According to a recent study by the Swiss Federal Office for Gender Equality (FOBB), one-third of employees in Switzerland have experienced some form of sexual harassment during their professional lives, with rates significantly higher among women at 44% compared to 17% for men. Young workers and trainees face the highest exposure. To combat these numbers, federal labor guidelines and regional organizations are urging small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to establish strict prevention plans, clear internal directives, and confidential reporting channels.
Legal Obligations and Defining Workplace Misconduct
Under Article 2 of Ordinance 3 of Switzerland’s Labor Act, employers must inform workers about prohibited behaviors that violate personal integrity. According to Laetitia Carreras, project manager at the Geneva-based association Le 2e Observatoire, sexual harassment and sexism can be triggered by a single unwanted act or word. This includes a suggestive gaze, sexually explicit remarks, physical contact, or an assault. Hostile work environments—such as displaying nude images in workspaces or making homophobic jokes—also constitute violations. Regarding psychological harassment and mobbing, the Swiss Health Survey 2022 indicates that nearly 5% of active workers without disabilities experienced such behavior in the prior twelve months. While perpetrators of sexual harassment are predominantly men, mobbing involves hostile actions by both men and women aimed at destabilizing, humiliating, or excluding an employee over time.
Implementing Internal Directives and Training
Specialists advise firms to establish a written internal directive, train all staff, and provide advanced instruction for managers to detect early warning signs. Anika Lünsmann, project manager for the Swiss German initiative KMU konkret+, notes that workplace rules must be regularly reinforced during daily management routines, team meetings, and individual employee check-ins. Restructuring periods and precarious contracts represent heightened risk environments for mobbing. Under Swiss law and the Code of Obligations, employers who fail to implement preventive measures or ignore reports face potential sanctions before the conciliation authority or the labor court.
Confidential Reporting Channels and Support Platforms
Swiss regulations require every company to designate a trusted, trained person to handle personality violations, discrimination, violence, mobbing, and sexual harassment. Lünsmann points out that managers or human resources staff are frequently named as reference points in internal regulations, but their protection obligations prevent them from guaranteeing anonymous reporting or delaying immediate action. Consequently, companies must appoint an internal representative without management duties or use external organizations like Le 2e Observatoire to preserve confidentiality. For victims seeking immediate assistance, the portal belästigt.ch offers counseling in French and German. Aner Voloder, deputy head of the Zurich Office for Gender Equality, emphasizes that the platform helps victims understand their rights, clarify facts, and access local support centers without judgment.
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