In order to save energy and prevent a blackout, banks are keeping offices cooler, darkening branch windows and saving on Christmas lights. A power shutdown could make paying out wages more complicated.
Switzerland's electricity and gas supply could become tight in the coming months. To prevent the worst from happening, the population is being asked to curb energy consumption as far as possible without sacrificing the quality of life.
Numerous projects are also underway in the financial world to reduce energy consumption and to prepare for an emergency. The Swiss Employers' Association of Banks, for its part, is also issuing various recommendations on how to deal with an energy shortage.
Christmas Lights
Simple and easily applicable tips from the industry association include using motion detectors for corridor lighting, reducing the use of private power consumers such as coffee machines in offices, switching off shop window lighting after 8pm and doing without Christmas lights.
Other recommendations include lowering office room temperature to as low as 19 degrees from the usual 21 to 23 degrees and reducing ventilation. By law, workspaces with permanent workstations must be equipped with natural or mechanical ventilation. This can be reduced at night as well as adjusted to the actual occupancy of the premises.
No obligation
Things could however get a little more complicated if a blackout forces banks to close and employees are no longer able to perform their jobs. In such a large-scale shutdown, banks are under no obligation to pay out wages as furlough coverage comes into play, which is dealt with by insurance.
In theory, furlough pay is reserved to situations, whereby a leave of absence is caused for economic reasons.
The industry association is confident that the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) will compensate for furlough, caused by officially imposed electricity quotas or power shutdowns - as it did during COVID.
