Pocket money, working hours and au pair contract in Switzerland

Before au pairs leave their home country, they should sign an au pair contract together with the host family. The contract will specify the rights and duties of both parts and will regulate the conditions of the au pair stay (length of stay, working hours, holidays, language course, pocket money, etc.)

In Switzerland, au pair contracts comply with the normal employment contracts for domestic workers. As those standard contracts differ from canton to canton, there is no single official au pair contract for the whole of Switzerland. We recommend that you contact the relevant Swiss migration and job centre to obtain the form valid in your canton.

Three copies of the contract need to be prepared and signed. The au pair and the host family each receive a copy and the third copy goes to the relevant cantonal immigration and labour market authority.

Termination
It is possible to terminate the contract before its scheduled conclusion, for example if the au pair and host family are not getting along. The Swiss regulations indicate that the contract usually has a month probationary period. During this time, the contract can be terminated with a notice period of 7 days. After the probationary period is over, termination of the au pair contract is only possible when done in writing with a notice period of one month.

In serious cases, the contract can be terminated immediately and thus without a notice period. In these cases, termination must be effected in writing and there must be a legitimate reason for the termination. If the family terminates the contract without serious reasons or without adhering to the notice period, the au pair has a right to their pocket money and non-monetary benefits (or the corresponding amount of the non-monetary benefits until the end of the notice period or until the end of the contract). In such cases, the au pair also has the right to compensation for any damages caused by the unreasonable termination of the contract.  

An au pair stay in Switzerland generally lasts up to one year. Au pairs from EU or EFTA countries have the opportunity, under reasonable circumstances, to extend their au pair stay to a maximum of 24 months. Au pairs from other countries do not have the opportunity to extend their au pair stay.

Au pairs help with looking after the host family's children and taking care of light housework. Highly demanding tasks are not permitted, for example actually educating the children or being a language teacher/tutor of the children. Au pairs need to discuss their exact duties with the future host family far enough in advance and then put the exact agreements into the au pair contract.

For at least half of the au pair's working hours one of the host parents must also be present.

More information on the topic:

• What exactly are the responsibilities of an au pair?
• Using a schedule to organise au pair activities

In Switzerland, au pairs receive pocket money and non-monetary benefits as part of your compensation. These non-monetary benefits amount to 990 CHF. The amount of pocket money changes according to the age of the au pair and the canton in which they are au pairing. The amount is subject to the regulations in the canton and the amounts defined by the different associations in charge. Usually the amount is around 500 to 700 CHF per month.
If an au pair is unable to work, she or he is entitled to continued payment. Holidays and bank holidays are also paid. Withholding tax must be taken from the pocket money. The host family will have to submit an accounting form to the tax office in your canton.

More information on this topic:

• Is there extra pay for babysitting?

Au pairs receive free board and lodging in exchange for helping with light household tasks and looking after the children. The au pair is entitled to a personal room like any other family member.

More information on the topic:

• What should an au pair room look like?

In Switzerland, au pairs only work for half of the day and must not work more than 30 hours a week. Usually, that means they will work from Monday to Saturday. For at least half of the au pair's working hours one of the parents must also be present. The au pair's working schedule must allow time to take part in a language course.

More information on the topic:

• What are working hours and what is free time?
• How are public holidays handled?

Au pairs are entitled to at least one full day off per week. Depending on which canton the au pair is in, there may be other rules regarding free time.

The amount of holiday au pairs receive depends on their age. Up until their 20th year, au pairs receive 5 full weeks of holiday per year. Au pairs over 20 are entitled to 4 weeks annual holiday. The conditions can change depending on the canton in which the au pair is living. 

In Switzerland, there are no official regulations with regard to public holidays for au pairs. We recommend that au pairs have a day off on public holidays. Only in exceptional cases should au pairs work on public holidays. The host family should discuss this with their au pair beforehand.

More information on the topic:

• Family holidays and your au pair – What works best?
• Going on family holidays without the au pair - how to handle?

Au pairs who work in Switzerland have to attend a language course, according to which language is spoken where they are staying. For more information regarding who is in charge of the payment of the course, please contact directly the cantonal immigration and labour market authorities. If the au pair stay lasts a year the language course must consist of 120 hours (around 2-3 hours per week). Private instruction from an individual is only possible under special circumstances.

More information on this topic:

• Do au pairs have to attend a language course?
• Which language level do I need to become an au pair?

Au pairs are obligated to make social insurance contributions just like  other employed people in Switzerland. Usually, half of the social contributions will be paid by the au pair and half by the host family. To facilitate the payment of these contributions, the family must apply for an insurance certificate at the social insurance authorities. The contributions amount to 12.5% of the au pair's gross income no matter how much pocket money you receive in total. The contributions are for pension insurance, disability insurance, sick pay and unemployment insurance and are paid 50-50 by the au pair and the family. < are subject to contribution payments. 

During the au pair stay in Switzerland, au pairs also benefit from health insurance, accident insurance and pension insurance. The amount to be paid on a monthly basis depends on the insurance taken out and the coverage. At least half of the contributions will be paid by the host family. The contributions for occupational injury insurance are paid solely by the family.

More information on this topic:

• How should I be insured as an au pair?

In some cantons the host family is responsible for the travel costs of the au pairs. For more information, take a look at the cantonal labour market authorities.

Au pairs and host families should clarify in advance whether the au pair will be expected to drive a car as part of the au pair duties. If this is the case, then it must be checked if the au pair's driving licence is valid in Switzerland. The following points also should be clarified beforehand: What happens if the au pair has an accident? Who will pay for repairs and in what amount? Often it is possible for the family to extend their insurance to cover the au pair.

More information on this topic:

• Do au pairs really need a driving licence?