Startup

Eine Frau nimmt Notizen vor einer Wand mit Post-Its.

What could be better than insurance that makes everything easy at the start?

One in three companies in Switzerland is insured with Zurich and relies on our expertise. Benefit from a 10% new entrepreneur discount for selected insurance solutions. And if you have taken out insurance at Zurich for loss of earnings due to illness or accident insurance, you can make use of a free employment law consultation by telephone.

Well insured as a new entrepreneur: Five steps to success

1. Get to know the risks of your sector

Every sector has its own specific risks – are you already familiar with them? Get an initial overview.

2. Set priorities

In the SME check, you can find out what insurance you are legally obliged to take out for your company, what you need in addition and what might also make sense.

3. Put together your individual package

Decide what protection your employees and you need right from the start and what can wait a little longer. This will give you a basis for putting together your own individual insurance package.

4. Benefit from personal advice

You'd prefer not to take this decision alone? Your corporate customer advisor would be pleased to help you and provide you with expert advice. They will visit your company or advise you via video conference or telephone.

5. Check your insurance coverage regularly

Review your insurance coverage once a year: Do you have new premises or new machinery or have you expanded your operations? Then normally you need additional coverage.

These insurances could be important for your start-up

Accident insurance

Insure your employees against accidents and work-related illnesses - in accordance with the Law on Accident Insurance (UVG).

A man looks out the window on which an office building is drawn and thinks about his occupational retirement provision.

Retirement Provisions

The compulsory retirement provisions (BVG) complements the benefits from AHV/IV - in retirement age, in the event of disability or death.

Commercial Liability Insurance

Commercial liability

Wherever work is done, mistakes can happen. Insure yourself in case any affected persons or organizations sue your company for damages.

Daily sickness allowance

This insurance pays out a daily allowance in cases of absences due to illness and replaces or contributes to your obligations as employer to continue providing salary payments.

Property insurance

Protect your valuable assets and profits from all types of damages – with a tailored insurance package.

Cyber Insurance

With adequate protection you are far better positioned to manage the fallout of a cyber attack – whether it is data loss, business interruption, or claims for damages from third parties.

Frequently asked questions

What types of mandatory insurance do companies need to have?

This essentially depends on the legal form.

In the case of legal entities (SA, SARL, association etc.), anyone on the company payroll is considered an employee, including the managing director. These companies are obliged to take out occupational retirement provision (pension fund) and accident insurance (LAI) for their employees.

Occupational retirement provision is mandatory for all employees who earn at least 21,330 Swiss francs.

Occupational accident cover is always compulsory as soon as employees with salaries subject to AHV contributions are employed. As soon as a salaried employee works more than eight hours per week, cover for non-occupational accidents is also compulsory.

Liability insurance is also mandatory for some activities and professions; for example, lawyers. However, there are other relevant factors.

Our SME-Check shows you which types of insurance are mandatory for your company and gives you recommendations for other important insurance types.

Is social security compulsory for self-employed persons or sole proprietor companies?

There is generally no compulsory insurance for a self-employed person or a sole proprietor company with no employees.

However, as soon as the company has employees, it is obliged to take out occupational retirement provision and accident insurance (LAI) for these employees (similar to other companies).

Good to know:
Even though there is no compulsory insurance for self-employed persons, the above-mentioned insurance policies are worthwhile, as they maintain the income and current living standards in the event of a short-term and long-term inability to work.

When must I take out insurance for daily sickness benefits?

Certain collective labour agreements oblige all companies in this sector to take out insurance for daily sickness benefits.

In other cases, this insurance is strongly recommended but not mandatory. As an employer, your company is legally obliged to continue to pay the wages of employees who are sick for a certain period of time. The duration for which the salary must be paid is regulated in the Swiss Code of Obligations (OR 324a) and is highly dependant on the length of employment.

Attractiveness as an employer is another important factor:
Companies with no insurance for daily sickness benefits are likely to be less attractive for employees because of the lower social benefits.

Do I also have to have a pension fund (BVG) and accident insurance if I am self-employed on a part-time basis?

If, as a self-employed person, you are employed by another employer for more than eight hours per week, you are insured by this employer against occupational and non-occupational accidents (LAI) and do not have to take out additional insurance for the self-employment. It is urgently recommended to do so, however, as the insurance cover provided by the employment relationship only relates to the medical expenses and the insured salary with this employer. There is no cover for the total income earned through self-employment, which can lead to considerable financial bottlenecks.

The same consideration applies to occupational retirement provision:
This is voluntary for self-employed, part-time work, but is nevertheless important because the salary from this work is otherwise not insured.

Which types of insurance are compulsory for start-ups?

Occupational retirement provision and accident insurance are mandatory for legal entities (SA, SARL and association).
Depending on the activity, inventory and canton, additional types of insurance are mandatory.

For an individual, free initial recommendation, please use the Zurich SME-Check.