14-week care leave for relatives
The Federal Act on Support for Family Caregivers was introduced to improve the compatibility of employment and family care. This law came into force in two stages.
Firstly, on January 1, 2021, continued payment of wages for short absences from work was regulated and AHV care credits were extended. Six months later, the second stage was implemented and paid 14-week leave for the care of seriously ill or injured children was introduced on July 1, 2021.
Who is entitled?
In principle, parents of underage children who have to be cared for due to illness or accident are eligible. If one of the points below applies to one of the parents, there is an entitlement:
Pursuing gainful employment or self-employment
Working in the business of the spouse in return for a cash salary
Receipt of daily allowances from unemployment insurance
Entitlement to daily allowances from social or private insurance due to illness or accident (if the calculation of these daily allowances is based on previous income)
There is an employment relationship in which no salary is drawn because the entitlement to continued salary payments or daily allowances has been exhausted.
The child to be cared for must not be under the age of 18 when the illness or accident occurs and must also have a health impairment confirmed by a doctor. A child is considered to be significantly impaired if
it has suffered a drastic change in its physical or mental condition;
the course of this change is difficult to predict or there is a risk of permanent or increasing health impairment or even death;
there is an increased need for care by the parents; and
at least one parent must take a break from work to care for the child.
Any amount of vacation for the benefit of the caregiver
Provided the parents and the child meet the requirements, the parents together are entitled to 14 weeks of childcare leave, which they can divide up as they wish and take as they wish. However, there is a time limit of 18 months for taking leave. During this period, they can take their leave on a weekly or daily basis. For example, one parent can take 6 weeks and the other 8 weeks, whereby the parents can also take the leave at the same time.
Registration with the compensation office
The application for care allowance must be submitted to the relevant compensation office. The employer and the person entitled to claim must report the days of leave taken and submit the medical certificate at the same time. Self-employed persons or persons who receive daily allowances from another insurance company submit the application themselves.
The benefit is paid via the income compensation scheme and amounts to 80 percent of the average income before the start of the entitlement, up to a maximum of CHF 196 per day.
If the employer continues to make salary payments, the care allowance is generally paid to the employer.
Further information can be found on the homepage of the Federal Social Insurance Office FSIO and in the information sheet of the AHV/IV Information Office.
