As an employee, you are compulsorily insured against occupational accidents through your employer. This is stipulated by the Accident Insurance Act (UVG) in Art. 1a para. 1 lit. a. Non-occupational accidents are also covered by the insurance, provided you work an average of at least eight hours per week for the same employer. Contributions for occupational accident insurance must be paid by the employer, while non-occupational accident insurance contributions can be deducted from the employee’s salary. If you are self-employed, you can voluntarily take out UVG insurance. Even if the employer does not take out accident insurance for its employees, they are still insured. However, in this case the employer must pay a so-called substitute premium in accordance with Art. 95 UVG.
Anyone who is not gainfully employed must insure themselves against accidents through their health insurance. The same applies to self-employed persons if they do not take out voluntary insurance under the UVG. However, unemployed persons are not considered to be economically inactive; they are compulsorily insured against accidents with Suva through unemployment insurance (Art. 1a para. 1 lit. b UVG).
It must be said that accident insurance via the employer offers better cover than that via the health insurance fund. This is because the UVG insurer not only covers medical costs, but also additional daily allowances in the event of temporary incapacity to work or pensions for disabled persons or survivors. In addition, UVG-insured persons do not have to contribute to accident-related treatment costs. If, on the other hand, you are insured through your health insurer, you will still have to pay a deductible and excess after an accident – and therefore incur your own costs.
The daily benefits paid by the UVG insurance amount to 80% of the insured earnings from the third day after the accident. The maximum amount of insured earnings is CHF 148,200 per year and CHF 406 per day. Employers must cover at least 80% of the loss of earnings until the insurance has been processed (Art. 324b para. 3 CO). Anyone earning more must be paid at least 80% of their salary by the employer even after the waiting period (Art. 324b para. 2 CO).
If you have any questions about social security law, our lawyers will be happy to advise you.