Switzerland

Greetings

Man greeting Man - Men shake hands when greeting one another while maintaining direct eye contact. A light hug may be common between good friends and family.

Woman greeting Woman- Light kisses on the cheeks are the most common form of greeting. These are light touching of cheeks rather than actual kisses. Three alternating cheek kisses starting with the right cheek tends to be the norm. At a first meeting, women generally shake hands.

Man greeting Woman- Light kisses on the cheeks is the most common form of greeting for friends and family. Three alternating cheek kisses starting with the right cheek tends to be the norm. At a first meeting a regular handshake will do.

Note: The strong regionalism in and the influence of German, French and Italian culture is very prevalent. Greetings in the French and Italian speaking regions tend to be warmer and longer than in the German speaking regions.

Communication Style

• Communication style depends greatly on personality but the Swiss are generally polite and direct in their communication.
• The Swiss tend to be private people and asking personal questions is not that common.

Personal Space & Touch

• It is not polite to be too close during conversation; at least an arm’s length should be maintained. This space may be a bit less in the Italian speaking regions.
• If you accidentally brush someone on the train or touch on the bus, it is generally considered polite to excuse yourself.

• Families and friends often touch when speaking but it is rare for acquaintances to do so. It is certainly not accepted in business settings.

Eye Contact

• Eye contact is a sign of respect and should be maintained, regardless of whom you are speaking with.
• Direct eye contact is not just acceptable, it’s required. Not having eye contact with a person, no matter if it’s your boss, your child, your grocery store clerk etc., is considered rude.

Gestures

• Flattening your hand and slicing it across your neck means, “I’ve had enough!”
• Tapping your temple with an index finger means someone is crazy.

Views of Time

• In general, the Swiss are orderly, careful and conscientious, therefore, being late is considered rude.
• If invited to a friend’s for dinner or a party, being a few minutes late is acceptable, but certainly no more than 15-30 minutes.
• Punctuality is highly valued throughout the country. Being on time for business meetings, service appointments, etc. is expected.
• Buses and trains are always on time.

Gender Roles

• In theory, women are equal with men in the workforce; however, there are still obstacles such as pay equality and promotion that often favor men.
• It is rare to find a stay at home dad and much of the time women do not work once they have children.
• Affordable and reliable childcare is in short supply and it is often more economical to have a stay-at-home mom.

Taboos

• It is considered very rude to litter or leave trash lying around.
• The Swiss appreciate peace and quite hence it is impolite to speak too loudly in public, especially while on your cell phone.

Law & Order

• To buy beer and wine, one must be 16 years old. To buy stronger spirits, you must be 18.
• There is a strong trend against smoking as it is becoming prohibited in more and more places.
• Penalties for possession, acquisition, and trafficking of drugs are severe and include mandatory lengthy imprisonment in local jails.

Dress

• For men: conservative yet stylish suits with shirts and ties. A jacket and tie, rather than a suit tends to be acceptable as well. Business casual may be acceptable in certain industries.
• For women: stylish yet conservative business suits or dresses and blouses are a good way to go. Accessories are usually worn, but it's best to stay on the subtle side.
• The Swiss value having clean, nicely pressed clothing along with well-polished shoes.
• Jeans and other casual attire are generally not acceptable.

Titles & Business Cards

• Titles are important and it is best to address people directly by using Mr., Mrs., or Miss, followed by the surname. Note: for French-speakers: "Monsieur" is for Mr., "Madame" is for Mrs. and "Mademoiselle" is Miss. For Swiss-German speakers: "Herr" is for Mr., "Frau" is for Mrs. For Italian speakers "Signore" is for Mr., "Signora" is for Mrs.
• You should always wait to be invited to use first names before doing so yourself.

• In German and French, there are two words meaning “you.” One is formal, in French “vous” and one is informal, “tu.” Therefore, depending on the situation you must know when to use the formal or informal pronoun. When conversing with friends and peers, it's acceptable to use “tu,” but when in the business setting or speaking with elders, use “vous.”

• There is no set protocol surrounding the giving and receiving of business cards.

Meetings

• It is best to show up on time for all meetings. One can expect some preliminary small talk when dealing with the Italian and French Swiss while the German Swiss tend to get straight down to business.
• Meetings tend to be taken quite seriously and follow strict agendas.

Gift Giving

• Gifts are not generally exchanged at initial business meetings.
• If invited over for dinner or a drink to a Swiss home, it's a good idea to bring the host/hostess a gift. Flowers (avoid lilies, red roses, chrysanthemums) and/or a bottle of high quality wine or spirits is an acceptable gift.

• Avoid gifts like a letter opener, knives, and or scissors as they can mean a severing of relations.

In the Classroom

• The school year consists of two semesters, the first starting in September and ending in December. The second semester starts in March and finishes at the end of June. Between the two are exams and essays. There is a one week vacation for Easter and two weeks for Christmas.

• At the university level, there are no rules regarding dress. One can wear whatever they like, however, students studying economics or law will normally dress up more than history or art students.

• In general, children are taught not to be different and that is it better to be reliable and respectful than outstanding, therefore, this neutrality is often reflected in their clothing choices.

• Grades are based on a scale from 0-6, six is the best. 4 is a passing grade.

• Lectures and discussion groups are used at the university level. Most classes are accompanied by a seminar class in which a professor or teaching assistant will lead discussions and debates.

Other Observations

• Switzerland prides itself on its high standard of publicly-funded education. Most people continue studying after years of compulsory education and continue to take classes throughout their lives, so education is extremely important and respected.