I think, it is 18 months these days.

I believe that you need to have been in employment for 1 continuous year. That's what I was told last year after being employed for only 11 months.

Hi Eric

Minimum is 12 months and there are specific rules about that, for example if it is your decision to leave your place of work, you generally get penalized.  If you have worked in a EU country before, they might take that into account, they used to but not sure if they still do.

If you speak French, the following link may be useful:

http://www.admin.ch/ch/f/rs/837_0/a27.html

Kind regards,

Sarah

Cheers everybody for all your help!
Been working full time for 13 months with a month inbetween my 2 different jobs.

have a good evening :)

12 months, but what was said about you being penalized if u leave by your own accord is true. also new rules now give a 'delais' to when they start paying you depending on your previous salary. If you're in the top bracket then once you sign up, you don't get paid for the first 20 days of your chomage so make sure you've got some money stashed away!

Eric - check out the official line from the chomage office,  as they changed all the rules in April 2011.

I think they got pissed off with all those ex-pats who get relocated by their company, all expenses paid, then find themselves out of a job and think stacking shelves in Migros is beneath them.

Not implying this is you obviously, but I've seen it happen a lot in the last couple of years and the tax-paying Swiss are getting cheesed off with it. 

That's great guys.

I have no intention of leaving my work as I have just got my full time contract but I was just curious to know how the system actually works. I've just heard varying stories about it.

And that's fair enought that the swiss would get peeved with that!

Yes, except that few businesses would hire overqualified people for any job, for obvious reasons..

.

Yes and no:

If you have a Swiss contract the cancellation period can be seven days within the trial period and two months afterwards. Not too much time to find a new job here and survive in expensive Switzerland...

Not sure if the salary of an EU country is taken into account 1:1