Legal
Sick pay for household staff: how long you pay on the Bern, Basel or Zurich scale
Your cleaner calls in sick - how long do you keep paying? In the first year of service, 3 weeks or 1 month, depending on the canton. From the second year, the rules diverge further - 8 weeks in Zurich, 1 month in Bern, 2 months in Basel. Most employers don't know which rule applies to them until they actually need to know.
In the first year of service you keep paying wages during illness for 3 weeks or 1 month, depending on the canton. After that the duration grows with the years of service, following the scale or the NAV table of the canton where she works.
- In year 2: Bern 1 month, Zurich 8 weeks, Basel 2 months - the place of work decides
- The duration is per year of service for all illnesses together, not per illness
- KTG insurance: mandatory in 15 cantons, optional in 5, up to 720 days at 80%
Berner Skala
How long does the wage keep running?
The longer the employment, the longer the 100% sick pay, per year of service for all illnesses together. Shown here: the Bern scale.
- Year of service 121 days· 3 weeks
- from year 230 days· 4 weeks
- from year 360 days· 9 weeks
- from year 590 days
- from year 1017 weeks120 days
- from year 1521 weeks150 days
- from year 2026 weeks180 days
Most cantons count differently: with the Basel or Zurich scale or the table of their own standard employment contract. The calculator below knows all 26.
Legal basis: Art. 324a CO
The obligation to continue paying wages during illness is enshrined in Art. 324a of the Swiss Code of Obligations (CO). The article states: the employer must continue paying the employee's wages for a limited period in case of involuntary inability to work - including illness. After an accident, the accident insurance covers most of it instead; when it is mandatory and who takes it out is explained in the guide to accident insurance in the household.
This obligation applies once the employment has lasted more than three months or was entered into for more than three months (Art. 324a para. 1 CO). When exactly it starts is set by the standard employment contract (NAV) of the canton of work: from the first day in Basel-Stadt, Solothurn, Glarus or Ticino, only after probation in Lucerne, Zug or St. Gallen.
Art. 324a CO, however, only fixes a duration for the 1st year of service (3 weeks); after that it only refers to an "appropriate longer period". The courts developed three scales for it. For household employees, though, many cantonal NAVs set the duration themselves.
Continued pay is only one of your duties when your cleaner is sick - our detailed guide covers the medical certificate, the notification and the other practical steps.
Important for private households
The three scales compared
Depending on the region, courts apply one of three scales. All three grow with the years of service but differ markedly. The duration is always per year of service, for all illnesses together.
Bern scale
The oldest and most often cited scale. For household employees it applies in Aargau, Nidwalden, Glarus, Graubünden, Ticino, Valais, Geneva and Jura.
| 1st year | 3 weeks |
| 2nd year | 1 month |
| 3rd-4th year | 2 months |
| 5th-9th year | 3 months |
| 10th-14th year | 4 months |
| 15th-19th year | 5 months |
| 20th+ year | 6 months |
Basel scale
2 months already in the 2nd year of service. For household employees it applies in Basel-Landschaft. Basel-Stadt's NAV gives 1 month already in the 1st year of service, then the same steps.
| 1st year | 3 weeks |
| 2nd year | 2 months |
| 3rd year | 2 months |
| 4th-10th year | 3 months |
| 11th-15th year | 4 months |
| 16th-20th year | 5 months |
| 21st+ year | 6 months |
Zurich scale
From the 2nd year of service, 1 week more every year. Schwyz, Zug and Thurgau apply it without a ceiling, Zurich's NAV up to 6 months at most.
| 1st year | 3 weeks |
| 2nd year | 8 weeks |
| 3rd year | 9 weeks |
| 4th year | 10 weeks |
| 5th-9th year | +1 week/year |
| 10th-14th year | +1 week/year |
| 15th+ year | +1 week/year |
The Zurich scale grows linearly: 11 weeks in the 5th year of service, 16 weeks in the 10th, 21 weeks in the 15th, and so on. In the canton of Zurich it stops at 6 months.
Bern & Zurich scale
- •Bern scale: 1 month in the 2nd year of service
- •Zurich scale: 8 weeks in the 2nd year of service, then 1 week more every year
Basel scale
- •2 months already in the 2nd year of service
- •Applies in Basel-Landschaft; Basel-Stadt counts the same from the 2nd year
Which canton uses which scale?
What counts is the standard employment contract (NAV) of the canton of work. It prints one of the three scales, a table of its own or none at all; then the scale of the regional court practice applies:
Bern scale
Aargau, Nidwalden (printed in the NAV); Glarus, Graubünden, Ticino, Valais, Geneva, Jura (NAV without a table of its own). Geneva, Valais and Jura also require daily sickness benefit insurance.
Basel scale
Basel-Landschaft (in the first 3 months, 1 week in total at most)
Zurich scale
Schwyz, Zug, Thurgau (no ceiling); Zurich (6 months at most)
Own table in the NAV
Bern, Lucerne, Uri, Obwalden, Fribourg, Solothurn, Basel-Stadt, Schaffhausen, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Appenzell Innerrhoden, St. Gallen, Vaud (a higher table from 20 h per week), Neuchatel. Most of them give 1 month already in the 1st year of service. The calculator below knows every table; for Vaud it shows the table for under 20 h per week.
Calculation examples with real numbers
To make the scales tangible, here are three concrete scenarios:
Calculate continued sick pay
Pick canton and year of service. You instantly see how long the wage keeps running during illness.
At full pay (100%), in total per year of service, all illnesses together. With daily-sickness-benefit insurance (KTG) it usually runs longer, but at 80%.
Next question: who books the sick days correctly on her payslip?
Register, Clino books them →Example 1: Cleaner in Aargau, 1st year of service
Maria has been working as a household helper for 8 months, 6 hours per week, CHF 30/hour. She falls ill for 4 weeks.
The 4th week is not covered. Maria receives no pay for that week unless a KTG insurance is in place. In the canton of Bern all 4 weeks would be covered: its NAV gives 1 month already in the 1st year of service.
Example 2: Household helper in Basel, 2nd year of service
Ana has been working in the household for 14 months, 10 hours per week, CHF 28/hour. She falls ill for 6 weeks.
The entire 6 weeks are fully covered. Under the Bern scale (1 month) it would be just over 4 weeks.
Example 3: Nanny in Zurich, 5th year of service
Laura has been working as a nanny for 4.5 years, 20 hours per week, CHF 32/hour. She falls ill for 3 months.
With the daily sickness allowance insurance that is mandatory in Zurich, all 3 months are covered at 80%: you pay the first 30 days (approx. CHF 2,200), then the insurer pays.
The longer the employment relationship, the longer the sick pay - but differences between cantons can amount to several months.
Daily sickness benefit insurance (KTG): mandatory in 15 cantons
Daily sickness benefit insurance can replace the statutory sick pay under Art. 324a CO, provided it is equivalent or better. In practice, this is almost always the case, as KTG policies standardly offer 720 days of benefits.
Whether you MUST take one out is decided by the standard employment contract of the canton where the work happens. Fifteen cantons, among them Zurich, Bern, Lucerne, St. Gallen, Solothurn and Geneva, require it. Five more expressly leave it to you, and six have no such rule at all. Where it is mandatory, going without does not merely leave you carrying the risk: you are liable for exactly the benefits the policy would have paid. The quick social insurance check shows which other insurances your household employee needs.
When does KTG insurance make sense?
- ✓From the 2nd year of service - the risk increases with the years
- ✓With more than 8 hours per week - higher wage costs in case of illness
- ✓For nannies and full-time household helpers - often high monthly wage costs
- ✓If you want planning certainty - fixed premium instead of unexpected sick pay
Without KTG (Art. 324a CO)
- •Duration depends on canton and years of service
- •Employer bears full risk
- •From 3 weeks, growing with the years of service
- •100% of wages
- •No premiums but unplannable risk
With KTG insurance
- •Up to 720 days coverage
- •Insurance bears the risk
- •Waiting period: usually 30 or 60 days
- •80% of wages
- •Premium approx. 1-3% of gross wage
Important with KTG
How Clino helps with sick pay
Clino automates sick pay calculation for your private household:
Clino automatically detects the canton and applicable scale
Years of service are continuously tracked
In case of illness, Clino calculates the exact sick pay duration
The payslip correctly shows the continued pay
You receive a reminder when the end of sick pay is approaching
Start in your canton
All details on compensation office, contributions and registration.
Frequently asked questions
How long must I continue paying my cleaner's wages during illness?
It depends on the canton of work and the years of service. In the 1st year of service it is 3 weeks or 1 month depending on the canton; in the 2nd year, for example, 1 month in Bern, 8 weeks in Zurich and 2 months in Basel. The duration is per year of service for all illnesses together. The calculator in this article shows the figure for your canton.
What is the Bern scale for sick pay?
The Bern scale is a guideline developed by case law for the duration of sick pay under Art. 324a CO. It starts at 3 weeks in the 1st year of service and increases in stages to 6 months from the 20th year. For household employees it applies in 8 cantons, including Aargau, Ticino and Geneva; the others use the Basel or Zurich scale or the table of their own NAV.
Bern scale sick pay table - which duration applies?
1st year: 3 weeks, 2nd year: 1 month, 3rd-4th year: 2 months, 5th-9th year: 3 months, 10th-14th year: 4 months, 15th-19th year: 5 months, 20th+ year: 6 months. These values apply per year of service, for all illnesses together.
Is daily sickness benefit insurance worth it for my household employee?
In 15 cantons the question does not arise: the cantonal standard employment contract requires the cover. Where it is optional, it pays off especially from the second year of service. The premium is around 1-3% of gross wages, is usually split in half, and covers up to 720 days at 80% of the wage. That is considerably more than statutory sick pay.
Does sick pay also apply with hourly wages?
Yes. Even with hourly wages, the full sick pay obligation applies. The average wage over the last 12 months (or since the start of employment, if shorter) is decisive. Holiday compensation counts too; which percentage for hourly pay applies depends on the weeks of holiday.
What happens when sick pay is exhausted?
After the sick pay period expires, the employer has no further payment obligation. The employee may be able to claim benefits from health insurance (daily allowance, if privately insured) or social assistance. KTG insurance would continue paying for up to 720 days in this case. What comes next in a long illness, up to the disability insurance (IV), is set out in the guide to daily allowance and IV.
Sources & further information
- 1CO Art. 324a - Continued payment of wages in case of employee's inability to work. fedlex.admin.ch
- 2NAV Hauswirtschaft (SR 221.215.329.4). fedlex.admin.ch
- 3Federal Supreme Court - Case law on sick pay scales. bger.ch
- 4SECO - Labour law and employment relationships. seco.admin.ch
Calculate sick pay automatically
Clino knows the correct scale for your canton and calculates sick pay automatically. No looking up, no errors. Try it with our cost calculator.
Legal notice: This article provides general information on sick pay continuation and the various scales in Switzerland. It does not replace legal advice. The exact provisions may vary depending on the canton, employment contract and individual case. For specific questions, please consult a specialist. Information is based on Art. 324a CO, as of 2026.