CO), la protezione dell'art. 336c CO non si applica. Il datore di lavoro può licenziare anche un dipendente malato, con un preavviso di 7 giorni.
Consigli pratici:
- I lavoratori dovrebbero procurarsi immediatamente un certificato medico e comunicare per iscritto al datore di lavoro la nullità della disdetta.
- I datori di lavoro dovrebbero verificare la situazione del dipendente prima di notificare la disdetta e tenere conto di possibili proroghe del termine di preavviso.
Per una consulenza sulla disdetta del rapporto di lavoro e i periodi di protezione nel diritto svizzero, contattate Haab Legal a Lugano.
If you have questions about the validity of a termination or the management of the notice period during a protected period, Haab Legal in Lugano is at your disposal. Avv. Hugo Haab and Avv. Roberto Haab advise both employees and employers on all matters of Swiss employment law. Contact us for a consultation.
For a personal consultation: info@haablegal.ch | +41 91 913 30 70
