Your household is the employer · Lucerne
Senior home help in Lucerne: 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 Lucerne have to do?
- Register your Helper with WAS Ausgleichskasse Luzern 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 Lucerne standard contract requires the household to take out daily sickness benefit insurance (Art. 22 SRL Nr. 854).
What differs in Lucerne
- 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.
- Luzern has its own minimum in force: CHF 22.75 an hour.
- The Lucerne standard contract asks for more in writing:
- Put the contract and its minimum content in writing before the first working day, and update it within a month of any change (§ 6 para. 1 to 3 NAV LU, SRL 854).
- Hand over the monthly statement, or the pay, by a set day of the following month (§ 20 NAV LU, SRL 854).
- Probation differs from the federal rule:
- Probation lasts 4 weeks, with a notice of 7 days during it.
The lowest hourly wage for a Helper for senior home help in Lucerne 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) |
City minimum wages in Lucerne
- Luzern: CHF 22.75 · in force
Contributions in Lucerne 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) | 1.35 % | CHF 15.25 | CHF 0.00 |
| Compensation office administration costs | 1.4 % of all AHV/IV/EO contributions | CHF 1.70 | CHF 0.00 |
| Total | CHF 89.35 | CHF 72.40 |
a month · CHF 35.36 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 89.35 |
| Accident insurance | CHF 5.70 |
| You pay a month | CHF 1’225.74 |
How many weeks of paid holidays does a Helper get in the canton of Lucerne, 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: NAV hauswirtschaftliches Arbeitsverhältnis, SRL 854, § 14 Abs. 1, § 12 Abs. 2, § 13 Abs. 1, read on 9 October 2026.
Work on a public holiday in Lucerne
Each hour worked on a public holiday carries a supplement of at least 50 %.
For each public holiday worked that is not a Sunday, your Helper gets an extra day off.
Source: Normalarbeitsvertrag für das hauswirtschaftliche Arbeitsverhältnis, SRL Nr. 854, read on 1 October 2026
Probation and notice in Lucerne
Notice after probation
- Year 1 of service: 1 month, to the end of a month.
- Years 2 to 9 of service: 2 months, to the end of a month.
- From year 10 of service: 3 months, to the end of a month.
Standard contract and offices
Cities in Lucerne
More for households in Lucerne
- Cleaning and housekeeping in Lucerne: your duties as employer
- Childcare in Lucerne: your duties as employer
- Household help in Lucerne: 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 1’241.64
- 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 1’249.64
- 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 Lucerne
What is the lowest hourly wage for a Helper for senior home help in Lucerne 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 Lucerne?
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 Lucerne?
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.
What must the household put in writing in Lucerne?
The Lucerne 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 Lucerne?
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 Lucerne stays the same.
Which cities in Lucerne set their own minimum for a Helper for senior home help?
In Luzern, a city minimum of CHF 22.75 an hour is in force.
What family allowance rate does the household pay in Lucerne?
1.35 % of the gross wage, paid by the household.
Does the household need daily sickness benefit insurance in Lucerne?
Yes. The Normalarbeitsvertrag für das hauswirtschaftliche Arbeitsverhältnis des Kantons Luzern requires the household to take it out (Art. 22 SRL Nr. 854).
Which standard contract for household work applies in Lucerne?
Normalarbeitsvertrag für das hauswirtschaftliche Arbeitsverhältnis des Kantons Luzern, SRL Nr. 854.