Labour Day

Trade unions and political organisations mark the date with rallies and speeches. This public significance is wider than the statutory full-day or half-day scope.

The legal map is narrower: Zurich, Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft, Schaffhausen, Thurgau, Ticino, Neuchâtel and Jura have the full day. Solothurn starts its public rest day at noon, including Bucheggberg; Aargau treats the entire date as an ordinary working day.

Schools, childcare and shops still follow their own calendars.

Use the published local or provider information for a specific opening question.

For meetings or travel, check the place and the time of day before assuming a long weekend.

The eight full-day cantons have 1 May off throughout Friday. In Solothurn, the public rest day starts at noon; in Aargau, the date remains an ordinary working day.

For shifts and appointments, the actual workplace, roster and any Labour Act exceptions still matter. In Solothurn, the time of day is part of the answer.

School calendars, childcare and shop hours can differ on 1 May.

Use the published local or provider information when the practical opening question matters.

The workplace status is a separate employment question.

Even a full-day public holiday does not by itself say whether a shop, practice or service is operating. That operational answer remains separate from the statutory scope.

A commute between a full-day canton, Solothurn and Aargau can meet three different answers on 1 May. The actual workplace controls the employment classification.

Solothurn includes Bucheggberg in its public rest day from noon; Aargau does not share that rule.

Check the canton border before fixing the roster.

Use local information for any journey or meeting.

1 May carries the history of the labour movement and public debate about working conditions. That meaning reaches beyond the cantons with a full-day public holiday.

Rallies, speeches and local events have their own places and times.

Check working time from the relevant workplace information.

Check shop opening from the relevant provider information.

For Friday, 1 May 2026, distinguish the eight full-day cantons from Solothurn, where the statutory day begins at noon.

Confirm the location before arranging a demonstration.

Set workplace cover and any long weekend from the local rule.

Plan the Friday by workplace and, in Solothurn, by time of day.