R.T.: For our listeners, let's clarify that a Kollektivgesellschaft is a collective form of company organization, followed by an LLC – GmbH would be the equivalent of a International Limited Liability Company, and AG corresponds to a joint-stock company. Mr. Comârlău, could you tell our listeners and followers of The 4th Wave what the challenges of working in construction in Switzerland are? What is the current state of the construction market?

Ion Comârlău:There is significant competition. Since 2018, I've observed and continuously monitored how large companies or corporations attempt to eliminate small construction firms—Kollektivgesellschaft, Einzelunternehmen, and currently even GmbH—to eliminate competition.

As a Romanian, or regardless of nationality, any company coming from abroad is competition for the Swiss market, which I find fair. Anyone can start a company here with 20,000 CHF or an Einzelunternehmen with 0 CHF and begin the business at a minimal cost, where they can't even pay their workers.

R.T.: So, they're engaging in a form of dumping, is that correct?

Ion Comârlău: Or even more.

R.T.: And by lowering prices, can they still pay salaries?

Ion Comârlău: Not a chance.

R.T.: So, what happens to companies that lower prices so much that they can no longer pay their employees? What happens to companies that promise dream salaries and engage in dumping, offering large corporations prices so low that they can hardly sustain them?

Ion Comârlău:To tell you directly where the fatal mistake is—large companies like Easy Bau or Implenia never allow you to negotiate with them directly. You end up as a second-tier, third-tier, or even fourth-tier subcontractor. And at that point, they put a price list in front of you—take it or leave it. Most of the companies come from Romania, Germany, or France and accept unrealistically low prices. Let me give you an example: in Germany, the rate is €20 per square meter, while in Switzerland, it's 35-40 CHF per square meter. The difference seems significant, but workers fail to consider that salaries in Switzerland are much higher. To retain a skilled worker, the salary needs to be between 4,500 CHF and 5,900-6,000 CHF.

R.T.: We’re talking about the gross salary, somewhere between 4,900 CHF and 6,000 CHF, right?

Ion Comârlău: Exactly. That’s what I pay my workers, but others don’t even earn 3,300 CHF. I’ve explained to many that 28 CHF per hour, which is what I or my associates offer, is actually more than the 40 CHF per hour promised by others.

When a company from Romania or any other country enters a large construction site, it must have a Leistungsverzeichnis (LV)—a detailed bill of quantities outlining the scope of work. However, in Switzerland, many construction sites don’t have an LV, just price lists:
"Can you do this? It costs 5 CHF.", "What about this? It’s 10 CHF." And so on. That is not a sustainable method.

R.T.: Have you been on this construction site from the beginning?

Ion Comârlău: I’ve known about this site since the beginning, but I haven’t been working here from the start.

R.T.: How many contractors and subcontractors, apart from yourself, have remained since the beginning? Besides the company you currently represent, D*****u AG, how many small firms have survived on-site from the start until now?

Ion Comârlău: At the moment, only three companies remain.

R.T.: Out of how many, approximately?

Ion Comârlău: Out of about 67. Of these, 10 companies went bankrupt, others abandoned their work halfway because they couldn’t continue, and some are on the verge of bankruptcy.

R.T.: What happened to the workers of these companies?

Ion Comârlău: They didn’t get paid.

R.T.: Or they were laid off, correct?

Ion Comârlău: Yes! But I can explain from the beginning where the mistake started.

R.T.: Hold on, we’ll get to that! So, let’s clarify: workers who are employed by companies without a solid reputation, that offer very low prices, risk being laid off without receiving their wages?

Ion Comârlău: Exactly, but that’s not the real mistake! The low prices are tempting, but the real issue lies with the contractors. Many don’t know how to manage the site, their time, or their workers. If, as a business owner, you are not present on-site for eight hours a day, you’re already on the path to failure.

R.T.: Out of 67 companies, you mentioned that at one point there were 700 workers here, correct? How many of them were East-Europeans?

Ion Comârlău: Around 200.

R.T.: And now, how many East-Europeans are still working on-site?

Ion Comârlău: About 11.

R.T.: 11 out of 200?!

Ion Comârlău: Yes. Of these, 8 work for me, 2 in electrical installations, and 1 at Vima, the longest-standing company on this site.

R.T.: And the others? Where did they go?

Ion Comârlău: Many returned to East-Europe because they could no longer afford their expenses. Others went to temporary job agencies, trying to salvage what they could. But believe me, if you have two months of unpaid invoices, you’re in debt for the entire year.

R.T.: Explain to us what happens with Betreibungsamt (Debt Enforcement Office).

Ion Comârlău: Betreibungsamt is the biggest GmbH in Switzerland—it never runs out of money. From the moment they send you a letter and you don’t show up the first, second, or third time, they send the police to your door and enforce collection.

R.T.: Let’s explain this to our listeners. Betreibungsamt is a Treasury and Tax Authority institution at the cantonal level. There are two separate entities: Betreibungsamt and Inkasso.

Ion Comârlău: Correct. But Inkasso is even bigger than Betreibungsamt. First, you end up at Betreibungsamt, then at Inkasso, or sometimes at both simultaneously.

R.T.: Can you renew your B residence permit if you have debts at Betreibungsamt?

Ion Comârlău: If you’ve cleared them within five years, yes. If not, no chance.

R.T.: Do debts get erased after 5-10 years, like in other European countries, or do they remain?

Ion Comârlău: No, they are only erased if you disappear from the system. But if you come back, they immediately reappear in the registry.

R.T.: If someone has worked for 12 months in Switzerland, with a complete contribution record and a B permit, do they qualify for a pension?

Ion Comârlău: It depends on where they worked.

R.T.: And if someone qualifies for a pension but has outstanding debts, what happens?

Ion Comârlău: They deduct the money from your pension because pensions are guaranteed by the bank or the state.

R.T.: So Betreibungsamt can seize pension payments?

Ion Comârlău: Exactly.

R.T.: What happens if a worker quits their job without notice?

Ion Comârlău: I personally don’t do anything, but other companies send warnings (Mahnung) and report them to Betreibungsamt. In Switzerland, employers can claim damages, arguing that they planned their operations around the worker, and if that person leaves without notice, it creates difficulties.

R.T.: When is a worker required to give notice?

Ion Comârlău: In the first three months, 2 days. After three months, 7 working days. It also depends on the company they work for.

R.T.: Do Romanian workers understand these rules?

Ion Comârlău: Not easily. Many come with the belief that they have rights, but they actually have no rights in the first 12 months because they haven’t contributed enough in Switzerland.

R.T.: So no social assistance in the first year?

Ion Comârlău: Exactly. Switzerland is not part of the EU and does not apply European Union regulations.

R.T.: Is the employer required to provide accommodation?

Ion Comârlău: No! The only legal obligation is to pay the worker’s salary on time and provide work.

R.T.: How do Swiss employers perceive this East-European mentality, where workers expect housing?

Ion Comârlău: The typical response is: “Du lebst im falschen Film” (You're living in a different reality.)

R.T.: Is an employer obligated to personally accompany the worker to register at the town hall?

Ion Comârlău: No! The employer only needs to provide the employment contract. The rest is the worker’s responsibility.

R.T.: How much savings should a East-European worker have before coming to Switzerland?

Ion Comârlău: At least 5,000 - 7,000 CHF!

R.T.: And if they don’t have it?

Ion Comârlău: Within six months, they’re bankrupt.

R.T.: And what happens to those people who come to Switzerland without any savings, take jobs with financially unstable companies, and end up struggling?

Ioan Comârlău: Well, let’s just say I end up saving about 20% of them. I pick them up from other construction sites or from Facebook posts where they’re complaining about not getting paid. I bring them into apartments, try to help them get back on their feet—but then, the same old mindset kicks in. As soon as they stabilize, they leave without a word and often end up right back in the same mess.

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R.T.: So they take the help as an entitlement?

Ioan Comârlău: Exactly! I could give you examples: 7,000 CHF here, 3,000 CHF there, another 2,000 CHF elsewhere—money these guys didn’t have when they first showed up at the site.

R.T.: What can you tell us about Eastern European workers, particularly Balkan people, and their attitude toward work? Would you say many of them are "living in a different reality," as the Swiss often put it?

Ioan Comârlău: Not necessarily! I think we’re the ones to blame. We, the ones who go back to East Europe, flaunt expensive cars, throw money around, and give the impression that life here is easy. They see that someone else made it and think they can do the same.

R.T.: If working conditions are so tough and the rules so strict, compared to East Europe where life is more relaxed, why would a skilled worker still come to Switzerland?

Ioan Comârlău: If I were in East Europe and someone told me to go work in Germany or Switzerland, I think I’d smack them! Salaries in East Europe are good. If you make 1,500 euros a month and have a small garden, you can easily save 1,000 euros a month.

R.T.: What does a typical workday on a construction site look like? When does it start and when does it end?

Ioan Comârlău: Work starts at exactly 7:00 AM. But by 6:50, you need to already be at the site.

R.T.: So you have to scan in before the actual work begins?

Ioan Comârlău: Exactly! Everyone scans their card.

R.T.: How many breaks are there?

Ioan Comârlău:

• 9:00 AM – 30-minute break

• 12:00 PM – 30-minute break

• 4:00 PM – work ends

R.T.: So, in reality, they work 7.5 hours, but it’s logged as an 8-hour shift?

Ioan Comârlău: Correct!

R.T.: What happens if a supervisor or an engineer catches someone smoking on-site?

Ioan Comârlău: They get a fine and a 24-hour ban from the site. Second time? Their contract is terminated, and they’re not coming back.

R.T.: And what if someone is caught drinking or using drugs?

Ioan Comârlău: Immediate and permanent ban. No exceptions!

R.T.: And what about the Joeys sneaking off for a smoke, sipping bottom-shelf bourbon, and shooting dice in the back?

Ioan Comârlău: That doesn’t exist here! In the contracts I’ve put together for my company, I made it crystal clear:

• NO alcohol

• NO drugs

• NO gambling on the job

If you break the rules, you're out. No second chances!

R.T.: If an Eastern European worker comes to Switzerland, should they have savings?

Ioan Comârlău: Absolutely! If you arrive in Switzerland with just 100 CHF in your pocket, you’ve got a big problem.

📌 Not sure where to start? This step-by-step guide walks you through everything you need to know about settling in, finding work, and navigating the Swiss job market before making the move.

R.T.: Realistically, how much should they have?

Ioan Comârlău:

• 3,000 - 4,000 CHF – security deposit for an apartment

• 1,200 CHF – first month’s rent

• 1,500 - 2,000 CHF – basic expenses (food, transportation, health insurance)

R.T.: What happens if a worker arrives without money?

Ioan Comârlău: They’re in the red from day one!

• Health insurance – 380 CHF

• Internet & utilities – 150 CHF

• Radio & TV (Billag fee) – 150 CHF

And if they don’t have money for rent or the security deposit, they’re financially buried.

R.T.: What if they take a job with a financially unstable company?

Ioan Comârlău: They rack up debt, and within six months, they’re bankrupt.

⚠️ Many newcomers unknowingly fall into bad job contracts, losing time and money. Read this guide to learn how to identify red flags and protect yourself from shady employers in Switzerland.