A childcare worker / nanny is considered qualified if they have completed the relevant training. This can be, for example, training as a kindergarten teacher, teacher, pedagogical training or training as a pediatric nurse. Typical qualifications in Switzerland include the Swiss Red Cross (SRC) nanny course or vocational training as a childcare specialist. In addition, a qualified childcare worker / nanny has several years of professional experience.

Live-out nannies / domestic workers, in contrast to live-in nannies, live in their own living environment. They are either responsible for finding their own apartment or are supported by the employing family in their search. It should be noted that the golden rule of thumb in Switzerland is that the total rent must not exceed 1/3 of the net salary in order to avoid debt.

Live-in nannies / domestic workers live in the same household as the employing family. They have a lockable single room and generally eat meals with the family. The amount of CHF 990 will be deducted from your salary in kind.

Nannies / domestic workers are employed on a contract basis. They receive a written employment contract. In addition to their duties, this also sets out their rights. Among other things, it regulates working hours, entitlement to days off and vacations as well as rest periods. Like every employee in Switzerland, social security contributions must be paid. These insurances provide protection by paying benefits such as pensions, compensation for loss of earnings and family allowances or by bearing the costs of illness and accidents. Foreign nationals without a permanent residence permit (C) are also subject to withholding tax. Employees are entitled to a monthly written payslip.

Further information on the Swiss social security system can be found at the following link: Overview of social security in Switzerland (admin.ch)

In Switzerland, there is a statutory minimum wage for domestic workers and nannies who work more than five hours a week in the same private household. The amount of the minimum wage depends on the training and professional experience of the domestic worker or nanny.

The minimum wages and their calculation can be found under the links below: https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/cc/2010/724/de#art_5 (only available in German, French and Italian). 

Federal standard employment contract: Normalarbeitsverträge Bund (admin.ch) (only available in German, French and Italian).

The canton of Geneva has its own standard employment contract with mandatory minimum wages for people working in private households. You can find it under the following link: SIL Genève PUBLIC (silgeneve.ch) (in particular Art. 10/only in FRA).

Both the employee and the employer have the right to terminate the employment relationship. In the case of a fixed-term contract, the employment relationship normally ends without notice. Certain conditions must be met for each termination.

Further information can be found in the links below:

Termination of employment contract in Switzerland

Termination (admin.ch) (only availble in German, French and Italian)

Workers who provide domestic services as part of 24-hour care in the form of help and support in the household for frail persons such as the elderly, the sick and people with a disability and who look after them, support them in coping with everyday life and keep them company and therefore live in the household of the person being cared for ("live-ins"), also known as care migrants in the case of foreign nationals.

Is the provision of care services subject to authorization?

Medical or medical care within the meaning of the Nursing Services Ordinance (SR 832.112.31) are not such domestic services. Young people cannot be employed for this type of care.

Special conditions apply to medical care. It requires qualified specialist staff, a permit and other salary requirements also apply. In addition, billing via health insurance companies is possible under certain circumstances. These activities are therefore explicitly excluded. The burdens of such employment are not compatible with the protection of young people at work. For more information, please consult the SECO document below, Chapter 3: NAV Information August 2020(5).pdf

Maternity Nannies / Maternity Nurses
A maternity nurse is a pediatric nurse, educator or childcare worker who has worked for at least six months on a nursery or in a family with infants.

A maternity nanny does not necessarily have to have completed training as a pediatric nurse (medical training), but is specially qualified in the care of newborns and infants through relevant further training and experience.

The Maternity Nurse / Maternity Nanny is specialized in the care of the newborn and the care of the young mother from the time when mother and child leave the clinic up to the point when the parents have found a confident way of dealing with the baby at home and the initial uncertainties and fears have disappeared. This period can be very individual. Depending on how mother and child are doing and the family structures, the maternity nurse accompanies a young family for between 2 and 12 weeks. The maternity nanny usually has a long-term permanent position in the family's household and does not work freelance.

In Switzerland, maternity nannies / nurses cannot be hired to provide 24-hour care. The general rules for weekly working hours, compensation for attendance time, work on call, night and Sunday work apply. In addition, the rules for medical care apply, which is subject to authorization.Delimitation and reference to cantonal NAVs

Delimitation and reference to NAV of the cantons

A recent Federal Supreme Court ruling has clarified that migrant care workers who work in a three-party relationship (staff leasing) in a private household fall under the scope of application of the Labor Act (ArG, SR 822.11). The issues of maximum working hours, breaks and on-call duty regulations are therefore prescribed by law in these working models.

However, nothing changes in the case of direct employment of migrant care workers by private households: the Employment Act does not apply in these cases and the cantonal NAVs provide possible contract contents.

UNIA brochure "My rights as a senior care worker"

The salary in kind is made up of the sum of the meals actually taken and the nights actually spent in your household during a month.

If your domestic worker / nanny / au pair does not eat or sleep in the house on one day, no board or lodging may be deducted from her salary for that day.

The following rates apply:

> per breakfast: CHF 3.50

> per lunch: CHF 10.00

> per evening meal: CHF 8.00

> per accommodation: CHF 11.50

The deduction for food and accommodation may not exceed CHF 33 per day and CHF 990 per month.

Termination without notice is only permissible for good cause. Good cause exists if the terminating party can no longer reasonably be expected to continue the employment relationship in good faith (Art. 337 CO).

Further information can be found here:

Termination without notice (admin.ch) (only availble in German, French and Italian) 

Social health insurance comprises compulsory health insurance and voluntary daily allowance insurance. In principle, all persons living or working in Switzerland are required to have health insurance. In Switzerland, everyone must take care of their own insurance cover in order to comply with the statutory obligation. Unlike in other countries, employers in Switzerland do not pay an employer's contribution to health insurance. As an employer, you do not have to pay any contributions to your employees' health insurance.

The premiums are paid in full by the employee. There is a free choice of insurance.

ou can find more information here: Compulsory insurance - Priminfo (admin. ch) (only available in German, French and Italian)

The health insurance system in Switzerland consists of two parts: basic insurance and various supplementary insurances.

Basic insurance is compulsory in Switzerland. You are free to choose your insurer. They cannot refuse you basic insurance. The premiums of the providers vary, but the benefits are the same for all basic insurance providers. The cost of your premium depends on your place of residence, age, insurance model and deductible. You are covered by basic insurance in the event of illness, accident and maternity.

You can find more information at: ch.ch - the Swiss Authorities online - www.ch.ch/en - HEALTH

What is the deductible?

The deductible is the amount that every adult in Switzerland must pay towards the cost of their treatment each calendar year. Insured persons can choose between deductibles of 300, 500, 1000, 1500, 2000 or 2500 francs. This means that insured persons pay at least the first 300 and at most the first 2500 francs of their treatment costs per calendar year themselves.

What are the benefits of a high deductible?

The higher the deductible, the lower the insurance premium. Do you feel fit as a fiddle and expect little medical care? Then you should choose a higher deductible and save on premiums.

But be careful: always keep a small cushion on the side to be on the safe side. If you unexpectedly have to go to the doctor more often, you should be able to pay the deductible without worrying.

What is the deductible?

The deductible becomes due as soon as your chosen deductible is exhausted during a calendar year. From then on, you only pay ten percent of your treatment costs, up to a maximum of CHF 700 per calendar year. This deductible is the same for everyone - regardless of the level of deductible chosen.

Which insurance model is right for me?

There are different types of compulsory basic insurance: the free choice of doctor, the HMO model, the family doctor model and the Telmed model. The costs and flexibility in the choice of doctor depend on the model you choose. We recommend that you seek advice from the various health insurance providers.

What should I know about supplementary insurance?

Supplementary insurance completes your cover with outpatient and hospital insurance. They are voluntary. A health check is carried out before you take out supplementary insurance. Supplementary insurance providers may reject you: if you are already ill, you may be rejected or there may be exclusions for the illness in question.

Further information on health insurance in Switzerland can be found here: Health insurance (admin.ch)

Personal liability insurance is not compulsory in Switzerland, but it is one of the most important types of insurance. Personal liability insurance covers damage that you cause to other people or other people's property. If you drive a vehicle in Switzerland, you are recommended to take out personal liability insurance.

Drivers of motor vehicles from abroad may only drive motor vehicles in Switzerland if they:

- have a valid national driver's license or

- hold a valid international driver's license (in accordance with the International Convention on Motor Traffic [SR 0.741.11] or the Convention on Road Traffic [SR 0.741.10]) and can present it together with the corresponding national driver's license.

A national or international foreign driver's license entitles its holder to drive all vehicle categories for which the license was issued in Switzerland.

If no international driver's license (which serves as a translation) can be presented with the original national driver's license, a translation of the national license must be available. This can be a French, German, Italian or English translation, but it must be issued by an official service (e.g. the local authority responsible for issuing national driving licences, a notary or a locally recognized professional translator).

The surname and first name on the international driving licence and on the translation must be written in Latin letters so that the police can identify the person on the basis of an identity document recognized in Switzerland.

Motor vehicle drivers from abroad who have been resident in Switzerland for more than twelve months and have not been abroad for more than three months without interruption during this time must obtain a Swiss driving license.

Contact the road traffic office responsible for your place of residence in Switzerland directly to find out about the conditions for exchanging your foreign driving license. The list of cantonal road traffic offices can be found on the website of the Association of Road Traffic Offices ASA, under Adressen-asa.ch (only available in German, French and Italian)

Fees for labor market rulings (cantonal and federal) issued on the basis of the Ordinance of October 24, 2007 on Admission, Residence and Employment (VZAE; SR 142.201) and which are addressed to the employer are to be borne by the employer (see in particular Art. 11 GebV-AIG; SR 142.209).

The fees for the foreigner's identity card and visa are to be paid by the foreign person themselves, as these are personal documents.

Depending on their residence permit, foreign nationals may not be able to open an account with all Swiss banks. The banks have a number of restrictions for different foreign customer groups. Depending on the bank, there are major differences as to whether foreign nationals can open an account in Switzerland. Only a few Swiss banks allow unrestricted account opening; PostFinance, for example, has a statutory basic service mandate. For more information, please contact PostFinance or your bank.

IGA - Interprofessional Workers' Union - http://viavia.ch/iga/

The IGA is the trade union for precarious workers, temporary workers, those on interim contracts, on call and working several part-time jobs at the same time. Job seekers, those who have lost their jobs, those whose pensions have been cut, those on the breadline, the self-employed, bogus self-employed, undocumented workers - and, of course, all those who still have a permanent job. Of course, even in times of Covid-19 and enormous wage losses.

FIZ – Fachstelle Frauenhandel und Frauenmigration - FIZ advice for migrant women - FIZ Fachstelle Frauenhandel und Frauenmigration (fiz-info.ch)

FIZ advises migrant women and supports them in defending themselves against exploitation and violence, asserting their rights and interests and finding ways out of difficult situations. Confidential and free of charge.

CareInfo - Information & advice - CareInfo

Hiring domestic help - What you need to know - City of Zurich (stadt-zuerich.ch)

Swiss Nanny Association

The Swiss Nanny Association (SNA) is a non-profit organization founded in 2016 by professional nannies to support nannies working in Switzerland. SNA aims to raise industry standards and increase recognition and support for nannies by providing a community, guidance and education to its members. SNA informs families on how to proceed in employing their nannies in accordance with local and national regulations.

The European Convention on Au Pair Employment of the Council of Europe of 24.11.1969 was signed by Switzerland, but not ratified. Nevertheless, this convention is applied in Switzerland by analogy, as au pairs require special protection.

Due to the "standstill" clause of the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons (Art. 13 AFMP), the admission restrictions in Art. 48 AFMP (requirement of placement by a recognized placement agency, minimum age, duration of stay) do not apply to au pairs from the EU/EFTA. The more generous previous provisions continue to apply to them (age 17 to 30 and total stay of max. 24 months, no placement agency mandatory). However, the remaining admission requirements apply to au pairs from both EU/EFTA and third countries.

Until January 1, 2008, only au pairs from EU/EFTA countries and from four non-EU/EFTA countries (Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA) were permitted in Switzerland. This rule was relaxed when the Foreign Nationals Act came into force on January 1, 2008. 

The admission of au pair employees follows the principles of the European Convention on Au Pair Employment of the Council of Europe of 24.11.1969. The basic idea is the need for protection of au pair employees, who are generally female and of a younger age. Au pair employees are not subject to the priority requirements. However, because this increases the need for protection (human trafficking, exploitation), the mandatory placement by a recognized organization is provided for.

Au pair status falls under the status of both employees and students.

students. In order to promote this type of exchange, employees in an au pair relationship receive a permit as an employee under simplified conditions. In view of their special status, au pair employees enjoy geographical mobility but not professional mobility, i.e. they cannot change jobs freely and cannot take on any other gainful employment in addition to their au pair activity. After the end of the au pair stay, any change of job or profession requires a permit. EU/EFTA nationals who provide proof of confirmation of employment from an employer are entitled to a new EU/EFTA short-term residence permit or a new EU/EFTA.

No. The short-term residence permit (L) is issued for a specific purpose of residence (in this case au pair stay with a specific employer) and may be subject to further conditions. A change of job is only possible for important reasons (Art. 32 AIG and Art. 55 VZAE). In the case of au pairs, a change of job is only possible for the activity as an au pair. This is subject to approval and can only be approved in exceptional cases and if the change of job is not the fault of the au pair. However, there is no entitlement to a change of job. Therefore, no other gainful employment can be pursued with an au pair permit. It should also be noted that the definition of gainful employment in Switzerland is very broad under immigration law. Gainful employment is defined as any paid or self-employed activity, even if it is unpaid (Art. 11 para. 2 AIG).

The minimum wage of an au pair is always a net wage. This is determined by the cantons, but amounts to at least CHF 500. No further deductions may be made from this net salary.

The salary in kind is made up of the sum of the meals actually taken and the nights actually spent in your household during a month.

If your domestic worker / nanny / au pair does not eat or sleep in the house on one day, no board or lodging may be deducted from her salary for that day.

The following rates apply:

> per breakfast: Fr. 3.50

> per lunch: Fr. 10.00

> per evening meal: Fr. 8.00

> per accommodation: Fr. 11.50

The deduction for food and accommodation may not exceed CHF 33 per day and CHF 990 per month.

The maximum working time for foreign au pairs is 30 hours per week. Overtime is not permitted, even if it is to be paid. If the au pair works less than 30 hours, the minimum wage rates of the cantons must still be observed.

The health insurance system in Switzerland consists of two parts: basic insurance and various supplementary insurances.

Basic insurance is compulsory in Switzerland. You are free to choose your insurer. They cannot refuse you basic insurance. The premiums of the providers vary, but the benefits are the same for all basic insurance providers. The cost of your premium depends on your place of residence, age, insurance model and deductible. You are covered by basic insurance in the event of illness, accident and maternity.

You can find more information at: ch.ch

What is the deductible (Franschise)?

The deductible is the amount that every adult in Switzerland must pay towards the cost of their treatment each calendar year. Insured persons can choose between deductibles of 300, 500, 1000, 1500, 2000 or 2500 francs. This means that insured persons pay at least the first 300 and at most the first 2500 francs of their treatment costs per calendar year themselves.

What are the benefits of a high deductible (Franchise)?

The higher the deductible, the lower the insurance premium. Do you feel fit as a fiddle and expect little medical care? Then you should choose a higher deductible and save on premiums.

But be careful: always keep a small cushion on the side to be on the safe side. If you unexpectedly have to go to the doctor more often, you should be able to pay the deductible without worrying.

What is the excess (Selbstbehalt)?

The excess is payable as soon as your chosen deductible is exhausted during a calendar year. From then on, you only pay ten percent of your treatment costs, up to a maximum of CHF 700 per calendar year. This deductible is the same for everyone - regardless of the level of deductible chosen.

Which insurance model is right for me?

There are different types of compulsory basic insurance: the free choice of doctor, the HMO model, the family doctor model and the Telmed model.The costs and flexibility in the choice of doctor depend on the model you choose.We recommend that you seek advice from the various health insurance providers.

What should I know about supplementary insurance?

Supplementary insurances complete your protection with outpatient and hospital insurances. They are voluntary. A health check is carried out before you take out supplementary insurance. Supplementary insurance providers may reject you: if you are already ill, you may be rejected or there may be exclusions for the illness in question.

Further information on health insurance in Switzerland can be found here: Health insurance (admin.ch)

Yes there is, you can find more information here: Swisscare

This insurance company offers inexpensive student insurance that can also be taken out for au pairs. Please note that if you choose this insurance, your canton of residence must first approve it. Some cantons do not accept Swisscare as equivalent health insurance.

Details of which cantons accept the insurance can be found on the Swisscare homepage. Otherwise you can find comparison options at www.comparis.ch.

Apart from expenses related to employment (expenses), there is no legal obligation to cover transportation costs. In the case of au pairs, the costs of transportation to and from the language school must be borne by the employer. Families are advised to purchase a half-fare travelcard. In view of the low wages paid to au pairs, it is recommended that the family cover the costs of the half-fare travelcard.

Fees for labor market rulings (cantonal and federal) issued on the basis of the Ordinance of October 24, 2007 on Admission, Residence and Employment (VZAE; SR 142.201) and which are addressed to the employer are to be borne by the employer (see in particular Art. 11 GebV-AIG; SR 142.209).

The fees for the foreigner's identity card and visa are to be paid by the foreign person themselves, as these are personal documents.

Depending on their residence permit, foreign nationals may not be able to open an account with all Swiss banks. The banks have a number of restrictions for different foreign customer groups. Depending on the bank, there are major differences as to whether foreign nationals can open an account in Switzerland. Only a few Swiss banks allow unrestricted account opening; PostFinance, for example, has a statutory basic service mandate. For more information, please contact PostFinance or your bank.

At all airports and major train stations there are stores of the Swiss telephone providers Swisscom, Sunrise and Salt where you can buy SIM cards. Kiosks, post offices and grocery stores also sell prepaid SIM cards. In contrast to many other countries, all consumers in Switzerland can buy and register a SIM card - regardless of their country of residence. In addition, you do not have to provide a social security number or tax number in Switzerland.

Swiss prepaid SIM cards usually cost around 10 to 20 francs and include a starting credit of approximately the same amount as the purchase price. Numerous providers offer packages with the prepaid SIM cards. They include data volume for mobile Internet or for telephone calls.

The costs are generally borne by the foreign employee. It is recommended that the family organizes the SIM card in advance. If the work requires the employee to be reachable, it is recommended that the family provides a certain amount of money each month. The costs for private use of the cell phone are to be borne by the foreign person.

In principle, free Internet access with the host family is a prerequisite for domestic workers / au pairs.

Drivers of motor vehicles from abroad may only drive motor vehicles in Switzerland if they:

- have a valid national driver's license or

- hold a valid international driver's license (in accordance with the International Convention on Motor Traffic [SR 0.741.11] or the Convention on Road Traffic [SR 0.741.10]) and can present it together with the corresponding national driver's license.

A national or international foreign driver's license entitles its holder to drive all vehicle categories for which the license was issued in Switzerland.

If no international driver's license (which serves as a translation) can be presented with the original national driver's license, a translation of the national license must be available. This can be a French, German, Italian or English translation, but it must be issued by an official service (e.g. the local authority responsible for issuing national driving licences, a notary or a locally recognized professional translator).

The surname and first name on the international driving licence and on the translation must be written in Latin letters so that the police can identify the person on the basis of an identity document recognized in Switzerland.

Motor vehicle drivers from abroad who have been resident in Switzerland for more than twelve months and have not been abroad for more than three months without interruption during this time must obtain a Swiss driving license.

Contact the road traffic office responsible for your place of residence in Switzerland directly to find out about the conditions for exchanging your foreign driving license. The list of cantonal road traffic offices can be found on the website of the Association of Road Traffic Offices ASA.

Personal liability insurance is not compulsory in Switzerland, but it is one of the most important types of insurance. Personal liability insurance covers damage that you cause to other people or other people's property. If you drive a vehicle in Switzerland, you are recommended to take out personal liability insurance.

IGA - Interprofessional Workers' Union - http://viavia.ch/iga/ (only German)

The IGA is the trade union for precarious workers, temporary workers, those on interim contracts, on call and working several part-time jobs at the same time. Job seekers, those who have lost their jobs, those whose pensions have been cut, those on the breadline, the self-employed, bogus self-employed, undocumented workers - and, of course, all those who still have a permanent job. Of course, even in times of Covid-19 and enormous wage losses.

FIZ – Fachstelle Frauenhandel und Frauenmigration - FIZ advice for migrant women - FIZ Fachstelle Frauenhandel und Frauenmigration (fiz-info.ch)

FIZ advises migrant women and supports them in defending themselves against exploitation and violence, asserting their rights and interests and finding ways out of difficult situations. Confidential and free of charge.

CareInfo - Information & advice - CareInfo (only available in German and French)

Hiring domestic help - What you need to know - City of Zurich (stadt-zuerich.ch) (only available German)

Swiss Nanny Association

The Swiss Nanny Association (SNA) is a non-profit organization founded in 2016 by professional nannies to support nannies working in Switzerland. SNA aims to raise industry standards and increase recognition and support for nannies by providing a community, guidance and education to its members. SNA informs families on how to proceed in employing their nannies in accordance with local and national regulations.

The collective employment agreement (CEA) is an agreement between employers or employers' associations and employees' associations (trade unions) to regulate working conditions and the relationship between the parties to the CEA. It is regulated in Articles 356 to 358 of the Swiss Code of Obligations.

The classic content of a CEA includes, in particular, provisions on the conclusion, content and termination of the individual employment contract (normative provisions), but also on the rights and obligations of the contracting parties among themselves as well as provisions on monitoring and enforcement of the CEA.

The normative provisions of a CEA become part of the individual employment contract when it comes into force and cannot be amended by the individual employment contract. A CEA is usually agreed for a specific term. During the term, there is a mutual obligation to maintain peace, i.e. no strikes may take place during the term of the agreement or during negotiations.

A standard employment contract (NAV) is an official decree (e.g. an ordinance) containing contractual employment provisions. The provisions may be of a mandatory or recommendatory nature. Swiss employment contract law recognizes two types of standard employment contracts (NAV).

In sectors where there is no CBA, CBAs with mandatory minimum wages can be issued in the event of repeated abusive undercutting of wages in line with local, professional or industry standards. These minimum wages apply to the entire industry and can only be amended in favor of the employee. In Switzerland, for example, this is the case in housekeeping. Mandatory minimum wages apply here.

Standard employment contract with mandatory minimum wages for the domestic economy (3)

(CTT-EDom) CCT Geneva

Federal standard employment contracts (admin.ch)

The authorities can issue NAVs in certain professional sectors for which there is no CBA and no contractually stipulated minimum wage. The NAV then regulates the conclusion and termination of contracts as well as the general working conditions. In principle, the NAV applies to all persons working in this profession. The rules set out in the NAV are directly applicable to the individual employment relationship in a specific sector (e.g. housekeeping), unless otherwise agreed between the employer and the employee in an employment contract.

The cantons are legally obliged (Art. 359. para. 2 CO) to issue standard employment contracts for domestic service employees, among others, which primarily regulate working and rest times and the working conditions for employees and young people. These cantonal standard employment contracts can be found in the cantonal collections of laws.

Link to the internet portals of the cantons:

Private employment law recognizes three different types of statutory provisions. Employees and employers can contractually deviate from dispositive provisions (non-mandatory provisions). The dispositive provisions only apply if the contracting parties do not agree otherwise. It should be noted that adjustments to the contract are sometimes only permitted by law if they have been agreed in writing.

In the case of relatively mandatory provisions, deviations from the law can only be made in the contract if these provisions are in favor of the employee.

Finally, there are also absolutely mandatory legal provisions that may not be deviated from at all. The law provides a list of absolutely mandatory provisions in Art. 361 CO, and the relatively mandatory provisions are listed in Art. 362 CO.

Unfortunately, one cannot rely solely on this list and conclude from it that all other provisions in private employment law in the CO are dispositive. On the contrary, there are a large number of provisions which, according to the wording or court practice, are absolutely or relatively mandatory even without being mentioned in Art. 361 and Art. 362 CO. We recommend that you seek employment law advice.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

The Swiss old-age, survivors' and disability pension scheme is based on three pillars: state, occupational and private pension provision.

On the homepage of the Federal Social Insurance Office (FSIO) you will find all the necessary information as well as an explanatory video: The three-pillar system of old-age, survivors' and disability pensions