Coronavirus - what is insured?

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Personal insurance - Information concerning the declaration process

The basis for the salary declaration is generally the part of the salary subject to OASI contributions. If the insured employee is paid no salary or a reduced salary due to short-time work, it is necessary to take account of what the employee would have earned had short-time work not been implemented. This means that the full contractually agreed salary has to be declared in all cases.

Effect on the salary declaration for Accident and Health

Short-time work
We draw compensation for short-time work for our employees.

General 
Companies that draw compensation for short-time work (80% of the salary) from the unemployment insurance (ALV) must pay the full statutory social security contributions (for 100% of the salary) as before.

The basis for calculating the contributions to the mandatory accident insurance (UVG), supplementary accident insurance (UVG-Z) and income replacement insurance due to illness is the contractually agreed salary (for 100% of the salary).

Reduction of accrued overtime 
Under the COVID-19 regulations on unemployment insurance (ALV), employees had to reduce their accrued overtime before they could benefit from compensation for short-time work. This does not apply anymore since April 1st, 2022. As before, the statutory social security contributions will be paid in full, i.e. for 100% of the salary or hours worked.

Maternity
During short-time work, compensation for loss of earnings due to illness, accident or maternity shall be paid by the relevant social or private insurance sectors or must be paid by the employer and may not be settled via short-time work. Birth benefits from the income replacement insurance due to illness are exempt from the OASI obligation and do not count towards the salary subject to premiums. Maternity benefits under the Income Replacement Law (EOG) are part of the salary subject to OASI contributions (AHV), but are exempt from the obligation to pay premiums. Consequently, within the scope of the insurance benefits, no contributions have to be paid for these employees' mandatory accident insurance (UVG), supplementary accident insurance (UVG-Z) and income replacement insurance due to illness (KTG).

Persons mentioned by name
I am co-insured with a preset income (e.g. as a company owner or shareholder). However, due to the “shutdown” I have earned little or nothing.

A retroactive downward adjustment of the preset income is not possible, as Zurich has already covered the insured risk, i.e. in the event of illness the daily allowance would have been paid in the amount of the contractually agreed income.

If your income situation does not change, we recommend that you adjust the preset salary.

Persons in a position similar to an employer

People in a position similar to that of an employer (e.g. owners of a GmbH or AG or partners) shall declare their usual salary for the given profession and location in the salary declaration for mandatory accident insurance (UVG). If the AHV salary is higher than the salary for the given profession and location, the difference between the AHV salary and the salary for the given profession and location must also be declared. This also applies to the supplementary accident insurance (UVG-Z) and income replacement insurance due to illness (KTG) as far as no fixed salary amount has been agreed.

Employees have fallen ill with COVID-19
Employees of our company have fallen ill with COVID-19.

  1. Within the waiting period
    For illnesses or accidents that lead to absences within the contractually agreed waiting period, the employer is obliged to continue to pay the employee their contractually agreed salary in accordance with Art. 324a Swiss Code of Obligations (CO). Consequently, this forms the basis for the contributions to the mandatory accident insurance (UVG), supplementary accident insurance (UVG-Z) and income replacement insurance due to illness (KTG). 
  2. After expiry of the waiting period 
    Daily sickness benefits paid by Zurich after the contractually agreed waiting period has expired are exempt from the OASI obligation and are therefore not included in the salary subject to premiums. Consequently, no contributions have to be paid for these employees' mandatory accident insurance (UVG), supplementary accident insurance (UVG-Z) and income replacement insurance due to illness (KTG).

Employees in quarantine
Employees of our company are or were in quarantine and cannot/could no longer perform their work (working from home excluded), which led to a loss of salary.

Medically ordered
Anyone who has to go into quarantine by order of a doctor or an authority is entitled to the state Corona-specific compensation for loss of income according to the Income Replacement Law (EOG) - if they are unable to work from home. This Corona compensation is part of the AHV relevant salary (income on which AHV contribution is based). However, for the mandatory accident insurance (UVG), this compensation does not have to be declared as income on which premium is payable. Therefore it can be deducted from the AHV relevant salary for the salary declaration. This also applies to the supplementary accident insurance (UVG-Z) as well as the income replacement insurance due to illness (KTG).

Due to a trip to a high-risk area - This measure was cancelled as of May 2nd, 2022.
Anyone who traveled to a high-risk area and had to go into quarantine after returning to Switzerland was generally not entitled to corona-specific compensation for loss of income according to the Income Replacement Law (EOG). Consequently, only the reduced salary must be taken into account for the contributions to the mandatory accident insurance (UVG), supplementary accident insurance (UVG-Z) and income replacement insurance due to illness (KTG) However, you were entitled to a compensation if you had to go into quarantine through no fault of your own; that is, if your destination was not on the list of high-risk areas and you could not have known from an official announcement that the destination will be placed on this list during the trip. The Federal Office of Public Health (BAG) maintained this list, which was regularly adjusted.

Due to childcare
If the planned child care solution was not available due to the coronavirus, the parents were entitled to compensation. This Corona compensation is part of the AHV relevant salary (income on which AHV contribution is based). However, for the mandatory accident insurance (UVG), this compensation does not have to be declared as income on which premium is payable. Therefore it can be deducted from the AHV relevant salary for the salary declaration. This also applies to the supplementary accident insurance (UVG-Z) as well as the income replacement insurance due to illness (KTG).

Voluntary quarantine
Anyone who went into quarantine voluntarily, without being ordered to do so by an authority or doctor did not receive state corona-specific compensation for loss of income. Consequently, only the reduced salary must be taken into account for the contributions to the compulsory accident insurance (UVG), supplementary accident insurance (UVG-Z) income replacement insurance due to illness (KTG).

Frequently asked questions

Daily Sickness Benefits

As a company, am I insured if several employees cannot work because of the coronavirus?

Companies that hold a daily sickness benefit insurance policy whose employees fall ill with the coronavirus are entitled to benefit under their insurance contract, as with other diseases. Benefits are not payable under a daily sickness benefit policy for healthy employees who do not work on site due to the coronavirus, pursuant to an official order, for example.

Accident insurance

What benefits can I claim if my employees become infected with the coronavirus as a result of their work in a hospital, laboratory or research institute?

In such cases, we will consult the Swiss Federal Law on Accident Insurance (LAI) to check whether this can be considered an occupational illness.

Property Insurance

Am I insured, if I have to close my business because of an official order?

The consequences of a pandemic cannot generally be included in property insurance because pandemics do not count as calculable risks.

Occupational retirement provision

Employees of mine have contracted the coronavirus. How are they insured within the framework of the BVG occupational retirement provision?

The occupational retirement provision also provides insurance coverage in the event of pandemics. This means that your employees are insured for disability or death due to coronavirus. This applies both to the Vita Joint Foundations and to all types of reinsurance for pension funds.

Event of a loss

In the event of a loss, the easiest way to contact us is online or directly:

In emergencies, you can also call us on 0800 80 80 80.

Information for private customersInformation for Vita customers