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Liechtenstein - Compensation & Benefit Legislation

CAPITAL

Vaduz

 

CLIMATE

Continental. Cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain. Cool to moderately warm, cloudy and humid summers.

 

LANGUAGES

German (official) and Alemannic dialect.

 

LEGAL SYSTEM

Local civil and penal codes. Liechtenstein accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations.

 

CURRENCY

Swiss Francs (1 USD = 1.65560 CHF as of March 15, 2002)

 

LIECHTENSTEIN - COST-OF-LIVING

ERI's Relocation Assessor is a recommended source for cost-of-living data.

 

LIECHTENSTEIN - EMBASSY/CONSULATES

The United States does not have an embassy in Liechtenstein, but the US Ambassador to Switzerland is also accredited to Liechtenstein.

 

Liechtenstein does not have an embassy in the US, but is represented by the Swiss embassy in routine diplomatic matters.

 

See Switzerland.

 

LIECHTENSTEIN - HOLIDAYS

 

LIECHTENSTEIN – LEAVE

Annual Leave: Minimum fours annual leave each year.

 

Maternity Leave: Eight weeks – 80% of pay (paid by social security).

 

LIECHTENSTEIN - MINIMUM AGE

The law generally prohibits the employment of children under 16 years of age. However, exceptions may be made for the limited employment of youths age 14 and over and for those who leave school after completing 9 years of compulsory education.

 

Children ages 14 and older may be employed in light duties for not more than 9 hours a week during the school year and 15 hours a week at other times.

 

(Section 6.d. Acceptable Conditions of Work, Liechtenstein – Report of Human Rights Practices, 2001, U.S. Department of State.)

 

LIECHTENSTEIN - MINIMUM REMUNERATION

There is no minimum wage.

 

(Section 6.e. Acceptable Conditions of Work, Liechtenstein – Report of Human Rights Practices, 2001, U.S. Department of State.)

 

LIECHTENSTEIN - REMUNERATION

ERI's Geographic and Salary Assessors are recommended sources for international remuneration covering 189 countries.

 

LIECHTENSTEIN - REPORT OF HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES (2001, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE)

Section 6 Worker Rights

 

a. The Right of Association

 

The law provides that all workers, including foreigners, are free to associate, join unions of their choice, and select their own union representatives, and workers exercised these rights in practice. Due to the country's small size and population, there is only one trade union, which represents approximately 13 percent of the work force; however, the union protects the interests of nonmembers as well.

 

Workers have the right to strike except in certain essential services. No strikes were reported during the year. The law does not provide specific protections for strikers. Employers may dismiss employees for refusing to work; such dismissals may be contested in the Federal Court (Landesgericht).

 

Unions are free to form or join confederations and may affiliate with international bodies. The only union is a member of the World Confederation of Labor but is represented on an ad hoc basis by a Swiss union.

 

b. The Right to Organize and Bargain Collectively

 

The law provides for the right of workers to organize and bargain collectively. However, collective bargaining agreements usually are adapted from those negotiated by Swiss employers and unions. In accordance with EEA guidelines, domestic labor law requires that employers consult with unions in cases of projected mass dismissals and submit employment contracts in written form.

 

The law encourages the formation of unions but does not specifically prohibit antiunion discrimination. Instead it states that antiunion discrimination should be avoided.

 

There are no export processing zones.

 

c. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor

 

The law prohibits forced or compulsory labor, and there were no reports that it occurred. NGO's assume that trafficking in women occurs; however, there were no reports of specific cases (see Section 6.f.).

 

The law does not prohibit specifically forced and bonded labor by children; however, such practices are not known to occur.

 

d. Status of Child Labor Practices and Minimum Age for Employment

 

The law generally prohibits the employment of children under 16 years of age. However, exceptions may be made for the limited employment of youths age 14 and over and for those who leave school after completing 9 years of compulsory education (see Section 5). Children ages 14 and older may be employed in light duties for not more than 9 hours a week during the school year and 15 hours a week at other times.

 

The Government devoted adequate resources and oversight to child labor policies. The Department for Worker Safety of the Office of the National Economy effectively supervised compliance with the law. Inspections by the Department for Worker Safety were adequate. No employers have been fined or imprisoned for violations of the law.

 

The Government has not ratified International Labor Organization Convention 182 on the worst forms of child labor.

 

The Government does not prohibit specifically forced and bonded labor by children, but such practices are not known to occur (see Section 6.c.).

 

e. Acceptable Conditions of Work

 

There is no minimum wage. In 2000 a total of 47 households depended on public welfare to obtain a yearly minimal income--set at $10,700 (17,720 Swiss francs) for a 1-person household--and were considered working poor. A total of 443 households received public assistance in 2000.

  

The law sets the maximum workweek at 45 hours for white-collar workers and employees of industrial firms and sales personnel, and 48 hours for all other workers. The law provides for mandatory rest periods, and with few exceptions, Sunday work is not allowed. Workers over the age of 20 receive at least 4 weeks of vacation; younger workers receive at least 5 weeks.

 

The law sets occupational health and safety standards, and the Department for Worker Safety of the Office of the National Economy effectively enforces these provisions. The law provides for a hearing in cases in which workers remove themselves from dangerous situations. The law provides for the right of workers to remove themselves from work situations that endanger health or safety without jeopardy to their continued employment.

 

f. Trafficking in Persons

 

The law does not prohibit trafficking in persons; NGO's assume that, as in neighboring countries, trafficking in women occurs, but there were no specific reports of trafficking cases during the year. Seven cases of trafficking in persons (assistance with illegal immigration) were reported in 2000; in most of the cases, the traffickers were relatives of illegal immigrants.

 

LIECHTENSTEIN - SOCIAL SECURITY

Social Security Office of International Programs:

 

http://www.ssa.gov/SSA_Home.html

 

LIECHTENSTEIN - STANDARD WORKWEEK

The law sets the maximum workweek at 45 hours for white-collar workers and employees of industrial firms and sales personnel, and 48 hours for all other workers.

 

The law provides for mandatory rest periods, and with few exceptions, Sunday work is not allowed.

 

(Section 6.e. Acceptable Conditions of Work, Liechtenstein – Report of Human Rights Practices, 2001, U.S. Department of State.)