Your household is the employer · Vaud
Senior home help in Vaud: 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 Vaud have to do?
- Register your Helper with Caisse cantonale vaudoise de compensation 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.
What differs in Vaud
- 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.
- Probation differs from the federal rule:
- Probation lasts 2 months, with a notice of 7 days during it.
- After probation, notice in Vaud is 1 month to the end of a month, whatever the years of service.
- Vaud adds contributions of its own: PC Familles VD (supplementary benefits for families), Vocational training fund FONPRO VD, Day care for children FAJE VD.
The lowest hourly wage for a Helper for senior home help in Vaud 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 Vaud 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) | 2.37 % | CHF 26.80 | 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 |
| PC Familles VD (supplementary benefits for families) | 0.09 % | CHF 1.00 | CHF 1.00 |
| Vocational training fund FONPRO VD | 0.09 % | CHF 1.00 | CHF 0.00 |
| Day care for children FAJE VD | 0.16 % | CHF 1.80 | CHF 0.00 |
| Total | At most CHF 109.00 | At most CHF 73.40 |
a month · CHF 35.92 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 109.00 |
| Accident insurance | CHF 5.70 |
| You pay a month | At most CHF 1’245.39 |
How many weeks of paid holidays does a Helper get in the canton of Vaud, and what applies on public holidays?
At least 4 weeks of paid holidays a year, and 5 weeks in these cases:
- under age 20
- after 20 years with the same household
- from age 50, after 5 years with the same household
Source: ACTT-mpr, RSV 222.105.1, art. 18, art. 15 al. 2, read on 9 October 2026.
Probation and notice in Vaud
Notice after probation
- From year 1 of service: 1 month, to the end of a month.
What goes in writing in Vaud
Helpore has found no cantonal rule in Vaud that adds a written duty to the federal rules.
Standard contract and offices
Cities in Vaud
- Lausanne
More for households in Vaud
- Cleaning and housekeeping in Vaud: your duties as employer
- Childcare in Vaud: your duties as employer
- Household help in Vaud: 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 1’261.29
- 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 1’269.29
- 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 Vaud
What is the lowest hourly wage for a Helper for senior home help in Vaud 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 Vaud?
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 Vaud?
During probation, the notice is 7 days; in the first year of service, 1 month to the end of a month.
What must the household put in writing in Vaud?
Helpore found no written duty in Vaud beyond the federal rules.
Which rule sets the lowest wage for a Helper for senior home help in Vaud?
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 Vaud stays the same.
What family allowance rate does the household pay in Vaud?
2.37 % of the gross wage, paid by the household.
Which standard contract for household work applies in Vaud?
contrat-type de travail pour le personnel des ménages privés du canton de Vaud, RSV 222.105.1.