Temporary Employment

The following regulations apply to all employment at UZH except professorships, irrespective of the source of funding for the employment. The legal basis is §§ 10, 15 and 16 PVO-UZH as well as § 13 PG. As a general rule, employment at UZH is permanent. The following exceptions are possible:

• New employment relationships may be limited up to a maximum of one year.
• Project-related positions or employment relationships entered into for a task that is limited in terms of time or finances (e.g. a research project or academic career development) can be limited to a maximum of three years. These positions can be extended for a further three years up to a maximum duration of nine years. 
• In principle, junior academic positions are limited to 
• no more than six years for doctoral candidates and teaching and research assistants 
• no more than six years for postdoctoral researchers 
• no more than nine years for senior teaching and research assistants (the periods of employment as a postdoctoral researcher and as a senior teaching and research assistant are added together). 
• In principle, student assistant positions (which are linked to a current course of study) are temporary.
• Substitute positions for employees unable to work in their original positions due to illness or accident are limited to no more than two years (§ 161 VVO).

Temporary positions expire at the end of the time period defined. No notice of termination is provided. Please note that temporary positions can also be terminated by either the employee or the employer. When a temporary position comes to an end, the employee will leave UZH automatically unless an application has been submitted for an extension. Line managers must inform employees at an early stage that their employment has not been extended and that they will be leaving UZH. If you are unsure whether your employment is being extended, please ask your line manager in good time.

As a matter of principle, temporary employment is only permitted for up to one year and becomes permanent after that period has expired. If a temporary employment relationship is extended, it can have the same implications as a permanent employment relationship. This is subject to any special provisions on the length of employment and the notice periods for employment relationships of an educational nature or tasks that are of restricted duration for other reasons (see above). The total employment period changes when the employment relationship is extended (years of service). This is relevant for both the notice periods and for other reasons.