Staff councils
The SBEA (Swiss Bank Employees Association) trains and supports employee representation bodies in banks and works closely with them.
Offer for staff councils
The SBEA (Swiss Bank Employees Association) trains and supports employee representation bodies in banks and works closely with them.
Staff councils represent the interests of the employees – with the support of the SBEA
Participation in the Bank
In numerous Swiss banks – at UBS as well as in cantonal banks and some other institutions – employee participation is firmly established. Elected staff councils (also called employee representation bodies) exercise this right of participation and collectively represent the interests of employees in negotiations with the executive board.
Legal basis and powers
The activities of staff councils are based on various legal instruments:
- The Participation Act as well as the Agreement on Conditions of Employment for Bank Employees (ACEBE, Articles 37 to 42), if applicable to the institution concerned
- Corporate regulations and agreements
Before important decisions that have an effect on personnel, such as restructuring or questions about working time, are taken, the staff councils must be consulted.
In banks that are subject to the ACEBE, the staff council also negotiates with the employer about annual salary adjustments.
What do staff councils achieve?
Staff councils make an important contribution to dialogue within the company:
They take up concerns and suggestions for improvement from employees and present them to the executive board.
- They address problems and dissatisfaction in the working environment – from working conditions to corporate culture issues.
- Well-trained staff councils contribute decisively to employee satisfaction, loyalty, and the attractiveness of the employer
Support by the SBEA
The SBEA supports staff councils in banks with:
- Training and professional development opportunities (e.g. right of participation, conducting negotiations, working methods)
- Individual advice for specific challenges
- Support for the establishment and constitution – especially in institutions without an existing employee representation body.
No staff council in your bank?
The SBEA will help you to set up a staff council. Here you can learn about how to establish a staff council.
Basic seminars
We regularly offer full-day training opportunities in German and French for newly elected members of staff councils.
The basic seminars are also open to staff council members from companies in related industries, e.g. insurance and IT companies. Members of the SBEA benefit from a reduced rate.
Further information: info@sbpv.ch.
Advanced seminars
Even experienced employee representation bodies have the need to exchange ideas with colleagues as well as with external experts about their work, their role, and their experiences.
To this end, the SBEA periodically organises full-day advanced seminars aimed at staff council members who have already attended a basic seminar or have at least one year of practical experience.
The seminars are also open to staff council members from related industries, such as insurance. Members of the SBEA benefit from a reduced rate. Members of the SBEA benefit from a reduced rate.
Further information: info@sbpv.ch.
Specialised courses and webinars
On specific topics such as negotiation techniques and labour law, the Secretariat periodically organises additional training opportunities with renowned experts.
The offer is continuously adapted and further developed to the needs of the staff councils. Members of the SBEA benefit from a reduced rate. Members of the SBEA benefit from a reduced rate.
Further information: info@sbpv.ch.
Staff council conferences
Twice a year, the Secretariat organises a conference for members of staff councils from banks. It is intended to let participants exchange experiences and opinions and discuss current cooperation topics – for example, salary negotiations in banks or current developments in the world of work.
The staff councils are invited directly to the staff council conferences.
Members of the SBEA benefit from a reduced rate.
Individual advice
The SBEA also advises staff councils individually. For example
- In the review or revision of participation regulations
- On questions regarding concrete negotiations with the employer
Contact info@sbpv.ch with any questions.
Are you affected by a restructuring?
Contact us, we will advise you and treat your request strictly confidential.
Establishing a staff council
The SBEA will help employees with the establishment of a staff council in their company.
A staff council promotes job satisfaction
Staff councils enable structured dialogue between employees and the executive board. They help to address concerns at an early stage, develop solutions together, and thereby strengthen job satisfaction as well as the quality of working conditions.
Legal basis
The Federal Act on Information and Participation of Employees in Companies (Participation Act) regulates the conditions under which employees in private companies can establish a staff council (also called employee representation body).
Who can request a staff council?
- In companies with more than 50 permanent employees in Switzerland, the employees can demand the establishment of a staff council.
- In banks with more than 100 employees, the Agreement on Conditions of Employment for Bank Employees (ACEBE) explicitly recommends establishing such representation.
Does the employer have to take any action themselves?
No. The employer is not obliged to establish a staff council on its own initiative.
Employees can, however, demand at any time that a vote be held on the establishment of an employee representation body.
How do we start the voting process?
Holding a vote requires signatures from
- At least one-fifth of the employees, or
- 100 employees in companies with more than 500 employees
As soon as the required signatures have been collected and handed over to the employer, the employer must conduct a vote among all employees. The employees decide whether a staff council should be established.
What happens if the majority is in favour?
If the majority of employees vote for the establishment of a staff council, the employer must agree with an employee representative on the rules for the election, composition, and duties of the staff council. Subsequently, a joint committee (with an equal number of representatives from the employers and employees) is formed to organise and hold the actual election. Afterwards, the elected members can begin their work.
Support by the SBEA
The SBEA advises and supports employees in the finance industry who wish to engage in the establishment of a staff council in their company.
Get in touch with us
You work at a company in the finance industry in Switzerland with more than 100 employees and believe that the employees are insufficiently listened to, are involved too little in shaping their working conditions and their working environment? Then contact us – we will help you to set up an employee representation body: info@sbpv.ch
Support with signature collection
The SBEA will help you to plan and complete a signature collection, so that a vote on the establishment of a staff council can be requested.
At your request, we will organise a notarial and anonymous verification of the signatures before the petition is handed over to the employer. If desired, the SBEA will also handle the handover.
Right to information before the vote
In order for a staff council to be elected, a majority is required in the vote. The SBEA supports you with information material and information events to inform your colleagues about the tasks and benefits of a staff council.
Preparation of regulations
After a positive vote, regulations for election, organisation and activities of the staff council must be drawn up together with the employer. The SBEA contributes its many years of experience and ensures that these regulations comply with the applicable laws and the ACEBE.
Training of the elected staff council
After the election, the SBEA supports the new members of the staff council with training and professional development so that they can competently perform their tasks. Further information can be found in our training offer.
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