As Christmas approaches, the Department of Finance and Economy (DFE) has officially announced the extraordinary opening hours of shops throughout Ticino for the 2025/2026 holiday season. The authorization, published in the Official Gazette of January 27, 2025 (No. 17) and June 2, 2025 (No. 103), applies to all categories of commercial establishments.

Three Sundays will be affected:

  • November 30, 2025 , from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm

  • December 14, 2025 , from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm

  • December 21, 2025 , from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm

This decision confirms the cantonal authorities' desire to support local businesses during the busiest time of the year for retail sales.

Rules and protections for workers during store openings during the Christmas period

However, the DFE called on the parties involved to strictly comply with the Federal Labor Law (LL) and the related ordinance (OLL1) , which establish the limits and protections for employees employed during Sunday opening hours.

Worker's consent (art. 19 para. 5 LL)
No employee may be forced to work on Sundays without their consent. Therefore, each employee must sign a personal authorization to work on these special days.

Wage supplement (art. 19 para. 3 LL)
Those who work on Sunday holidays are entitled to a 50% supplement on hourly wages.

Compensatory rest (art. 20 para. 2 LL and art. 21 OLL1)
If Sunday work does not exceed five hours, compensation must be paid within four weeks. For work exceeding five hours, the worker is entitled to: 35 consecutive hours of rest, including a daily rest period of 11 hours.

Furthermore, the substitute rest day must fall on a different working day than the one already scheduled as free, so as to ensure a true balance between activity and recovery.

Occupancy limits (art. 20 para. 1 LL)
A worker can be employed at most for two consecutive Sundays, with the obligation that one Sunday out of two remain a day of rest.

Prohibition of overtime work (art. 25 para. 1 OLL1)
Overtime work cannot be performed on public holidays: the weekly working hours must therefore not exceed the legal limits (45 or 50 hours, depending on the sector).

Protection of young people (art. 31 LL)
It is forbidden to occupy underage workers during the extraordinary Sunday openings.

A balance between trade and rights

Holiday openings represent a breath of fresh air for the retail sector , which generates a significant portion of its annual turnover during the Christmas period. However, as the Department of Economic and Financial Affairs (DFE) points out, these opportunities must be reconciled with the protection of workers and with current legislation.

The cantonal authorities therefore urge shopkeepers and employees to plan ahead to ensure a peaceful shopping season, out of respect for those who, behind the illuminated shop windows, contribute to the vibrant Christmas atmosphere in Ticino.