The short answer
If illness stops you from working, being paid by the hour does not by itself remove your right to sick pay. Your protection can come from full usual pay by the household for a limited period or from sickness daily allowance insurance. The route depends on the length agreed for the employment, how long it has already lasted, the rule in your canton, your contract and any valid insurance arrangement.
Tell the household promptly that you cannot work. You do not need to give a diagnosis. Ask what proof is required, find your contract and payslips, and check whether you have a sickness daily allowance certificate or policy information.
What should I do when I am too ill to work?
Start with these steps:
- Tell each household that you cannot work, or that you can work only partly. State which agreed visit or hours are affected.
- Ask when a medical certificate is required under your contract or the rule that applies to the employment. The certificate should confirm incapacity and its likely duration. It does not need to disclose your diagnosis.
- Keep the contract, work schedule, time records, payslips and messages about the absence. If sickness insurance exists, keep the policy or certificate and any claim instructions too.
- Ask whether the household will continue the wage or whether a sickness daily allowance insurer will handle the payment. Ask for the answer in writing.
- If an accident caused the incapacity, say that it was an accident. Accident insurance follows a different process from ordinary illness.
You have a separate employment relationship with every household. Notify each household whose agreed work is affected and keep the records for each job separate. Tell your doctor what each job involves. Being able to do one set of tasks does not automatically mean that you can safely do another.
Do hourly cleaners and nannies get sick pay?
They can. The fact that you are paid by the hour does not remove sick pay protection. The first question is whether the employment meets the condition for statutory continued pay. The second is whether the contract or a cantonal standard employment contract provides a valid sickness daily allowance arrangement instead.
Under Article 324a of the Swiss Code of Obligations, continued pay can be due when you cannot work through no fault of your own and the employment has already lasted for more than 3 months, or was entered into for more than 3 months. A fixed term of more than 3 months can therefore qualify from the start. A shorter employment can still have better terms in its contract or cantonal standard employment contract. The household is the employer.
There are two common routes:
- The household continues your full usual pay from the first day of incapacity for the period set by the applicable rule. In the first service year, the federal minimum is at least 3 weeks in total. It is not a fresh 3 weeks for every illness. A service year starts on the anniversary of your employment, not automatically in January.
- A valid sickness daily allowance arrangement pays according to the policy, with the household covering any amount or waiting period required by the arrangement. The insured share, waiting period and maximum benefit period come from the actual terms. A written agreement, cantonal standard employment contract or collective agreement can replace the statutory route only when the overall protection is at least equivalent.
Do not assume that a missing policy means there is no protection. It may mean that the household must continue the wage itself. Equally, seeing an insurance deduction on a payslip does not by itself prove when a benefit starts. Ask for the policy terms or insurance certificate.
Which rule applies in my canton?
Swiss federal law is the starting point. Cantonal standard employment contracts for household work can add sick pay or insurance rules. Some rules depend on the type or length of the employment, the workload or a valid written agreement.
Use the canton navigator to find the official source and the questions to check. It is a source guide, not an individual entitlement calculator.
Official canton sources
Find the rule and questions for your canton
Choose the canton where you work and what you know about sickness daily allowance cover. This source guide cannot decide an individual entitlement.
The work canton is a useful starting point. Multi canton, cross border and special arrangements can require a separate check.
What to check now
- Does this standard employment contract cover my type of household work?
- Does my written agreement validly change a default rule?
- Is sickness daily allowance cover in force for my employment?
- What does the household pay while an insurer waits?
No personal details are needed.
Official cantonal sources for sick pay and sickness insurance in household employment
Use this table to find the source. A blank field does not mean that there is no sick pay right or insurance duty. Check statutory wage continuation, the contract and any policy.
Scroll the table horizontally
| Canton | Official standard employment contract | Reference | Sick pay article | Insurance articles | Source checked | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AGAargau | Normalarbeitsvertrag für Hauspersonal des Kantons Aargau | SAR 963.375 | § 12 | No canton specific article is verified in this field | Read source | |
| ARAppenzell Ausserrhoden | Normalarbeitsvertrag für hauswirtschaftliche Arbeitnehmer und Arbeitnehmerinnen des Kantons Appenzell Ausserrhoden | bGS 222.218 | Art. 18 | Art. 24 | Read source | |
| AIAppenzell Innerrhoden | Normalarbeitsvertrag für hauswirtschaftliche Arbeitsverhältnisse des Kantons Appenzell Innerrhoden (NAV HW) | 821.002 | Art. 17 | Art. 19 | Read source | |
| BLBasel-Landschaft | Normalarbeitsvertrag für Hauspersonal des Kantons Basel-Landschaft | 212.34 | § 18 | No canton specific article is verified in this field | Read source | |
| BSBasel-Stadt | Normalarbeitsvertrag für Arbeitnehmende im Haushalt einschliesslich der 24-Stunden-Betreuung im Kanton Basel-Stadt | No canton specific article is verified in this field | No canton specific article is verified in this field | No canton specific article is verified in this field | Read source | |
| BEBern | Normalarbeitsvertrag für den Hausdienst des Kantons Bern | BSG 222.153.22 | No canton specific article is verified in this field | Art. 35, Art. 36 | Read source | |
| FRFribourg | contrat-type de travail pour les travailleurs et travailleuses du service de maison du canton de Fribourg | 222.5.91 | Art. 14 | No canton specific article is verified in this field | Read source | |
| GEGeneva | contrat-type de travail avec salaires minimaux impératifs de l'économie domestique (CTT-EDom) | rsGE J 1 50.03 | No canton specific article is verified in this field | Art. 13 | Read source | |
| GLGlarus | Normalarbeitsvertrag Hauswirtschaft des Kantons Glarus (NAV HW) | VIII C/12/3 | No canton specific article is verified in this field | No canton specific article is verified in this field | Read source | |
| GRGrisons | Normalarbeitsvertrag für das hauswirtschaftliche Arbeitsverhältnis des Kantons Graubünden | BR 535.200 | No canton specific article is verified in this field | No canton specific article is verified in this field | Read source | |
| JUJura | contrat-type de travail pour le personnel de l'économie domestique du canton du Jura | RSJU 222.153.22 | No canton specific article is verified in this field | Art. 22 | Read source | |
| LULucerne | Normalarbeitsvertrag für das hauswirtschaftliche Arbeitsverhältnis des Kantons Luzern | SRL Nr. 854 | § 21 | § 22 | Read source | |
| NENeuchâtel | contrat type de travail pour le service de maison du canton de Neuchâtel This cantonal standard contract applies where the worker shares the household. Do not assume it covers a job where you live elsewhere. | RSN 225.42 | Art. 15 | No canton specific article is verified in this field | Read source | |
| NWNidwalden | Normalarbeitsvertrag für Arbeitnehmerinnen und Arbeitnehmer in der Hauswirtschaft des Kantons Nidwalden (NAV Hauswirtschaft) | 223.1 | § 16 | § 17 | Read source | |
| OWObwalden | Normalarbeitsvertrag für hauswirtschaftliche Arbeitnehmer des Kantons Obwalden Obwalden has separate provisions for full time and part time household work. Check which provisions apply to your job before drawing a conclusion about cover. | GDB 844.1 | Art. 20 | Art. 21 | Read source | |
| SHSchaffhausen | Normalarbeitsvertrag für hauswirtschaftliche Arbeitnehmende des Kantons Schaffhausen (NAV HW SH) | 221.216 | § 28 | § 31 | Read source | |
| SZSchwyz | Normalarbeitsvertrag für hauswirtschaftliche Arbeitnehmer des Kantons Schwyz | SRSZ 217.111 | § 15 | No canton specific article is verified in this field | Read source | |
| SOSolothurn | Normalarbeitsvertrag für Arbeitnehmer und Arbeitnehmerinnen in der Hauswirtschaft des Kantons Solothurn | BGS 821.321 | § 20 | § 21 | Read source | |
| SGSt. Gallen | Normalarbeitsvertrag für hauswirtschaftliche Arbeitnehmerinnen und Arbeitnehmer des Kantons St. Gallen | sGS 513.1 | Art. 11 | Art. 20 | Read source | |
| TGThurgau | Normalarbeitsvertrag für hauswirtschaftliche Arbeitsverhältnisse im Kanton Thurgau | 221.252 | § 13 | § 15, § 17 | Read source | |
| TITicino | contratto normale di lavoro per il personale domestico del Cantone Ticino | No canton specific article is verified in this field | Art. 22c | No canton specific article is verified in this field | Read source | |
| URUri | Normalarbeitsvertrag für hauswirtschaftliche Arbeitnehmer des Kantons Uri | 20.1311 | Art. 19 | Art. 21, Art. 22 | Read source | |
| VSValais | contrat-type de travail pour le personnel au service de l'économie domestique du canton du Valais | 221.602 | No canton specific article is verified in this field | Art. 17 | Read source | |
| VDVaud | contrat-type de travail pour le personnel des ménages privés du canton de Vaud | RSV 222.105.1 | Art. 21 | No canton specific article is verified in this field | Read source | |
| ZGZug | Normalarbeitsvertrag Privathaushalt des Kantons Zug | BGS 831.521 | § 21 | No canton specific article is verified in this field | Read source | |
| ZHZurich | Normalarbeitsvertrag für hauswirtschaftliche Arbeitnehmer des Kantons Zürich | LS 821.12 | Art. 11 | Art. 12, Art. 26 | Read source |
The table below the navigator lists the official cantonal sources. If it does not show a specific sick pay or insurance article for your canton, that does not decide your rights. The federal rules, your employment contract and any policy still need to be checked.
What is sickness daily allowance insurance?
Sickness daily allowance insurance is often called Krankentaggeld or KTG in German. It is different from ordinary health insurance, AHV and accident insurance. It can replace the household's statutory wage continuation only when the arrangement is validly agreed and at least equivalent overall to the protection required by law.
The policy should answer five practical questions:
- What share of the insured wage is paid?
- Is there a waiting period, and who pays during it?
- How long can benefits continue?
- Who pays the premium?
- Which insurer, form and deadline apply to a claim?
Read the contract and policy together. An insurance policy does not automatically replace the statutory obligation. The level and duration of benefits, any unpaid days and the sharing of premiums must satisfy the applicable rule. A cantonal standard employment contract may require cover for some household jobs, while another canton may leave the choice to the parties. The official source linked in the navigator shows the verified cantonal starting point.
Who pays me while I am ill?
If statutory wage continuation applies and no valid replacement arrangement governs the absence, the household pays the full usual wage for the applicable limited period. Usual wage includes the components that would normally have accrued, not only the headline hourly rate. If a valid sickness daily allowance arrangement applies, the policy and agreement decide when the insurer begins paying and what the household pays during any waiting period.
Ask for a written breakdown that identifies:
- The agreed hours or regular wage used for the calculation.
- The absence period and any partial incapacity.
- The payer for each part of the period.
- Any deduction and the policy basis for it.
- The date on which payment is expected.
For irregular hours, the wage basis may require an average drawn from the employment record. Do not accept a zero hour assumption simply because one week had no scheduled visit. Ask which recorded period and agreed pattern were used.
Does a medical certificate have to show my diagnosis?
No. As SECO explains in its incapacity guidance, a medical certificate normally confirms whether you are unable to work, from which date, for how long and whether the incapacity is full or partial. The household does not need your diagnosis.
Send only what is required for the employment or insurance process. Do not put symptoms, diagnoses or treatment details into a general work chat. If an insurer needs further medical information, ask for its secure process and send the information to the proper recipient.
If the certificate states partial incapacity, ask the doctor whether it refers to time, tasks or both. Then clarify in writing with the household which safe duties and hours remain possible. A percentage on a certificate is not, by itself, an instruction to perform the same workload in less time.
What is the difference between illness and an accident?
Illness and accident use different cover. Ordinary illness follows wage continuation or sickness daily allowance rules. An occupational accident, a commuting accident and a leisure accident are assessed under accident insurance rules, with the available cover depending in part on the employment and working hours.
Tell the household when an accident caused the incapacity, even if the result feels similar to being ill. The household may need to report it to the accident insurer. Our guide to accident insurance for household workers explains the reporting route and the distinction between occupational and leisure accidents.
Can the household dismiss me while I am ill?
After probation, Swiss law can block an ordinary dismissal by the household for a limited period while you are unable to work through no fault of your own. The protected period depends on the year of service and is separate from the period of sick pay. Different rules apply during probation, to a fixed term ending as agreed, when you give notice, by mutual agreement or in a serious cause case.
Illness does not make every dismissal invalid. The date of the notice, the start of the incapacity, the probation status and the type of contract matter. Keep the notice and its envelope or delivery record. If the dates overlap with certified incapacity, read the notice period guide and ask the cantonal labour authority, a union or a qualified adviser to check the timeline promptly.
What can I do if sick pay is missing?
Start with a short written request. Keep it factual and attach only the records needed to understand the wage question.
You can send this short message when the absence begins:
I am unable to work because I am ill and cannot attend [shift]. I will update you by [date or time]. Please confirm the certificate requirement and how sick pay is handled under our contract.
If pay is later missing, you can write:
I was unable to work from [date] to [date], as confirmed by my certificate. My agreed work during this period was [hours or visits]. Please confirm whether my wage will be continued by the household or paid through sickness daily allowance insurance, which rule or policy applies, and the expected payment date.
Keep copies of:
- Your employment contract and any later changes.
- The schedule or recurring work agreement.
- Time records and payslips from before the illness.
- The medical certificate, without additional diagnosis details.
- Messages reporting the absence and the household's reply.
- Any sickness insurance certificate, policy extract or claim reference.
- The wage statement showing what was paid and what is missing.
If the answer remains unclear, use the official cantonal source in the navigator. The cantonal labour authority can explain the applicable standard employment contract. An insurer can explain its policy and claim status. A union or qualified adviser can assess an individual dispute.
Who this guide covers
This guide covers cleaners, nannies and other employees doing ordinary household work for private households. Live in care can have additional cantonal rules. Au pairs, agency employees, genuinely self employed providers, unpaid family help, public employment and professional medical care can follow other regimes. Check the correct status before relying on this guide.
An oral agreement does not by itself remove employment rights. What matters is the actual relationship and the rule that applies to it.
Why do a written contract and payslips matter?
They make the facts easier to prove. A written contract can show the agreed workload, gross wage, sickness arrangement and notice rules. Payslips show the wage history and whether an insurance premium was deducted. Time records show the work pattern when hours vary.
Declared employment also creates the records used for social insurance and wage questions. Read our guides to declared household work, take home pay for cleaners and nannies and employment contracts for household workers.
“A Helper who is ill needs time to recover and a clear answer about pay. A written contract and regular payslips make that answer easier to find.”
Gilberto de la Fuente, Helpore
Prepare your Helper profile
The household is your employer and Helpore charges Helpers no fee. You can create your free Helper profile and record your services, area and availability. Helpore Flex is open, and every booking request waits for the Helper to accept it. Creating a profile does not promise a job or an immediate request. Read about Helpore for Helpers.
If a household uses Helpore Admin Light or Helpore Admin, that is the household's choice. These products can support employment administration in the household's name. The household remains your employer and is responsible for the employment relationship. An individual sick pay claim depends on the applicable rules and policy.
FAQ
Do I get sick pay if I am paid by the hour?
You can. Hourly pay does not remove protection, but the result depends on the employment duration, the applicable federal or cantonal rule, and any valid sickness daily allowance arrangement.
Can the household ask for a medical certificate from the first day?
Yes. A medical certificate can be required from the first day, even though many contracts set a later day. Check the written terms and obtain the certificate promptly when requested.
Does my medical certificate have to show the diagnosis?
No. It normally needs to show the incapacity, its start and expected duration, and whether it is full or partial. The household does not need your diagnosis.
Who pays if there is sickness daily allowance insurance?
The household may pay during a policy waiting period, and the insurer may pay after it. The exact split depends on the policy, the contract and the applicable cantonal or federal rule.
What if the household has no sickness daily allowance policy?
No policy does not automatically mean no sick pay. Statutory continued pay may apply, and a cantonal rule can place further duties on the household. Check the canton source, contract and employment duration.
Is an accident handled in the same way as illness?
No. Accident insurance has its own reporting and benefit rules. Tell the household that the incapacity followed an accident so the correct insurer and process can be used.
Can I be dismissed while I am on sick leave?
After probation, a limited protection period can block an ordinary dismissal by the household. The year of service, dates, contract type and who gave notice matter, so have the timeline checked if notice and illness overlap.
Official sources
- Swiss Confederation: absence from work because of illness or accident
- SECO: frequently asked questions on inability to work
- Swiss Code of Obligations, Articles 324a, 324b and 336c
- SECO: registration and payroll guide for household employment
- Federal Office of Public Health: voluntary daily sickness allowance insurance
- Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner: employee data
- SECO: frequently asked questions about termination
- The official cantonal standard employment contracts linked in the canton navigator.