Organigramm (Org Chart)
An organigramm is a visual diagram showing your company's hierarchy, roles, reporting lines, and job titles. Swiss employers create one during setup or restructuring to clarify decision-making, assign accountability, and often to comply with cantonal employment documentation rules.
An organigramm (org chart) maps who reports to whom, what each role is called, and often the Pensum percentage or employment level. It is the skeleton of your company structure on paper.
Most Swiss SMEs without HR departments need an organigramm when they grow beyond founder-plus-one, hire across multiple locations, or when a canton's labour authority (like the Arbeitsinspektorat) asks to see it during a workplace inspection.
When You Need an Organigramm
You should draw an organigramm when hiring your second or third employee, before opening a second office, and definitely before any restructuring or layoffs. It clarifies roles internally and prevents disputes about who has authority.
Cantonal labour offices occasionally request an organigramm during inspections under the Arbeitsgesetz (ArG) to verify safe staffing, especially in regulated sectors like hospitality or construction. Having one ready shows good governance.
- Growth: three or more employees across different functions
- Multi-site operations: branches in different cantons
- Restructuring: before moving roles or reducing headcount
- Regulatory request: when a cantonal Arbeitsinspektorat asks
- Banking or investor requirement: part of due diligence
- Succession planning: document who runs what if someone leaves
Your Obligations as an Employer
Swiss law does not require you to publish an organigramm, but the Arbeitsgesetz requires you to organize work safely and clearly. A written organigramm is strong evidence you have done so. If you operate in multiple cantons, check local Arbeitsinspektorat guidance—some cantons expect one during audits.
You must keep your organigramm current. If you hire, promote, or fire without updating it, it becomes useless and may confuse employees about chains of command. Update it within one month of any structural change.
- Keep it accurate and up to date—outdated charts cause confusion
- Make it clear to relevant staff (especially new hires) who their boss is
- Include job titles, Pensum, and reporting lines at minimum
- Store it safely if it contains sensitive pay or personal data (revDSG rules apply)
- Be ready to show it to cantonal labour inspectors if asked
- Review it yearly or after major hiring/departures
The Most Common Mistake
Founders create an organigramm once and forget it. Six months later, two new hires join, one person leaves, roles shift—but the chart stays the same. Employees then don't know who to ask, approvals get delayed, and responsibility becomes unclear.
The second trap: putting it in a drawer and never showing it. A chart nobody reads is worse than none. Share it with new hires in their first week, and reference it when explaining chains of decision-making.
- Not updating it after hiring, promotion, or departure
- Creating one so complex only HR would understand it (keep it simple)
- Storing personal data (e.g., full names, salaries) without data security
- Forgetting to explain it to new staff during onboarding
- Including unofficial roles that don't match actual authority
- Never reviewing it: set a calendar reminder for January or after any change
Frequently asked questions
- Do I legally have to have an organigramm as a Swiss SME?
- No explicit legal requirement exists under the Arbeitsgesetz, but the law requires you to organize work clearly and safely. An organigramm is the easiest proof you've done this. Cantonal inspectors may ask for one, so having it ready is wise. A lawyer familiar with your canton can confirm what local practice expects.
- What should a simple organigramm include?
- Names or titles only, reporting lines (who reports to whom), job titles, and optionally Pensum percentage or employment level (full-time, part-time, etc.). For SMEs, a one-page visual or simple text file is enough. Avoid including salaries unless it's a private, locked document.
- How often should I update it?
- Update it within one month of any hire, departure, promotion, or role change. Review it formally at least once a year. If you have rapid turnover, update quarterly. An outdated organigramm confuses new staff and wastes time.
General information for Swiss employers, not legal advice. Have a lawyer confirm anything with legal consequences.