Financial components
Gross annual salary: the base. Compared to sector median (Salarium FSO).
13th salary: standard but to confirm. December payment or pro-rata.
Annual bonus:
- Support functions: 5-10%
- Operational executives: 10-25%
- Sales / front office: 30-100%
- Senior leadership: 30-50%
To negotiate: floor and cap, criteria, payment timing.
LTI (Long-Term Incentive):
- Stock options: tech, multinational pharma
- RSU (Restricted Stock Units): banks, multinationals
- Phantom shares: unlisted companies
- Profit sharing: SMEs
Valuation: 10-100% of fixed over 3-5 years. Crucial to understand.
Benefits in kind
Company car: senior executives / sales functions. Estimate CHF 8,000-25,000/year net equivalent.
Company accommodation: rare outside palace hotels. FSO valuation for tax.
Meal tickets / subsidised canteen: CHF 50-150/month.
Smartphone and subscription: CHF 50-100/month.
Laptop and home office: equipment provided + CHF 500-1,500 budget.
Pension and insurance
BVG (2nd pillar):
- Employer rate: minimum 50%, up to 75% in good packages
- Credits above legal minimum: x2 to x3 your retirement capital
- To negotiate: pension fund, credit rate
Sickness loss-of-earnings insurance: 80-100% of salary over 720 days of 900.
Supplementary health insurance: covered by employer for executives (CHF 50-300/month).
Non-occupational accident insurance (UVG NP): to negotiate as fully employer-paid.
Working time
Holidays:
- Legal minimum: 4 weeks
- 5 weeks: common in good packages
- 6 weeks: senior executives, post 50
- Negotiable +1 week if salary refused
Cantonal public holidays: variable (8-12 days by canton).
Special leave:
- Maternity: 14 weeks minimum (up to 24 in good packages)
- Paternity: 2 weeks legal (up to 4-8 in good packages)
- Moving, marriage, bereavement
Remote work:
- 1-3 days/week standard 2026
- Transport saving CHF 200-600/month
- Home office allowance: CHF 50-150/month
- To negotiate: 100% remote if justifiable
Training and career
Continuing education budget:
- Standard: CHF 1,500-3,000/year
- Good packages: CHF 5,000-10,000/year
- Senior executives: financed MBA (CHF 50,000-100,000) with commitment to stay X years
Professional certifications: CFA, PMP, AWS — often covered.
Individual coaching: CHF 5,000-15,000/year for executives.
Formal mentoring: internal company programme.
Signing bonuses and compensation
Signing bonus:
- Compensation for previous bonus loss
- CHF 10,000-100,000 by level
- Conditional on 1-3 years presence (otherwise refund)
Sign-on RSU:
- Specific to big tech (Google, Microsoft Zurich)
- Accelerated vesting
Relocation package:
- Moving costs (CHF 5,000-30,000)
- Temporary housing (1-3 months)
- Pre-arrival exploratory trip
- Administrative help (permit, kids' school, bank)
- Flat settlement allowance (CHF 3,000-15,000)
Negotiation method
Step 1: List all components in an Excel table. Calculate annual monetary value of each.
Step 2: Compare your current package vs the offer: clear delta.
Step 3: Identify 3-5 negotiable priorities (not everything at once).
Step 4: Present a global counter-offer, not by component.
Step 5: Accept smart trade-offs: +CHF 5K gross vs +1 week holidays vs additional RSUs.
Orders of magnitude
Typical negotiation margins (% of first offer):
- Gross salary: +5-15% with solid arguments
- Bonus structure: 5-10% flexibility
- Holidays: +1 week frequently granted
- Remote: 1-2 additional days possible
- Training: x2 to x5 vs initial envelope
- Signing: CHF 10-30K if leaving guaranteed bonus
Of 10 candidates who negotiate, 8 get a better package. Of 10 candidates who don't negotiate, 0 get better.
