The Swiss office apéro: what are the rules?
An apéro is drinks and snacks, usually standing, often among colleagues after work. If there is a speech, the custom is to wait: usually nobody touches the food until it is over.
Ep. 23 · This is Ueli · 55 seconds. Watch
The real rule
Why the Swiss laugh, and what it means if you're new here.
The apéro, drinks and snacks usually standing, is how Swiss colleagues celebrate a birthday, a farewell or a project, and it is called the country's most popular social event. If there is a speech, people usually wait until it is over before eating. As a newcomer, go, stay for a while and talk to people: it is one of the easiest ways into a Swiss team.
Blüemli's verdict: Ding. A national ritual. The apéro: called Switzerland's most popular social event.
APÉRO: short for: aperitif; really: drinks and snacks, usually standing Ueli's Word
Be like Ueli. Speech first. Snacks second.
Learn more: The real rules of Swiss work culture
The rule, explained
Apéro is short for aperitif, says the Duden, and in Switzerland it is more than a drink. SRF called it probably the most popular Swiss social event, and Blick calls it a piece of Swiss culture, whether among colleagues after work or elsewhere. At the office, an apéro marks a birthday, a farewell or a project. It usually happens standing, with drinks and small snacks. If someone gives a speech, people usually wait until it is over before they eat. Then comes the applause, and the bread sticks.
Sources: Duden, Apero; SRF Kultur, 14 June 2015; Blick, 12 February 2026
Questions people ask
What is an apéro in Switzerland?
Drinks and snacks, usually standing; short for aperitif (Duden).
More episodes
Previous: Du or Sie at a Swiss office? Next: When does the workday end in Switzerland?