Your Nanny's Rights

13th-month pay, holidays & sick leave: what your nanny is entitled to (Switzerland)

A nanny has the same rights as any other employee in Switzerland - plus a few special rules families should know about. Here's the compact overview: holidays, 13th-month pay, illness, accident, pregnancy and public holidays.

Reading time: 6 min · Last updated: April 2026

In short

Your nanny is legally entitled to at least 4 weeks of paid holiday per year, and the 13th-month salary is not mandatory but effectively standard in the nanny market.

Holidays: at least 4 weeks per year, 5 weeks for nannies under 20.
Illness: continued wage payment from 3 weeks to 6 months, depending on seniority.
Accident: occupational cover is always mandatory, non-occupational from 8 hours/week.

Nanny employment contract - free template

Holidays - at least 4 weeks, often 5

Swiss employment law (Art. 329a CO) guarantees every employee at least 4 weeks of paid holiday per year. For younger nannies (under 20, up to the end of the year in which they turn 20), it's 5 weeks.

In practice, nanny contracts often exceed the minimum. Families seeking long-term retention offer 5 weeks from day one - especially with experienced FaBe-certified nannies. A plus when negotiating.

For hourly wages (typical for part-time nannies): you pay the holiday supplement directly with each wage payment. 4 weeks equals an 8.33% supplement, 5 weeks 10.64%. Example: a nanny earning CHF 30/hour net = CHF 32.50/hour gross including holiday pay.

⚠ Important: holidays may NOT be paid out in cash, except at the end of employment. 'We skip holidays in exchange for more pay' is not legally allowed. Even if you pay the holiday supplement on top of the hourly wage, your nanny still has to take the weeks off physically - the supplement replaces the money, not the rest.

Mandatory holidays by age

Your contract can be more generous - that's your retention strategy.

13th-month pay - obligation or tradition?

Contrary to popular belief, 13th-month pay is not a legal obligation in Switzerland - it's a contractual agreement. You only have to pay it if it's in the contract or you've paid it for years without reservation (in which case it's tacitly agreed).

In the nanny market, it's effectively standard. For full-time roles without a 13th salary, the pay can feel low - good nannies will choose other families that do offer it.

💡 Practical tip: pro-rata 13th rather than none

For part-time hourly-paid nannies, the 13th is rare - the hourly rate covers it. For monthly contracts, I recommend writing in '13th-month salary pro rata'. If the nanny starts in November, she receives a pro-rata 13th (1/12 of the monthly wage × 2 months). A fair gesture that costs little.

When to pay? Common practice: December (with the December wage) or split between June and December. Note it in the contract to avoid debates.

Clarifying the 13th salary

Anna

online

Hello, may I quickly ask, is a 13th salary provided for with you?

16:15

Hello Anna, gladly: we'll agree on a 13th salary, paid in December. The holidays (5 weeks) are already included in the monthly salary, you take them as discussed. I'll put both in the contract.

16:32

Great, thank you for the clear info!

16:35

Message

Illness - the three scales

If your nanny falls ill, you as the employer are obliged to continue paying her wage (Art. 324a CO). The duration depends on her years of service and the applicable cantonal scale - the Bern scale, the Basel scale or the Zurich scale. Which one applies depends on your canton of residence. They only differ slightly in the early years.

Year of service	Bern scale	Basel scale	Zurich scale
1st year	3 weeks	3 weeks	3 weeks
2nd year	1 month	2 months	8 weeks
3rd year	2 months	2 months	9 weeks
5th year	3 months	3 months	13 weeks
10th year	4 months	4 months	17 weeks
20th year	6 months	6 months	25 weeks

During continued wage payment, your nanny receives 100% of her wage. Daily sickness benefit insurance (KTG) takes on the risk: you typically pay 1.5-2.5% of the wage as a premium, and the insurer covers 80% of the wage from day 4 (or after the waiting period) for up to 730 days. Without KTG, longer illnesses are on you.

📋 Doctor's note from which day?

Common practice: require a doctor's note from the 3rd sick day. Note this in the contract. Tip: for multi-day illnesses, ask early - many families don't know their obligations and end up without KTG cover.

Accident - occupational cover always mandatory, non-occupational from 8 hours/week

Your nanny is compulsorily insured against occupational accidents (BU) from the very first hour of work - regardless of her hours. If she works more than 8 hours a week for you, non-occupational accident insurance (NBU) also becomes mandatory (UVG, the federal accident insurance act).

●Occupational accidents (BU): during work and on the commute. You as the employer pay the premium - in full.
●Non-occupational accidents (NBU): leisure time. Mandatory from 8 hrs/week with the same employer. The premium can be passed on to the nanny (often 1.0-1.5% of wage).
●Benefits: medical costs, daily allowances (80% of wage), disability pension, survivors' pension.

Since 2025: under the Simplified Procedure you can insure the UVG via VAVplus (opt in when you register) - in cantons that offer it; otherwise you take it out separately.

Pregnancy & maternity

If your nanny becomes pregnant, special protection rules apply. The key points:

●Protection from dismissal throughout the entire pregnancy + 16 weeks after the birth (Art. 336c CO).
●Maternity benefit: 14 weeks, 80% of wage (max. CHF 220/day), conditions: 9 months of OASI before the birth + 5 months of employment.
●Breastfeeding breaks at work: as paid working time up to the child's 1st birthday (90 minutes per day on a 7-hour day).
●Hazardous role? Lifting heavy children (>5kg) or infants may be restricted at certain stages of pregnancy. See the SECO maternity protection ordinance.

In practice: pregnancy is an emotional moment for many families - the nanny often wants to return after the birth. Keep the role open if you can. Long-term retention starts at exactly these moments.

Public holidays - varies by canton

Unlike in many countries, Switzerland has no federal public-holiday schedule. Every canton has its own list - and they vary considerably.

Canton	Paid public holidays
Zurich	9 days
Bern	8 days
Geneva	9 days (incl. Jeûne genevois)
Basel-Stadt	10 days (incl. 1 May)
Zug	13 days
Ticino	14 days

If a public holiday falls on a day your nanny would have worked, you keep paying - without work. For hourly wages this isn't included in the holiday supplement and must be settled separately (or covered by a flat hourly rate, which must be stated clearly in the contract).

Tip: 1 August (Swiss National Day) is a paid public holiday in every canton - the only one guaranteed nationwide.

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Frequently asked questions

Do I have to pay the 13th-month salary even if it's not in the contract?

No, not necessarily. The 13th is voluntary, unless agreed contractually or paid for years without reservation. But: without a 13th, you'll struggle to attract good nannies compared with families that do offer one. I recommend including it.

Does my nanny get paid when she has to stay home with her own sick child?

Yes, for up to 3 days per illness (Art. 329h CO, paid care leave). For longer care of her own child, some cantons have family allowance rules - but that's not direct continued wage payment from you.

How many holidays can the nanny take in a row?

At least 2 consecutive weeks per year (Art. 329c CO). You can split the rest. In practice, a full-time nanny typically takes 2-3 weeks in summer and 1 week between Christmas and New Year.

What if the nanny would have worked on the public holiday?

On fixed weekdays (e.g. nanny always works Mon-Wed) and the holiday falls on a working day → paid day off. For flexible shifts, note in the contract whether public holidays count as paid time or are made up later.

Is daily sickness benefit (KTG) insurance really necessary?

Not mandatory - but strongly recommended. With a nanny, a 3-month illness can cost you CHF 12,000+. KTG (CHF 50-80/month) covers that. Under the Simplified Procedure it's usually not included; under the standard procedure you can take it out separately.

What if the nanny takes maternity leave - who pays?

During the 14 weeks she receives 80% of her wage (max CHF 220/day) from the federal maternity benefit scheme - not from you. You just fill in the form. Some families voluntarily top up the missing 20% - a gesture for retention, but not required.

Sources

Swiss Code of Obligations (CO), Art. 324a (continued wage), Art. 329a (holidays), Art. 336c (protection from dismissal)
Federal Accident Insurance Act (UVG), SR 832.20 - the 8-hour threshold applies only to non-occupational accident cover (NBU)
Income Compensation Act (EOG) - maternity benefit 14 weeks, 80% of wage
Bern/Basel/Zurich scales - Federal Supreme Court practice since BGE 113 II 64

Amounts and rates as of 2026.