Regulations on Education and Continuing Education - Purpose of Education and Training

1. Training and Continuing Education Measures are an integral part of modern personnel management and promote the appropriate and efficient fulfillment of tasks towards citizens and within the administration.

2. Training and Continuing Education aim at the structured acquisition of knowledge, skills, or behaviors to acquire or strengthen professional, leadership, and social competencies.

3. Training and Continuing Education must be purposeful and proportionate.

1. Supervisors and employees jointly discuss training and development needs as part of the management process at least once a year and determine any necessary measures within the framework of employee appraisals.

1. Education and Training Measures Include

a) Courses, Specialized Seminars, Professional Conferences, and similar activities;

b) Continuing Education Programs;

c) Postgraduate Studies (Advanced Vocational Colleges, Universities of Applied Sciences, Universities);

d) Professional Internships;

e) Language Residencies.

2. Education and training measures can be mandated or pursued voluntarily. If mandated, participation in education and training is compulsory.

3. They are mandated when the acquisition or strengthening of knowledge, skills, professional, leadership, or social competencies is necessary to ensure the fulfillment of tasks.

1. The superiors submit a proposal to the head of the department regarding the training and continuing education measures for the employees.

1bis. In the proposal, the superiors distinguish between mandatory and voluntary training and continuing education measures. For voluntary measures, they further specify whether there is a predominant interest of the employer, a subordinate interest of the employer, or an exclusive interest of the employee, within the meaning of the following provisions. The personnel office provides an application form for this purpose.

2. The personnel office supports and advises the superiors and employees in the determination, planning, coordination, organization, and implementation of training and continuing education.

1. When training and further education are mandated, the employer shall provide the necessary working hours and determine the respective working days.

2. The costs for the mandated training and further education shall be borne by the employer.

1. Employer Participation in Voluntary Training and Further Education

1. A distinction is made regarding the employer's participation in voluntary training and further education, depending on whether it primarily or subordinately serves the employer's interest or exclusively serves the employees' interest.

2. Supervisors, in consultation with the personnel department and taking into account the interests and needs of the employees, determine the distribution of interests.

1. The Training and Development are Primarily in the Employer's Interest if

a) the competencies acquired through training and development are of high value for task fulfillment;

b) these competencies greatly aim at improved performance or behavior;

c) these competencies make a significant contribution to the fulfillment of new tasks or functions.

1. Training and Continuing Education is of Subsidiary Interest to the Employer when the Modification Effected by the Measure is not Necessary, but may Facilitate the Fulfillment of Duties.

1. Training and further education are conducted exclusively in the interest of the employees if the measure does not or does not noticeably affect the performance of their duties.

**1. The Employer Assumes Costs for Voluntary Education and Training as Follows and Provides Paid Work Time:**

a) Half to three-quarters for education and training primarily in the interest of the employer;

b) Up to half for education and training of subordinate interest to the employer.

**2. For Education and Training Exclusively in the Interest of the Employees, the Employer Provides No Work Time and Does Not Contribute to Costs.**

1. Recognized as costs for education and training are

a) Course fees,

b) Daily allowance for seminars,

c) Registration fees for courses, conferences, exams,

d) Course materials prescribed by the course instructor,

e) Costs for additional learning materials up to a maximum amount of CHF 200 per training year,

f) Examination fees, costs for experts involved in the examination process who must be compensated separately,

g) Costs for participation in excursions conducted in connection with the course, seminar, etc.

2. In exceptional cases, additional costs may be recognized.

1. The employer's contribution in the form of working hours and cost coverage is made for part-time employees in proportion to their part-time workload.

1. The employer may contractually make a cost-sharing arrangement for voluntary education and training contingent upon the successful completion of such education and training.

2. Details shall be governed by the agreement on education and training.

1. If the training and further education take place at the workplace, no allowances are provided.

2. If the training and further education do not take place at the workplace, the usual provisions for allowances apply.

1. In the event of a termination of the mandated training and further education due to self-inflicted reasons, the head of the department may order a compensation of working time and/or a contribution to the costs.

2. In the case of a voluntary training and further education, if the training and further education is terminated, the working time provided by the employer thus far must be compensated, and the costs incurred up to that point must be reimbursed.

1. The head of the department may, as an exception and for important reasons, waive all or part of the compensation or repayment.

2. Important reasons particularly include non-commencement or withdrawal due to a serious accident, prolonged illness, or maternity.

1. In the case of new hires, the employer generally does not assume any repayment obligations of the person to be employed towards their previous employers.

2. Deviating agreements are possible, particularly in the case of training and further education that substantively serve the new position or function.

1. Responsible for the conclusion of agreements concerning education and training is the head of the department.

2. The following points regarding education and training are particularly regulated therein

a) Purpose and occasion,

b) Determination of the employer's interest,

c) Designation of the institution,

d) Location and duration,

e) Designation of the qualification,

f) Total costs and determination of the cost share borne by the employer,

g) Amount of cost bearing depending on exam results,

h) Expense regulation,

i) Regulation of cost bearing for educational materials,

j) Working hours provided by the employer,

k) Repayment obligation and regulation of repayment amounts,

l) Determination of compensatory working hours provided by the employer,

m) Regulation on repayment and compensation of working hours for part-time work.

3. The personnel office, in cooperation with the supervisors, is responsible for the preparation and execution of the agreement.

1. Previously approved educational and training programs, as well as ongoing agreements for such programs, will be executed according to the existing law.

1. This regulation shall enter into force on January 1, 2018.