Night/ Sunday/ on-call work

This composite indicator provides information on working conditions that are known to be difficult as experienced by the different population groups. Atypical working hours (at night, on Sundays or on-call) constitute a challenge for social and family life. They make it harder to have contact with friends and acquaintances during leisure time, and consequently, to integrate into society. Furthermore, night work, in particular, can impact negatively on a person’s health and health problems can have a detrimental effect on social integration.

In 2019, 14% of employees in Switzerland worked atypical hours, i.e. at night (4%), on Sunday (8%) or on-call (5%). Analysis of results by migration status shows that the population with a migration background from the first generation has the highest proportion of employees with atypical working hours (16% against 14% for the population without a migration background and 12% for the second or subsequent generations). The first generation also works more often at night than the population without a migration background and the second or subsequent generations (5% compared to about 4% for the latter two groups). With regards Sunday work and on-call work, the rates for the three population groups do not differ significantly from each other. Regardless of the category, the second or subsequent generations show the same pattern as the population without a migration background.

People’s occupation (ISCO) has an influence on whether they work atypical hours. Service and sales workers, drivers and assemblers, but also unskilled workers, are subject to this type of working hours more than other employees.

Within the same occupation group, the share of the population with and without a migration background affected by atypical working conditions does not vary significantly, with the exception of administrative jobs. In this occupation, the population with a migration background from the first generation is more often confronted with atypical working hours than the other groups (12% compared with 6% in the population with no migration background and 7% in the second generation).

Employees are most likely to be faced with atypical working hours in Eastern Switzerland and in Espace Mittelland (15%), whereas employees in Zurich and Lake Geneva region are the least likely (13% and 14%). In all major regions, the population with a migration background is the one most likely to work atypical hours. The difference between this population group and the two others is only statistically significant in Espace Mittelland and Eastern Switzerland.