Employment exchange for private servants

In agreement with the Swiss Confederation, the Canton of Geneva and the Office of the ‘Aimable Compositeur’, the Geneva Welcome Centre offers free of charge an employment exchange for private servants working for specific diplomatic missions and international civil servants.

This employment exchange aims to:

Help the holders of “F” permits to find a job within 30 days following the end of the working relationship.
Offer the potential employer the possibility to quickly find the appropriate personnel.

This employment exchange is aimed to ?

Holders of “F” permits issued by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.
Diplomatic missions, permanent missions to the United Nations, consulates and international organisations.

Registration procedure

Private servants

1. To register as a private servant, go to the Geneva Welcome Centre, or to the Office of the ‘Amiable Compositeur’ or to the Swiss Mission.

2. Bring along your identity card.

3. Fill in the appropriate form on the premises.

4. This form will then be handed over to the Swiss Mission for inspection of the validity of the applicant’s identity card.

5. Once approved and returned to the Geneva Welcome Centre, the said form is placed for a period which cannot exceed 3 months in the ‘Offers of services’ register.

Employer

The same procedure is applicable to any person wanting to offer a job. In this case, the Swiss Mission checks the quality of the potential employer, whose file is then placed in the ‘Offers of employment’ register for a length of time not exceeding 3 months.

The Geneva Welcome Centre thus manages two separate registers, one grouping together the offers of services, the other containing the offers of employment. Only persons, employees or employers who meet the requirements of registration at the Geneva Welcome Centre by means of the offer of services/offer of employment form as approved by the Swiss Mission, are able to access the information contained in the respective registers, which are furthermore only available for consultation on the premises.

The Geneva Welcome Centre’s aim is not to inform the parties regarding the progress of their request; its role is only to make the information available. Moreover, the Geneva Welcome Centre does not monitor the working relationship likely to be established between the parties. If a dispute arises between the parties, the parties must inform the Geneva Welcome Centre, which will encourage them to refer the matter to the Office of the ‘Amiable Compositeur’.

More detailed information is available in the Directive on the hiring of private servants (available in six languages).

Amiable compositeur

Work conflict with your private servant?

Work conflict with your employer?

Do not hesitate to call upon the mediation service of the Amiable Compositeur !

The Office of the ‘Amiable Compositeur’ is available to senior civil servants, diplomats and their employees benefitting from diplomatic privileges and immunities in order to help them solve problems or suggest solutions in the handling of their working relationships.

Since its entry into office in 1995, the ‘Amiable Compositeur’ has examined and dealt with nearly 200 cases. Each time, it has acted as a mediator with those concerned, endeavouring to find fair solutions to the problems which divide them or which damage their working relations.

As a precautionary measure, the service also advises employers and employees who wish to benefit from its advice to familiarise themselves with the rights and customs of the host country and thus avoid any potential conflict.

Procedure

Members of the international community benefitting from diplomatic privileges and immunities (employer or employee) may – at any time – refer to the ‘Amiable Compositeur’.

In the event of conflict, contact directly the President or one of the members of the Office of the Amiable Compositeur, who, in keeping with the office’s mission, will endeavour to find a solution to the conflict.

The procedure is free.

The parties maintain their right to refer to the competent courts of law, to which they may at any time appeal if the mediation of the Amiable Compositeur ends in defeat.