Question 1

Is Gastrora enough for working time records under Art. 21 L-GAV?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Gastrora meets the requirements of Art. 21 Ziff. 2+3 L-GAV: continuous recording of actual working time, a monthly statement for review, sign-off by the employee (digitally via a WhatsApp link) and 5-year archiving under Art. 46 ArG.

Question 2

How does the monthly sign-off work?

Accepted Answer

On the 1st of every month, each employee receives a personal WhatsApp link to their monthly report. One tap on “Correct — sign now” sets the legally valid timestamp. If they object, a dispute ticket goes straight to the manager.

Question 3

What happens during an L-GAV inspection?

Accepted Answer

At the push of a button, Gastrora exports the working time records of all employees in the standard GastroSuisse format, including the annual control sheet. The inspectors receive documents they already know.

Question 4

Does Gastrora also handle the final settlement when someone leaves?

Accepted Answer

Yes. When an employment relationship ends, Gastrora prepares the complete final settlement under Art. 14 L-GAV: rest day, public holiday, vacation and hours balances, any vacation reduction under Art. 329b OR, offsetting of negative balances, payout amounts at the correct 1/22 and 1/30 rates, and overtime at 100% or 125%. Digital sign-off by the employee via WhatsApp.

Question 5

What about pregnancy or breastfeeding?

Accepted Answer

As soon as the status is set to pregnant or breastfeeding, Gastrora automatically activates the SECO protection rules: no night work, max. 4h standing, max. 9h of work per day, paid breastfeeding breaks depending on daily working time. The validator blocks non-compliant shifts while you plan.

Question 6

What does WhatsApp cost for the messages?

Accepted Answer

Sending via the central Gastrora number is included in every package (fair use). You pay no separate Meta fees.

Question 7

How does it work without an app for employees?

Accepted Answer

Everything runs on Meta’s WhatsApp Cloud API. By default, messages go out from the central Gastrora number — there is nothing for you to set up. Your employees receive shifts and reminders as if from a colleague and reply with “OK”, “Start”, “End” or free text.

Question 8

What happens when someone wants to swap a shift?

Accepted Answer

The employee writes “Swap” with the date of the shift, e.g. “Swap 23.04”. Gastrora shows you the swap request in the dashboard, you pick a replacement and confirm with one click — both are informed via WhatsApp.

Question 9

Is it really L-GAV compliant?

Accepted Answer

Gastrora automatically checks the key working time rules of the L-GAV and the Employment Act (ArG): rest periods, breaks, maximum working hours, rest days, notice period for the shift plan, monthly balance statements. The individual employment contract and the current L-GAV always remain authoritative. We are not a substitute for legal advice.

Question 10

What about temporary staff and casual workers?

Accepted Answer

Every employee has an employment type: permanent, hourly, temporary or apprentice. Hourly staff are paid by recorded time, permanent staff by their workload percentage. Export as CSV or directly to Bexio, depending on your package.

Question 11

Which languages is Gastrora available in?

Accepted Answer

The dashboard is available in English, German, French and Italian — every user chooses their own language. WhatsApp messages automatically go out in each employee’s language.

Question 12

What about cancellation and data protection?

Accepted Answer

Cancel monthly, no notice period. Data is hosted by Supabase in Frankfurt (EU) and processed in line with the revised Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (nFADG) and the GDPR. Data processing agreement available on request.

Answers to the most common questions.

Frequently asked questions