The first stage of the federal law on employees who provide care for relatives came into force on 1 January 2021

The new federal law on improving the compatibility of gainful employment and family care (“Bundesgesetz über die Verbesserung der Vereinbarkeit von Erwerbstätigkeit und Angehörigenbetreuung”) will be enacted in two stages.

The first stage, which entered into force on 1 January 2021, regulates the continued payment of wages in the event of short absences from work, and also extends the care credits for the AHV pension scheme. In addition, the entitlement to the intensive-care supplement and the IV helplessness allowance for children were both adjusted.

In a second stage, a 14-week period of paid leave to provide care for seriously ill or injured children will come into force on 1 July 2021.

The Swiss Code of Obligations has been revised to include paid leave for employees who need to provide care for sick or injured family members or partners. This kind of statutory leave is limited to a maximum of three days per case and ten days per year.