In Spain, we are used to a system with clear limits: you cannot string together temporary contracts indefinitely for the same role with the same employer without the arrangement eventually turning into a permanent contract. Switzerland is different. There is no legal limit on the number of fixed-term contracts an employer can offer, nor is there a maximum duration set by federal law.
What does exist, however, is the possibility that the employment tribunals may intervene if they consider that successive contracts constitute an abuse of rights – that is, that they are being used to circumvent the rights of permanent employees without a legitimate reason. But that requires going to court, and in practice most temporary workers simply sign contract after contract without questioning anything.
There are a few key points you should be aware of. A fixed-term contract expires automatically on the agreed date, without the need for notice from either party. During the contract, you have exactly the same rights as a permanent employee: holiday entitlement, protection in the event of illness, and AVS/SUVA cover. And if the company repeatedly renews short-term contracts for the same role without objective justification, the courts may, in certain cases, recognise a de facto permanent employment relationship.
If you work for a recruitment agency such as Adecco or Manpower, there is one point that many people are unclear about: your legal employer is the agency, not the company where you are providing your services. This has implications in the event of the end of an assignment, sick leave or an accident at work. It is worth knowing exactly who you have signed your contract with.