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Holiday calculator 2026: how many days off your household employee gets

Salvador JovellsOctober 16, 2026Interactive Calculator

4 weeks = 8 working days · CHF 1'120.00 holiday pay per yearDetails ↓

Canton

Age

Hours per week

Working days per week

Gross wage (CHF)

Working hours

Same days and hours every week: the wage keeps running during the holidays.

More optionsYears of service, contract, carry-over, part year

Years of service (completed)

Months employed this year

12 = full year

Holiday weeks in the contract

Carry-over from last year (days)

Holiday per year

4weeks

= 8 working days (2 per week)

40 working hours

Basis: CO Art. 329a

NAV ZH grants more: from 50 (5 weeks), from 60 (6 weeks), from service year 11 (5 weeks)

Holiday pay per year (gross)

CHF 1'120.00

4 weeks × 10 h × CHF 28.00

Per holiday weekCHF 280.00

Per holiday dayCHF 140.00

The wage keeps running during the holiday weeks. No supplement on the hourly wage.

3 pages: calculation, explanation, holiday request template

Next step

Holiday right on every payslip

Clino builds the holiday pay into every payslip: as its own supplement line or with the wage running on.
If the entitlement goes up, for example from 50 under the cantonal NAV, Clino shows a notice.
When the employment ends, Clino calculates the untaken holiday for the final payslip.

Try 30 days freeThen CHF 19.90/month.

Per the CO and the cantonal NAV · Free

Sources: Federal Supreme Court 4A_357/2022, CO Art. 329a-d and the cantonal NAV for domestic work

You have the number: now make it count

The entitlement is calculated. For it to actually reach your employee, it has to show up in three places.

1Put it in the employment contract: record the holiday weeks per year in writing, and for irregular work the supplement rate too. Without a clause, the statutory minimum applies in a dispute: four weeks, five under 20. Most cantonal NAV also grant five from age 50.
2Make it visible on every payslip: with fixed working days the wage simply keeps running during the holidays. If the holiday pay is paid as a supplement (irregular work only), it belongs on every payslip as its own line (8.33% for four weeks, 10.64% for five). An amount hidden inside the hourly rate counts as unpaid.
3Log the days as they are taken: write down every holiday day. At year end you see the remaining balance; when the employment ends you know immediately what is still owed.
4Let the holiday be taken, not just paid: the supplement does not replace actual time off (Art. 329d para. 2 CO). Your employee is entitled to paid days off regardless of the supplement.

Mandatory details

Holiday weeks in the contract, for irregular work the supplement as its own line on every payslip, and a running record of the days taken.

Most common mistake

"Holiday is included in the hourly rate" although she works fixed days, or without showing the supplement separately in the contract and on the payslip. Neither holds up before the Federal Supreme Court: the holiday pay then has to be paid again.

Pay the holiday correctly: payslip generator

Stack of folded green and navy beach towels next to a pair of sandals on a rug in a hallway, ready for the holidays — Towels and sandals at the ready: your domestic worker is entitled to at least 4 weeks of holiday a year, five under 20.

At least 4 weeks a year, five under 20. From 50 most cantons also grant five, some only after years of service. Here you see what that means in working days and francs.

Legal Basis

Three stacks of folded towels on a wall shelf, each taller than the last, the tallest in lime green — Holiday supplement in the hourly wage: the stacks are in the ratio 8.33 to 10.64 to 13.04 percent.

Holiday entitlement for domestic workers is set by the Code of Obligations (CO Art. 329a). The canton's NAV for domestic work can grant more, usually from age 50. The key rules:

Household worker holiday entitlement: beach or mountains, the right applies to both

Minimum entitlement by age

Age	Vacation weeks	Supplement (irregular work only)
Under 20 years	5 weeks	10.64%
20–49 years	4 weeks	8.33%
50 years and over	4 weeks (CO), in 23 of 26 cantons 5 weeks (NAV)	8.33% / 10.64%

In 7 of these cantons only after a few years of service. The calculator above shows the figure for your canton.

How the holiday pay is paid depends on the working hours. With fixed days, the wage keeps running during the holidays. Only for irregular work on an hourly wage may it, per the Federal Supreme Court (4A_357/2022), be paid as a percentage supplement with every wage, shown separately. How the percentages are calculated:

✓4 weeks: 4 ÷ (52 − 4) = 8.33%
✓5 weeks: 5 ÷ (52 − 5) = 10.64%
✓6 weeks: 6 ÷ (52 − 6) = 13.04%

The exact calculation and how to show it correctly on the payslip are explained in our guide to holiday compensation on an hourly wage.

The CO weeks (4, or 5 under age 20) are mandatory: the employment contract may provide more, but never less. The extra weeks of the cantonal NAV apply unless the contract says otherwise. It can depart from them in writing (e.g. NAV ZH Art. 2), but never below the CO minimum. More on the NAV in our NAV Domestic Work Guide.

Common Mistakes with the Vacation Surcharge

Vacation surcharge not shown separately

If the holiday pay is paid as a supplement, it must appear as a separate line item on every payslip, even if it is included in the hourly wage.

Wrong percentage for the age group

Under 20, 5 weeks (10.64%) apply, not 4 weeks. From 50, most cantonal NAV also grant 5 weeks, some only after a few years of service. The adjustment is often forgotten when the worker turns 50.

Simply 'paying out' vacation instead of taking it

The vacation surcharge does not replace actual vacation days. The domestic worker is still entitled to paid time off despite the surcharge.

Reducing vacation due to illness without legal basis

Vacation may only be reduced for absences exceeding one month per year of service (OR Art. 329b). How long you keep paying the wage during illness is shown in the overview of sick pay by canton.

Avoid these mistakes with a correct payslip. Our Payslip Generator calculates the vacation surcharge automatically. Or have the employment contract set up correctly from the start.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many vacation weeks is a domestic worker entitled to?▾

At least 4 weeks, 5 weeks under age 20 (CO Art. 329a). Most cantonal NAV also grant 5 weeks from 50, some only after a few years of service. The employment contract may provide more but never less than the statutory minimum. Public holidays come on top and do not count as holiday days. The public holiday calendar by canton shows which ones apply in your canton.

How do I calculate the vacation surcharge on the hourly wage?▾

The vacation surcharge is a percentage on the base wage: 8.33% for 4 weeks, 10.64% for 5 weeks, 13.04% for 6 weeks. For irregular work it is paid monthly together with the salary and shown separately. With a fixed schedule the salary simply continues during the holidays.

Must the vacation surcharge be paid every month?▾

Only if the holiday pay is paid as a supplement, that is for irregular work: then it belongs on every payslip, shown separately, and may not be deferred to year-end or termination. With fixed working days there is no supplement; the wage keeps running during the holidays.

Can I reduce vacation during the probation period?▾

No. Vacation entitlement begins from the first day of work. For partial years of employment, it is calculated pro rata, but a reduction due to probation is not permitted.

Can I include the vacation surcharge in the hourly wage?▾

Only for irregular work, and then only if it is clearly and separately shown in the employment contract and on every payslip. A simple lump-sum increase is not sufficient according to the Federal Supreme Court. With fixed working days the wage keeps running during the holidays, without a supplement.

When does untaken holiday entitlement lapse?▾

Untaken holiday lapses five years after the end of the year in which it arose (Art. 128 CO). It does not expire on 31 December, however often that is claimed. As the employer you may plan when it is taken during the year, but you cannot simply cancel it. On leaving, the outstanding balance is paid out.

What happens to holiday when the employment ends?▾

Outstanding holiday days appear on the final payslip as a payout, calculated on the last wage. With an hourly wage and a monthly holiday supplement shown on each payslip, nothing is left open. Holiday taken in excess may only be deducted from the final wage with explicit consent (Art. 323b CO). What else to settle when the employment ends is covered in the guide to a clean termination.