Information on handling and reducing time balances

As already notified in Summer 2021, ETH Zurich employees who are required to record working time or absences need to reduce their high time balances (i.e., holidays, over-hours, overtime, loyalty bonus holiday credits).

ETH Zurich has an annual working time model that allows employees to balance extra hours accumulated during times with higher workloads by working fewer hours during less demanding phases. This model provides a high degree of flexibility, which employees very much appreciate.

If they don’t already have one, employees with excessive levels will need to create a plan for reducing their time balances. The plan needs to be discussed with the employee’s supervisor and signed by both parties, and is then binding. Plans already created must be continuously monitored and implemented. A template for the reduction plan for high time balances can be found here.

Employees are advised to log their working time and absences on an ongoing basis over the year in the ETHIS time recording system. Please note, however, that all hours for year-end reporting must be logged into the system no later than 24 December 2021.

Detailed information on high time balances

The website Information on handling and reducing high time balances | ETH Zurich provides detailed information on the applicable provisions and also FAQs.

Applicable provisions

Any deviations from the provisions set out below must be recorded in a reduction plan for high time balances, if one has not already been created.

Over-hours/overtime

Over-hours and overtime accrued over the year must be compensated by equal amounts of time off. Please note the following:

• Any working time in excess of 200 hours will be deleted after 1 January 2022. In other words, the maximum excess time that can be carried over to January 2022 is 200 hours.
• Any working time in excess of 100 hours will be deleted after 1 January 2023. In other words, the maximum excess time that can be carried over to January 2023 is 100 hours.

Holiday time for the current year

According to personnel regulations, holidays are to be taken in the year they occur. Employees should liaise with their supervisor regarding when to take their holidays. In special situations, supervisors can also order employees to take holidays without mutual agreement.

Holidays are not paid out during an ongoing employment relationship. When an employee leaves ETH Zurich, they should try to manage their holiday planning to avoid a payout for any remaining holiday balance.

For full-time employees, a maximum of two weeks of holiday time can be carried over into the next year if approved by the supervisor. Carried-over holiday time must be taken by 31 March of the following year.

Holiday time from previous years

Employees with holiday time accrued from previous years must agree with their supervisor a plan for reducing their time balances if one has not already been created. Holiday time should be taken by 31 March of the following year. The plan needs to be discussed with the employee’s supervisor. Employers can also require employees to take holiday time from previous years at short notice. Here it also holds true that holidays are not compensated during an ongoing employment relationship. When an employee leaves ETH Zurich, they should try to manage their holiday planning to avoid a payout for any remaining holiday balance.

Loyalty bonus holiday credit

After 10 years of employment at ETH Zurich, employees can choose between a loyalty bonus of time/paid vacation or extra compensation. This bonus is issued every five years. (After five years of employment, employees receive a holiday credit of an additional week with no option of payout). If an employee chooses paid vacation, they have to take it within five years. Otherwise, it expires and cannot be paid out afterwards. It is therefore recommended that employees create a binding plan with their supervisor about when they will use their paid holiday credit as soon as they receive it.

If an employee chooses the payout option, the sum will be added to their next salary payment.