An AI company in Switzerland expects its employees to work up to 100 hours per week – at an average salary. Even so, there are many applicants.
AI startup Forgi near Zurich in Switzerland is causing a stir. The company offers applicants an annual salary of 70,000 francs (about 75,000 euros) for a work week of 80 to 100 hours. CEO Federico Martelli said, according to Le Figaro: “We are looking for members, not employees.”
Job requirements far exceed the maximum working hours of 45 to 50 hours per week set by Swiss law in many industries. The gross salary of around 6,250 euros per month is also below the Swiss average wage of around 7,000 euros per month.
Work up to 100 hours at an average salary: “We are peers in the competition”
As an incentive, Forgis offered company shares that increased in value, as well as “Sundays off.” Applicants are allowed to live in shared apartments near the office at their own expense.
Martelli stressed: “We are not a family. We are partners in a competition. We do not believe in a balance between personal and professional life.” Despite these conditions, Le Figaro reports that Forgis received more than 1,200 applications.
These are the working hours regulations in Germany
German working hours law stipulates a “maximum 8-hour working day”, which can be extended to a maximum of ten hours, provided that the average of eight hours per working day is not exceeded within six months.
Therefore, the maximum weekly working time is 48 hours (with a 6 day week). Additionally, breaks and rest periods are required by law. The Working Hours Act (ArbZG) always applies)which can be added or changed by mutual agreement. For certain professional groups (for example in the health sector or agriculture) it is permissible to work twelve hours a day under certain conditions, as long as there is compensation.
