Your household is the employer · Bern
Senior home help in Bern: 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 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.
- 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 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) 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.
- 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 Helper for senior home help in Bern 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 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
- Childcare in Bern: your duties as employer
- Household help in Bern: the canton guide
- 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 1’247.64
- 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 Helper for senior home help in Bern
What is the lowest hourly wage for a Helper for senior home help in Bern 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 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 Helper for senior home help 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 Helper for senior home help in Bern?
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 Bern stays the same.
Which cities in Bern have a Helpore page for a Helper for senior home help?
Helpore has a page about a Helper for senior home help in each of these cities: Bern.
What family allowance rate does the household pay in Bern?
1.5 % of the gross wage, paid by the household.
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).
Which standard contract for household work applies in Bern?
Normalarbeitsvertrag für den Hausdienst des Kantons Bern, BSG 222.153.22.