Your household is the employer · Zurich
Senior home help in Zurich: 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 Zurich have to do?
- Register your Helper with SVA Zürich 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 Zurich standard contract requires the household to take out daily sickness benefit insurance (Art. 12, 26 LS 821.12).
What differs in Zurich
- 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 1 month, with a notice of 3 days during it.
- After probation, notice in Zurich is 1 month to the end of a month, whatever the years of service.
- 6 weeks of paid holidays, above the federal minimum, in each of these cases:
- from age 60
The lowest hourly wage for a Helper for senior home help in Zurich 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 Zurich
- Zürich: voted, not in force
- Winterthur: voted, not in force
Contributions in Zurich 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) | 1.025 % | CHF 11.60 | CHF 0.00 |
| Compensation office administration costs | 5 % of all AHV/IV/EO contributions | CHF 6.00 | CHF 0.00 |
| Total | CHF 90.00 | CHF 72.40 |
a month · CHF 35.38 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 90.00 |
| Accident insurance | CHF 5.70 |
| You pay a month | CHF 1’226.39 |
How many weeks of paid holidays does a Helper get in the canton of Zurich, 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
6 weeks in these cases:
- from age 60
Source: NAV für hauswirtschaftliche Arbeitnehmer, LS 821.12, Art. 8 Abs. 1, Art. 28, Art. 6, read on 9 October 2026.
Probation and notice in Zurich
Notice after probation
- From year 1 of service: 1 month, to the end of a month.
Source: Art. 2, 17 Abs. 2, 18 Abs. 1, read on 28 September 2026
What goes in writing in Zurich
Helpore has found no cantonal rule in Zurich that adds a written duty to the federal rules.
Standard contract and offices
Cities in Zurich
- Zurich
- Winterthur
- Uster
More for households in Zurich
- Cleaning and housekeeping in Zurich: your duties as employer
- Childcare in Zurich: your duties as employer
- Household help in Zurich: 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 1’242.29
- 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 1’250.29
- 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 Zurich
What is the lowest hourly wage for a Helper for senior home help in Zurich 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 Zurich?
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 Zurich?
During probation, the notice is 3 days; in the first year of service, 1 month to the end of a month.
What must the household put in writing in Zurich?
Helpore found no written duty in Zurich beyond the federal rules.
Which rule sets the lowest wage for a Helper for senior home help in Zurich?
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 Zurich stays the same.
Which cities in Zurich set their own minimum for a Helper for senior home help?
In Zürich, a city minimum wage has been voted but is not in force. In Winterthur, a city minimum wage has been voted but is not in force.
What family allowance rate does the household pay in Zurich?
1.025 % of the gross wage, paid by the household.
Does the household need daily sickness benefit insurance in Zurich?
Yes. The Normalarbeitsvertrag für hauswirtschaftliche Arbeitnehmer des Kantons Zürich requires the household to take it out (Art. 12, 26 LS 821.12).
Which standard contract for household work applies in Zurich?
Normalarbeitsvertrag für hauswirtschaftliche Arbeitnehmer des Kantons Zürich, LS 821.12.