Free Tool

Social insurance check: which insurance does your domestic worker need?

Salvador Jovells

Insurance check · 3 questions

Short answer: yes. AHV, family allowances and accident insurance apply from the first franc and the first hour. Whether non-occupational accident, sick-pay insurance and a pension fund are added depends on hours, canton and wage:

Canton where she works

Hours per week

6h/week

Gross wage

CHF 30per hour

4 insurances are mandatory

Zurich · 6 h/week · about CHF 10,140 a year · simplified procedure

AHV/IV/EO and ALV
Mandatory
From the first franc of wage. You and your employee each pay 6.4%.
Family allowances (FAK)
Mandatory
Paid by you alone: 1.025% of the wage (Zurich).
Occupational accident (UVG)
Mandatory
From the first hour of work. You pay the premium.
Non-occupational accident (NBU)
Not needed
Under 8 h a week: her health insurance covers accidents off work.
Sick-pay insurance (KTG)
Mandatory
The canton's standard employment contract (Zurich) requires it: NAV hauswirtschaftliche Arbeitnehmer ZH (LS 821.12), Art. 12 und Art. 26. Departing from it needs a written agreement.
Pension fund (BVG)
Voluntary
Up to CHF 22,680 a year there is no duty (threshold per employer). Possible voluntarily, for example with the Auffangeinrichtung's AN Plus plan.

Cost per month (estimate)

You pay: wage and contributions: CHF 916.45
Deducted from the wage: − CHF 96.32
Net for her: CHF 748.65

See the breakdown

	You	Employee
Gross wage, monthly average with holiday pay	844.97
AHV/IV/EO	44.78	44.78
ALV	9.29	9.29
FAK	8.66	–
Occupational accident	4.27	–
Office admin fee	4.48	–
Withholding tax	–	42.25
Total	916.45	96.32

Accident premiums at the VAVplus rate; a private insurer will differ.
Sick-pay insurance not included: the premium depends on the policy.

Your checklist

What to arrange, where and by when.

Zurich

1. Register with the compensation office
SVA Zürich: one form for AHV/IV/EO, ALV and FAK, under the simplified procedure. The office also settles the 5% withholding tax.
DeadlineWithin 30 days of the first working day.
Step by step for Zurich →Office website ↗
2. Take out accident insurance
Occupational accidents. Two routes: tick VAVplus when you register (opt-in, the office bills the premium with the rest) or a policy with a private accident insurer.
DeadlineFrom the first working day, never backdated. Without a policy the Ersatzkasse UVG pays and charges you substitute premiums (Art. 95 UVG).
Routes and premiums →
3. Take out sick-pay insurance
With a health insurer or an insurance company: 80% of the wage from day 31 of illness, for up to 720 days. You pay at least half the premium.
DeadlineFrom the first working day. Until a policy exists, you pay the wage yourself during illness.
Sick-pay insurance explained →

Not mandatory, but worth a thought

Pension fund (BVG). Pension funds compared →

What Clino prepares

The employment contract and every payslip with exactly these deductions, plus the step-by-step for registering with your compensation office. You take out the insurances yourself: Clino is neither an insurer nor a broker.

Start free →

With your figures, to print or pass on.

Rates 2026: FSIO, SECO and the cantonal standard contracts. Estimates, your office's statement is what counts.

Smiling domestic worker filling in a form at the kitchen counter, a colleague in yellow rubber gloves in the background — Three questions are enough: canton, hours per week and wage show which of the six insurances are mandatory.

Three questions: canton, hours per week, wage. Right below you see which of the six insurances are mandatory for your domestic worker, where to take them out, by when and what they cost a month. How registering with the compensation office works is covered in our registration guide for every canton.

The contribution rates at a glance

Contribution ratesAs of 2026

Accident premiums use VAVplus as the example. Up to the wage cap the simplified procedure applies; above it the occupational pension (BVG) is added. Family allowances (FAK) and admin costs depend on the canton.

FAK map: employer contribution by canton

The FAK contribution (family compensation fund) is paid by the employer: it funds family allowances. The rate is set per canton. Pick your canton.

1.025% (lower)2.85% (higher)

Zürich

FAK contribution (employer)

1.025%

Funds the family allowances.

Compensation office: SVA Zürich

Details for Zürich

Source: official employer FAK rates (BSV/OFAS, as of 2026).

Sick-pay insurance and pension fund: when they are added

Sick-pay insurance (KTG): the canton decides

Federal law does not require sick-pay insurance, but the cantonal standard employment contract often does: in 15 of the 26 cantons it is mandatory, in 5 the contract provides for it without requiring it, and in 6 it says nothing. The canton where the work is done is what counts, and some exempt small workloads. Without cover you keep paying the wage yourself during illness, for longer the more years of service (Art. 324a CO).

Sick-pay insurance in detail →

Pension fund (BVG): mandatory above CHF 22,680 a year

The duty starts when the annual wage with you exceeds CHF 22,680. The threshold applies per employer: wages from other households are not added up. Below it, a pension fund is possible voluntarily, for example with the Auffangeinrichtung BVG's AN Plus plan from CHF 2,500 a year. With a typical part-time household job you usually stay below the threshold.

Pension funds compared →

The right deductions, every month

Clino prepares the employment contract under the CO and the NAV and every payslip with these deductions, and guides you step by step through registering with the compensation office. You take out the insurances yourself.

Start free →Salary calculator →

30 days free · cancel anytime · CHF 19.90 a month

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to pay social insurance as a private household?▾

Yes. AHV/IV/EO, ALV, family allowances and occupational accident insurance apply from the first franc and the first hour of work. Exceptions concern young employees (fully contribution-free until the end of the year they turn 17; until 31 December of the year they turn 25, a wage of up to CHF 750 a year with you is contribution-free, unless she asks for contributions to be paid) and employees from the reference age (no ALV, AHV exempt amount).

When is non-occupational accident insurance (NBU) mandatory?▾

From 8 hours a week with the same employer. Below that, the employee's health insurance (KVG) covers accidents off work; occupational accident insurance remains mandatory regardless.

Does my cleaner need a pension fund (BVG)?▾

It becomes mandatory only when the annual wage with you exceeds CHF 22,680; the threshold applies per employer. Below it, it is possible voluntarily, for example with the Auffangeinrichtung BVG's AN Plus plan.

Is daily sickness benefit insurance (KTG) mandatory?▾

The canton of the place of work decides: in 15 of the 26 cantons the standard employment contract requires sick-pay insurance, in 5 it provides for it without requiring it, and in 6 it says nothing. Some cantons exempt small workloads. The check above shows your canton's rule with its source.

How do I register the insurances?▾

You register AHV/IV/EO, ALV and family allowances with one form at your canton's compensation office, under the simplified procedure within 30 days of the first working day. You take out accident insurance yourself: tick VAVplus when you register (opt-in) or a policy with a private insurer. Sick-pay insurance and a pension fund, where needed, also directly with the provider. Clino prepares the contract and payslips with the right deductions and guides you step by step through the registration.