Your household is the employer · Bern
Childcare at home in Bern: what your household owes as employer
This page is for a household whose childcare Helper does work like this:
- After-school supervision
- Daytime childcare support
- Meal and routine help for children
- Homework-time presence
- Family schedule support
What does a household that employs a childcare Helper in Bern have to do?
- Register your Helper with Ausgleichskasse des Kantons Bern within 30 days of the first working day under the simplified settlement procedure.
- Helpore found no legal minimum for a childcare Helper in Bern. With the optional payroll plans Helpore Admin or Admin Light, pay at least Helpore Admin's own floor: CHF 20.35 an hour, plus holiday pay.
- Give at least 4 weeks of paid holidays a year. For irregular work only, add 8.33 % holiday pay to every hour, written in the contract and shown on each payslip; the holidays are still taken.
- Pay social insurance (AHV/IV/EO), unemployment insurance and family allowance contributions, and insure your Helper against accidents.
- The Bern standard contract requires the household to take out daily sickness benefit insurance (Art. 35, 36 BSG 222.153.22).
- Notice to end the employment must be in writing and signed (BSG 222.153.22 Art. 9 Abs. 1).
What differs in Bern
- The federal standard contract for domestic work (NAV) excludes people mainly responsible for childcare, so it sets no minimum for a childcare Helper.
- After probation, notice in Bern follows the canton's own steps by years of service.
- Holidays by age go by calendar year: what counts is the year in which your Helper turns that age.
The lowest hourly wage for a childcare Helper in Bern in 2026
The federal standard contract for domestic work (NAV) does not cover a childcare Helper. Helpore Admin applies its hourly wages as Helpore Admin's own floor, not a legal minimum.
| Qualification | Lowest hourly wage |
|---|---|
| No qualification | CHF 20.35 · Helpore Admin's own floor, not a legal minimum No legal minimum found |
| At least four years of household experience | CHF 22.30 · Helpore Admin's own floor, not a legal minimum No legal minimum found |
| Three year certificate (EFZ) | CHF 24.55 · Helpore Admin's own floor, not a legal minimum No legal minimum found |
Contributions in Bern in 2026: who pays what
| Contribution | Rate | Household pays | Deducted from the Helper's wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| AHV/IV/EO | 5.3 % | CHF 59.95 | CHF 59.95 |
| Unemployment insurance (ALV) | 1.1 % | CHF 12.45 | CHF 12.45 |
| Family allowance fund (FAK) | 1.5 % | CHF 16.95 | CHF 0.00 |
| Compensation office administration costs | 5 % of all AHV/IV/EO contributions | CHF 6.00 | CHF 0.00 |
| Total | CHF 95.35 | CHF 72.40 |
a month · CHF 35.53 per hour worked
| Wage | CHF 1’040.00 |
|---|---|
| Public holidays 0.39 % | CHF 4.06 |
| Holiday pay 8.33 % | CHF 86.63 |
| Employer contributions | CHF 95.35 |
| Accident insurance | CHF 5.70 |
| You pay a month | CHF 1’231.74 |
How many weeks of paid holidays does a Helper get in the canton of Bern, and what applies on public holidays?
At least 4 weeks of paid holidays a year, and 5 weeks in these cases:
- until the end of the calendar year in which your Helper turns 20
- from the start of the calendar year in which your Helper turns 50
Source: NAV für den Hausdienst, BSG 222.153.22, Art. 21, Art. 20, read on 9 October 2026.
Probation and notice in Bern
Probation: 1 month.
Notice during probation: 7 days.
Notice after probation
- Year 1 of service: 1 month, to the end of a month.
- Years 2 to 3 of service: 2 months, to the end of a month.
- From year 4 of service: 3 months, to the end of a month.
Write the notice and sign it, as BSG 222.153.22 Art. 9 Abs. 1 requires.
What goes in writing in Bern
Helpore has found no cantonal rule in Bern that adds a written duty to the federal rules.
Standard contract and offices
- Standard contract: Normalarbeitsvertrag für den Hausdienst des Kantons Bern, BSG 222.153.22
- Compensation office: Ausgleichskasse des Kantons Bern, Bern
- Administration costs set by AK Bern
Cities in Bern
- Bern
- Biel/Bienne
- Thun
More for households in Bern
- Cleaning and housekeeping in Bern: your duties as employer
- Senior home help and companionship in Bern: your duties as employer
- Household help in Bern: the canton guide
- Childcare: the rules across Switzerland
- How to register household help in Switzerland
Neighbouring cantons
Optional help with the paperwork: Helpore Admin files it for you, Helpore Admin Light prepares it
You have someone and stay in control
Helpore Admin Light
CHF 15.90 per month
Your month at 8 h and CHF 30.00CHF 1’247.64
- Your Helper's payslip every month
- Contributions worked out to the rappen
- Every document in order
You have someone and want it fully handled
Helpore Admin
CHF 23.90 per month
Your month at 8 h and CHF 30.00CHF 1’255.64
- Registration of the employment
- Monthly payroll, payslips and contributions
- Insurance administration and the year end statement
Your household is the employer. Both plans are optional, and Helpers never pay a fee.
Questions about employing a childcare Helper in Bern
What is the lowest hourly wage for a childcare Helper in Bern in 2026?
Helpore found no legal minimum for this role in Bern. If you use Helpore Admin or Admin Light, the lowest wage is CHF 20.35 an hour plus holiday pay, Helpore Admin's own floor.
How much paid holiday does a childcare Helper get in Bern?
At least 4 weeks a year. Holiday pay of 8.33 % on every hour: irregular work only, written in the contract and on each payslip; the holidays are still taken.
How much notice does the household give a childcare Helper in Bern?
During probation, the notice is 7 days; in the first year of service, 1 month to the end of a month. After that, the notice grows with the years of service. In Bern, notice has to be written and signed.
What must the household put in writing in Bern?
Helpore found no written duty in Bern beyond the federal rules.
Which rule sets the lowest wage for a childcare Helper in Bern?
CHF 20.35 an hour: Helpore Admin's own floor, not a legal minimum.
Does the federal standard contract for domestic work cover a childcare Helper?
No. It excludes people mainly responsible for childcare, so a childcare Helper falls outside it.
Does the lowest wage for a childcare Helper change on 1 January 2027?
No. On the figures published so far, the lowest wage in Bern stays the same.
Where does the household register a childcare Helper in Bern?
With Ausgleichskasse des Kantons Bern, the compensation office for the canton, within 30 days of the first working day under the simplified settlement procedure.
How long is the probation for a childcare Helper in Bern?
Probation lasts 1 month, with a notice of 7 days during it.
Does the household need daily sickness benefit insurance in Bern?
Yes. The Normalarbeitsvertrag für den Hausdienst des Kantons Bern requires the household to take it out (Art. 35, 36 BSG 222.153.22).