Claire’s employees report months of unpaid wages

Employees at Claire’s, a jewellery and accessories chain, say they have gone months without pay as the company closes stores in Switzerland, SRF reported. One manager in western Switzerland, identified as Léa, said she had received no salary since May.

Léa said she had sent countless emails and letters to her managers without receiving a solution. “It is very complicated. The rents are not suspended, nor are the bills. I am being pursued by many organisations. Even when I explain that my employer is not paying me, I somehow have to find the money,” she told French-language broadcaster RTS.

She also said she was informed without warning that a Claire’s boutique in Neuchâtel was closing. Staff were called at 2 p.m. and told that the store would permanently close at 6 p.m. the same day. They then had to organise the clearance of the boutique.

Claire’s has closed 25 stores in Switzerland over the past 12 months. Several employees said they had received neither dismissal letters nor documents enabling them to claim unemployment benefits.

One former employee said she had repeatedly requested her dismissal letter and received it a month later as a photograph via WhatsApp.

The Claire’s group in the United States and Europe was close to bankruptcy a year ago. In autumn 2025, French entrepreneur Julien Jarjoura acquired around 200 stores in a wave of takeovers. He promised, among other things, to lower prices and refocus on teenagers, a group that had contributed to the chain’s popularity.

RTS contacted Jarjoura but received no response. He also did not respond to the allegations made by employees.