Daily sickness benefits

Daily sickness benefits insurance provides cover for the continuation of wage payments in the event of a lengthy illness suffered by the child carer and is voluntary for everybody.
All employers are free to conclude an insurance policy of this kind. Nevertheless, some standard employment contracts (SECs) stipulate an obligation to take out daily sickness benefits insurance for child carers which covers 80% of their wage for a period of 720 days. This obligation can be excluded by incorporating a written agreement within the employment contract. Art. 324a of the Swiss Code of Obligations then applies here, according to which the continuation of wage payments in the event of illness shall last three weeks during the first year of service and after this time for an "appropriately longer period" pursuant to the applicable cantonal scales (Zurich, Berne or Basel scales).

It can prove to be very difficult to find daily sickness benefits insurance for child carers. It is therefore often necessary to exclude the obligation arising under the SEC. If the SEC specifies an obligation to take out daily sickness benefits insurance but this requirement is not excluded and no policy is concluded, the employer runs the risk of having to continue to pay 80% of the employee's wage him- or herself for a period of 720 days in accordance with the SEC.

Our employment assistant Fairboss provides you with free support in drawing up an employment contract. Here, the SEC provisions that require daily benefits sickness insurance to be taken out are excluded