Ihre Rechte als pflegende Angehörige in der Schweiz

Since 1 January 2021, extended rights have been in effect in Switzerland for employees who care for family members. The revised Swiss Code of Obligations (OR) provides that you may take short-term leave from work in the event of urgent family events, without salary deductions and without your employer being able to refuse.

Short absences for caregiving

In the event of serious illness or accident of a close family member, you have the right to up to three days of paid leave. This applies to the care of children, partners and parents. For more distant relatives (e.g. grandparents), the employer may refuse the leave unless there are exceptional circumstances.

For longer-term care situations, you can arrange a reduction in working hours, home office or flexible working hours with your employer. There is no legal entitlement to part-time work, but many employers are accommodating, especially if you address the situation early.

Protection against dismissal

There is no specific protection against dismissal for family caregivers. However, your employer may not discriminate against you or dismiss you because of your caregiving activities. In the case of wrongful dismissal, you can take legal action at the labour court. Therefore, document all agreements and keep your care situation transparent.

If you are employed through a recognised Spitex organisation, you are fully covered by social insurance. This means: AHV/IV/EO, ALV, BVG and UVG are deducted directly from your salary. Your caregiving activities therefore count towards your retirement provision and insurance coverage.

• AHV/IV/EO: Old-age, survivors' and disability insurance
• ALV: Unemployment insurance
• BVG: Occupational pension plan (above a certain income threshold)
• UVG: Accident insurance

Informal family caregivers without employment have no automatic social insurance coverage. To protect your rights, employment through a Spitex organisation is worthwhile. More on this on our page about family caregiving.

A key right of family caregivers is the entitlement to appropriate compensation. The Federal Court confirmed in 2019 that health insurers must cover the costs of care services provided by family members, provided they are employed through a recognised Spitex organisation.

Depending on the Spitex organisation and type of care, the compensation can be up to CHF 51,900 per year (based on 25h/week). With our salary calculator you can calculate your individual entitlement in just a few minutes.