Vacation and part-time jobs: What does the law allow?

Mowing the lawn, babysitting or a summer job at the swimming pool ticket office: From the age of 13, young people are allowed to work – or, more precisely, they are allowed to “perform light work”. According to the law, this includes simple part-time and vacation jobs. So if your child tells you over lunch that they’d like to work a bit during the summer vacation to earn some extra cash, take it seriously – and see it as a learning opportunity. They’ll now have to look for a job, give their future employer a call and introduce themselves in person. All these are important skills for later professional life.

If the job works out, your teenager will also learn to take on more responsibility and to be punctual and reliable. Earning their own money also improves your child’s financial literacy, now that they have to learn how to manage their own money.

But what’s important is that school grades don’t suffer as a result of a vacation or part-time job.

Before they start their vacation job, it’s best to briefly discuss the legal basics with your teenager. In general, the following applies:

Social security and taxes: the rules for students 

Social insurance from pillar 1 – i.e. old-age and survivors’ insurance (OASI), disability insurance (IV), insurance for certain types of loss of earnings (EO), and unemployment insurance (ALV) – is usually only obligatory from the age of 18. It’s different with accident insurance. Young people are insured against accidents through their employer. If they work less than eight hours a week, they are only insured for occupational accidents; if they work more than eight hours a week, they are also insured for non-occupational accidents. Also make sure that your family liability insurance covers your child’s activities.

Regarding taxes, you should note the following: Although a vacation job or part-time job is in principle taxable, in practice, it often falls within the amount that can be earned tax-free. Find out what the rules are in your canton and keep payroll statements and certificates for the tax declaration and as reference.

Many young people find their first vacation job through friends, neighbors, at local businesses, perhaps at an animal shelter or with a nearby farming family. But even without such contacts, there are still a few options: For example, the open youth work program (in German) in your local community can be a good place to start. There, teenagers can find a vacation job in the local area without having to go through a lengthy application process. There are also vacation job exchanges from other providers on the internet, such as studentjob.ch (in German).

Talk to your child about what they’d find interesting, what they’d enjoy and what kind of part-time job they could imagine doing. Also discuss whether they feel up to the job in question and what responsibilities they’d have to take on – for example, when babysitting. 

By supporting your child and making sure they’re not overwhelmed, you increase the likelihood that their first experience of working is a positive one. This can have an impact on your child’s future career path.

Has your teen found a suitable job? But what about the pay? In Switzerland, there is no legal minimum wage for young people. So talk to your child about how much is appropriate for what kind of work. Maybe this is also a good time to mention your own salary in order to discuss the relationship between work and money. You can also check the websites of associations or youth organizations for wage recommendations for vacation jobs. Encourage your child to ask their friends what they earn in their jobs. 

If the wage offered is too low, your child can learn from this: “Even though I enjoy the work, it’s not worth doing for this money. I’d rather be doing something else.”

The first wage: How to manage earnings from a vacation job?

Has your child found a suitable vacation or part-time job, and do they believe the pay is fair? That’s great news and a big step. Now it’s time to learn how to manage their hard-earned money. By law, it belongs to your child, and they can decide for themselves how to spend it. However, you as a parent or guardian can, in exceptional cases, ask for a small contribution towards living expenses. As a rule, this only makes sense in the case of an apprentice’s wage, and less so in the case of a vacation job, where the earnings are usually low anyway. 

In any case, it is advisable to talk to your child early on about how to manage the money they earn. Is your child saving for something specific, such as a game console or a new bike? Then this is an ideal conversation starter for discussing saving and budgeting: consider how and over what period of time the goal can be achieved, as well as what additional costs might be involved – for example, new video games for the console or repairs to the bike.

Keep the following in mind during discussions and when calculating: Even if your child is now earning some extra money, it’s advisable to continue giving them pocket money or paying youth wage (if your financial situation allows it). This helps your child’s financial literacy, makes the connection between more work and more income tangible, and keeps motivation high.

Now is also a good time to consider whether pocket money or youth wage should be paid in cash or deposited into a bank account. The first paycheck is an ideal opportunity to start learning how to use accounts, cards and digital banking or build upon this knowledge.

As wonderful and educational as a first vacation job is, as parents you should also talk to your child about priorities: school comes first, then the job. Agree on clear rules, for example, that if their grades deteriorate you will sit down together and look for a solution.

For young teenagers in particular, it’s important they have enough free time and get enough rest. When in doubt, talk to them: the key, as so often, is trust and good communication.