From January 1st, 2021, family carers will be able to maintain their salary payments in the event of short-term absence to care for a member of their extended family (spouse, partner with whom they have lived for at least five years, parents, parents-in-law, children, brothers and sisters) who is suffering from ill-health. Leave may not exceed three days per case, and ten days per year in total.
Please note that the ten-day annual limit does not apply to childcare leave. Childcare is still governed by art. 324aCO. Effective January 1st, 2021. The costs of this measure are estimated at between CHF 90 and 150 million per year.
Firstly, entitlement to AHV credits for care work has been extended.
Family carers will receive a bonus for people who need care and receive an impotence allowance. Cohabitees will also be eligible, if the couple has been living together for at least 5 years.
As a reminder, a person is considered impotent in the eyes of the AVS and AI when he/she requires regular assistance from others for all the ordinary acts of life (dressing, washing, eating, etc.) and his/her condition requires permanent care. There are 3 levels of importance, depending on the insured’s degree of dependence.
Secondly, from July 1st, 2021, parents will be able to take up to 14 weeks’ paid leave to care for their children (under 15) when their health is seriously impaired by illness or accident and they are entitled to loss-of-earnings benefits (APG). This measure must be taken within 18 months of the onset of the illness or accident.
The cost of this childcare leave is estimated at CHF 74 million, and will be financed without changing the current contribution rate of 0.45%.
This second amendment will be added to article 16i to 16n of the law on compensation for loss of earnings (APG).
For more details, here is the Federal Council’s press release.
