Commuting, Relocation and What a Job Really Costs

Switzerland is a commuter country; a journey of 40 to 60 minutes is normal. When it becomes a problem is individual – the calculation is not:

• Time: two hours daily across 220 working days is around 440 hours per year – eleven working weeks.
• Cost: a public transport pass for a 60-minute distance costs well over CHF 2’000 per year depending on zone and canton; a car with parking often costs more.
• Strain: changing shifts and unsocial hours make it worse; those who start early generally commute more relaxed.

Before you accept: calculate the commute in time and money and compare it with the salary difference to the closer job.

The journey to work is in principle the employee's affair – unlike business trips, which the employer bears. An entitlement to reimbursement exists only if agreed in the contract, in a collective agreement or by company practice.

• Public transport pass: some employers contribute fully or in part; often as a benefit instead of a salary increase.
• Company car: private use must be regulated and is tax-relevant (benefit in kind).
• Parking: provision is a benefit in kind if it is due to you personally.
• Business trips: the employer bears time and costs; expenses must be reimbursed.

Travel costs between home and work are deductible – but only within the cantonal rules:

• Public transport: the cost of the pass actually used.
• Car: a flat rate per kilometre (varies by canton), often limited to a maximum distance.
• Bicycle and walking: some cantons grant a small flat allowance.
• Home office: a separate commute deduction does not apply on home-working days – anyone working regularly from home can deduct less.

The deduction presupposes that you can substantiate the costs. Anyone using a general season ticket for both work and private purposes must justify the professional share.

Moving close to the place of work is often the most effective reduction of the commute – financially and health-wise. To clarify:

• Moving costs: does the employer cover them? For a job-related move this is negotiable, especially for management positions.
• Tax: moving costs are deductible where professionally necessary; private moves are not.
• Tenancy: plan notice periods, successor-tenant clauses and the cost of double rent.
• Family: school changes, childcare, the partner's commute – the most frequent reason why relocations fail.

In practice: moving before starting the job is easier than afterwards; a relocation allowance can be agreed in the contract.

Since hybrid models have become common, the commute is a point of negotiation:

• Home office days: two days per week reduce commuting effort by 40 percent and make longer distances bearable.
• Place of work in the contract: if a specific location is stated, home office is a supplementary agreement – not a given.
• Expenses: with home office, travel expenses cease; instead a flat allowance for infrastructure can be agreed.
• Taxes: the home office deduction is regulated differently by canton and usually subject to conditions.

Anyone moving further away because of home office should have the agreement in writing – otherwise the commute later becomes grounds for dismissal.

The question about mobility comes almost always. Answer concretely, not with declarations of intent:

• "I live in Olten, the journey by train takes 38 minutes" – verifiable and reassuring.
• Willingness to relocate only if it is genuine. A "in principle yes" becomes an expectation in the contract.
• Travel activity: ask about the proportion before you accept – 20 percent travel is something different from "occasionally".

In the CV the place of residence belongs under the contact details, not the commute. Anyone explaining a long distance does so in the interview – with a solution, not an apology.