The terms of employment for staff and professors are based on the FPA . The ETH Board is the employer within the meaning of Article 3 paragraph 2 FPA for the ETH Domain.
The ETH Board shall issue General Terms of Employment for Staff and General Terms of Employment for Professors and submit these two documents to the Federal Council for approval.
The General Terms of Employment for Staff may specify alternative salary levels and salary progressions for the following categories of employees in derogation from Article 15 Paragraph 1 FPA:
- employees hired for a limited duration as part of their training;
- employees hired for a limited duration to work on third-party funded research projects;
- employees hired for a limited duration to carry out specific tasks.
For the employment relationships under paragraph 3, it shall define the criteria for determining the salary level for the aforementioned categories in the General Terms of Employment of Staff in line with the specific requirements of the positions concerned.
It may delegate the authority to make employer's decisions and to issue implementing provisions for the General Terms of Employment for Temporary Staff to the management of the the federal institutes of technology and of the research institutes.
Subject to compliance with Article 6 paragraph 5 FPA, it may include private-law provisions in the Terms of Employment for Professors, provided specific requirements of teaching and research so require.
In exceptional and justifiable cases, it may approve the appointment of professors above the age limit specified in Article 21 of the Federal Act of 20 December 1946 on the Old-Age and Survivors’ Insurance (OASIA). To do so, it may enter into an employment contract under public or private law. It may also issue regulations in the professors' ordinance.
Professors may on request to the ETHZ or EPFL and with the agreement of the ETH Board remain in employment until the age-limit for men specified in Article 21 paragraph 1 letter a OASIA or until the end of the semester in which they reach this age limit.
Staff and professors are insured with the Federal Pension Fund (PUBLICA) in accordance with Articles 32 a –32 m FPA. Within the ETH Domain, the ETH Board is the employer in terms of Article 32 b paragraph 2 FPA. It shall represent the ETH Domain as the contracting party.