Swiss Nationals Stranded in the Middle East: Urgent Appeal for Employer Flexibility
03.03.2026 | from Employees Switzerland
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03.03.2026, Air raids in Iran trap hundreds of Swiss nationals due to the closure of airports and resorts. In light of the extraordinary circumstances of military escalation, Employees Switzerland is appealing to employers to show flexibility. Affected employees who cannot report to work should not bear the consequences of their absence alone.
3400 flights cancelled
The military escalation between the United States, Iran, and Israel has stranded nearly 1,000 travellers in airports across the region. The Touring Club Switzerland reports repatriation requests from 15 different countries, and more than 3,400 flights have been cancelled. The main affected destinations are Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha. In Dubai, rockets have also hit tourist areas. Travelling to the airport to catch an emergency flight is currently impossible: fear of bombings adds to the uncertainty of returning home.
Employees bear the risks
What about those expected to return to work on Monday, now missing indefinitely? According to SECO, if an employee's absence is due to a situation beyond their control affecting a larger group (such as a traffic jam, power outage, roadblock, or flight cancellation), the employee is responsible for bearing the risk, and the employer is not obliged to continue paying wages for the missed days—unless the absence is directly work-related (e.g., downturn in orders, machine breakdown, etc.).
Employees Switzerland states that employees in war situations cannot be held equally liable for their absence from work as if they were absent through their own fault. "The problem is that Swiss labor law does not automatically mandate continued wage payment. This could only result from contractual or tariff agreements. Employees must first check their employment contract or any collective bargaining agreement," says Tanja Riepshoff, attorney-at-law.
We expect flexibility from employers
If contractual wage continuation arrangements are lacking, Employees Switzerland appeals to the duty of care of employers in companies, given the extraordinary circumstances of the crisis, to show understanding and flexibility: permit remote work, grant special leave, or allow making up for missed hours upon return. Clear measures and empathy are required so that employees can resume their jobs without disadvantages and do not face a loss of income on top of the stress they are currently experiencing.
Press contact:
Tanja Riepshoff, Attorney-at-law, Employees Switzerland
Email: tanja.riepshoff@angestellte.ch, Phone: +41 44 360 11 54
Tanja Tanneberger, Communications, Employees Switzerland
Email: tanja.tanneberger@angestellte.ch, Phone: +41 44 360 11 21
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Source: Employees Switzerland, Press release
Original article published on: Im Nahen Osten festsitzende Schweizer*innen: Dringender Appell an die Flexibilität der Arbeitgeber*innen