Key facts
The Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) audited how the Federal Administration deals with its employees’ secondary occupations. Secondary employment refers to activities that employees perform in addition to their work for the Confederation, such as board mandates, teaching activities or work for associations. Around 2,000 approved secondary occupations are entered in the Personal Data Management System (PDMS). However, there is no overall overview that also includes secondary occupations that simply need to be reported.
The audit shows that the Federal Administration takes this issue seriously and has introduced effective regulations. Nevertheless, there are differences between the administrative units, gaps in reporting and procedures – with the risk of potential conflicts of interest – as well as shortcomings in transparency and equal treatment.