Your household is the employer · Appenzell Ausserrhoden
Senior home help in Appenzell Ausserrhoden: your household's duties as employer
This page is for a household whose Helper for senior home help does work like this:
- Companionship at home
- Light household help
- Meal preparation support
- Errands and appointment support
- Routine check-in visits
What does a household that employs a Helper for senior home help in Appenzell Ausserrhoden have to do?
- Register your Helper with Sozialversicherungen Appenzell Ausserrhoden within 30 days of the first working day under the simplified settlement procedure.
- Pay a Helper for senior home help without a qualification at least CHF 20.35 an hour, plus holiday pay. The federal standard contract for domestic work (NAV) sets this legal minimum.
- 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 Appenzell Ausserrhoden standard contract requires the household to take out daily sickness benefit insurance (Art. 24 bGS 222.218).
What differs in Appenzell Ausserrhoden
- The federal standard contract for domestic work (NAV) covers a Helper for senior home help who works on average at least 5 hours a week for the same household: CHF 20.35 an hour without a qualification.
- The Appenzell Ausserrhoden standard contract asks for more in writing:
- Keep a time record that your Helper signs or confirms every month (Art. 26 NAV AR, bGS 222.218).
- Probation differs from the federal rule:
- Probation lasts 1 month, with a notice of 3 days to the end of a working week during it.
- After probation, notice in Appenzell Ausserrhoden follows the canton's own steps by years of service.
The lowest hourly wage for a Helper for senior home help in Appenzell Ausserrhoden in 2026
The federal standard contract for domestic work (NAV) covers a Helper for senior home help who works on average at least 5 hours a week for the same household.
| Qualification | Lowest hourly wage |
|---|---|
| No qualification | CHF 20.35 · federal standard contract for domestic work (NAV) By law: CHF 20.35, federal standard contract for domestic work (NAV) |
| At least four years of household experience | CHF 22.30 · federal standard contract for domestic work (NAV) By law: CHF 22.30, federal standard contract for domestic work (NAV) |
| Three year certificate (EFZ) | CHF 24.55 · federal standard contract for domestic work (NAV) By law: CHF 24.55, federal standard contract for domestic work (NAV) |
Contributions in Appenzell Ausserrhoden 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) | 1.6 % | CHF 18.10 | CHF 0.00 |
| Compensation office administration costs | At most 5 % of all AHV/IV/EO contributions | At most CHF 6.00 | At most CHF 0.00 |
| Total | At most CHF 96.50 | At most CHF 72.40 |
a month · CHF 35.56 per hour worked
| Wage | CHF 1’040.00 |
|---|---|
| Public holidays 0.39 % | CHF 4.06 |
| Holiday pay 8.33 % | CHF 86.63 |
| Employer contributions | At most CHF 96.50 |
| Accident insurance | CHF 5.70 |
| You pay a month | At most CHF 1’232.89 |
The full cost of a Helper in Appenzell Ausserrhoden, line by line
How many weeks of paid holidays does a Helper get in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, and what applies on public holidays?
At least 4 weeks of paid holidays a year, and 5 weeks in these cases:
- under age 20
- from age 50
- after 10 years with the same household
Source: Verordnung NAV hauswirtschaftliche Arbeitnehmer, bGS 222.218, Art. 10 Abs. 1, Art. 17 Abs. 2, Art. 9 Abs. 2, read on 9 October 2026.
Probation and notice in Appenzell Ausserrhoden
Notice after probation
- Years 1 to 5 of service: 2 months, to the end of a month.
- From year 6 of service: 3 months, to the end of a month.
Standard contract and offices
More for households in Appenzell Ausserrhoden
- Cleaning and housekeeping in Appenzell Ausserrhoden: your duties as employer
- Childcare in Appenzell Ausserrhoden: your duties as employer
- Senior home help and companionship: 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 1’248.79
- 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 1’256.79
- 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 Helper for senior home help in Appenzell Ausserrhoden
What is the lowest hourly wage for a Helper for senior home help in Appenzell Ausserrhoden in 2026?
Without a qualification, CHF 20.35 an hour plus holiday pay: the legal minimum under the federal standard contract for domestic work (NAV).
How much paid holiday does a Helper for senior home help get in Appenzell Ausserrhoden?
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 Helper for senior home help in Appenzell Ausserrhoden?
During probation, the notice is 3 days to the end of a working week; in the first year of service, 2 months to the end of a month. After that, the notice grows with the years of service.
What must the household put in writing in Appenzell Ausserrhoden?
The Appenzell Ausserrhoden standard contract adds written duties to the federal rules; this page lists each one with its article.
Which rule sets the lowest wage for a Helper for senior home help in Appenzell Ausserrhoden?
CHF 20.35 an hour: federal standard contract for domestic work (NAV).
Does the federal standard contract for domestic work cover a Helper for senior home help?
Yes, when your Helper works on average at least 5 hours a week for your household.
Does the lowest wage for a Helper for senior home help change on 1 January 2027?
No. On the figures published so far, the lowest wage in Appenzell Ausserrhoden stays the same.
What family allowance rate does the household pay in Appenzell Ausserrhoden?
1.6 % of the gross wage, paid by the household.
Does the household need daily sickness benefit insurance in Appenzell Ausserrhoden?
Yes. The Normalarbeitsvertrag für hauswirtschaftliche Arbeitnehmer und Arbeitnehmerinnen des Kantons Appenzell Ausserrhoden requires the household to take it out (Art. 24 bGS 222.218).
Which standard contract for household work applies in Appenzell Ausserrhoden?
Normalarbeitsvertrag für hauswirtschaftliche Arbeitnehmer und Arbeitnehmerinnen des Kantons Appenzell Ausserrhoden, bGS 222.218.