Caring for dependants

There are two different types of paid leave for employees who care for sick or elderly family members, or relatives with disabilities or reduced mobility.

Short vacation to care for relatives (3 days): According to the Download Personnel Ordinance (PDF, 1.4 MB) (Art. 52, German), up to 3 days per event will be credited to you as working time for the initial care and the organisation of further care of sick members of your own household or your family, if no other care possibility is available.

Long vacation and care allowance (up to 14 weeks): If you take time off work to care for a child whose health is seriously impaired due to illness or accident, you will be paid full wages and social allowances for a maximum of 14 weeks in accordance with the Download Personnel Ordinance (PDF, 1.4 MB) (Art. 37b, German). Both parents are entitled to a total of 14 weeks, which they can divide as they wish.

If you have any questions, please contact your HR consultant.

If you can organize your work flexibly, it is easier to combine caring for relatives and your job. As a modern employer, ETH Zurich offers progressive working conditions: part-time work, working from home options, and flexible working hours; if the operational requirements allow it. Unpaid vacations are also possible.

ETH Zurich recommends that you, as an employee, have an open discussion with your supervisor about your situation as a carer to clarify the following questions:

• What challenges do you face regarding your work?
• Do you need more flexibility on working hours? Can you estimate the amount of time you spend caring?
• Do you need to reduce your working hours, and if so, by how much?
• What possible implications could there be for the team and how could the work be changed or redistributed accordingly?

By sorting out these questions at an early stage, you have the chance to make suggestions to your supervisor and agree on appropriate measures.

If necessary, you can also involve your HR consultant.

Links

• Working remotely in Switzerland
• Unpaid vacation

The external page AHV/IV (Old-Age and Survivors’ Insurance/Disability Insurance) provides for a helplessness allowance for those receiving an old-age pension or external page supplementary benefit. If you have cared for a person of pensionable age for at least 12 consecutive months, you can apply for this external page helplessness allowance for them. It is not dependent on income or assets.

People who look after family members requiring care in their own household can apply for external page care credits (German) from the Compensation Office in the canton where they live. The credits enable carers to receive a higher pension.

The brochure external page Der Praktische Ratgeber (The Practical Adviser, German) published by the City of Zurich authorities describes the additional benefits available under AHV/IV in detail. For Basel and Lugano, the cantons of external page Basel-Stadt (German), external page Baselland (German) and external page Ticino (Italian) also offer further information.

Ask at your municipality what additional financial support services are available to you.

If you need advice or support, various specialist departments within and outside ETH will be happy to help you.

• HR consulting
  If you have any questions about employment, working hours, and legal matters, please feel free to contact your HR consultant.

• Counselling support to reconcile work, studies, and family life
  With a free coaching/consulting service, ETH Zurich supports employees and students in optimizing the balance between family, work, and studies. Parents with child(ren) or relatives requiring care can benefit from up to two coaching or consulting sequences at the UND specialist center (Kompetenzzentrum für die Umsetzung der Vereinbarkeit von Beruf und Familie/Privatleben). 

• Psychological Advice Centre (IAP) for postdocs and employees
  Postdocs and employees of ETH Zurich who need psychological support can contact the external Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). If emerging difficulties are recognised and addressed at an early stage, psychological and physical health can be improved in the long term.

• Psychological counselling services for students and doctoral students
  Professional counselling can help overcome difficult phases in life, troubles in studies, and conflicts arising during the course of doctoral study. With the external page counselling services for students and doctoral students you will receive effective support – also in the case of an acute crisis. The counselling service is open to all students and doctoral students at the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich.

• Advice center for life in old age (LiA)
  The external page LiA counseling center at the Center for Gerontology at the University of Zurich (UZH) offers psychosocial counselling for people and institutions who are confronted with questions about aging.
   

• National information platform info-workcare
  The national information platform external page info-workcare.ch (German) is a source of valuable information, tips and contact addresses on questions relating to caring for family members.

• Internet platform pflegesearch
  external page Pflegesearch.ch (German) provides patients and their relatives with information and services relating to care. It aims to strengthen the decision-making competence of people in need of care and their relatives. A search function allows care services in each region to be easily found, with offer such as home visiting services, meals on wheels, and holidays.

• Local authorities
  Local authorities (local municipal administration, social services, social welfare office etc.) offer various forms of support for caring for the elderly. Ask your local authority who you should contact. Some cantons offer this assistance via a special office for carers. external page Spitex Kantonalverbände (German)

• Pro Senectute
  external page Pro Senectute (German) advises senior citizens and their families on questions to do with finance, pensions, help with care, looking after senior citizens, and accommodation in old age. The advice is free and confidential.

• Pro Infirmis
  With its services, external page Pro Infirmis supports people with disabilities and their relatives in shaping their lives and participating in important areas of life, such as housing, work or leisure.
  
  
• Swiss Red Cross (SRK)
  The external page Swiss Red Cross (SRK) offers support services such as drivers, emergency hotlines, assistance with using public transport, visitors, and companions and courses on caring. There is a Red Cross office responsible for each canton.
  Information about the services of the SRK for external page relatives who are carers

• More useful links 
  • The external page Swiss Alzheimer's Association (German) is primarily for people with dementia, their family members, and other carers.
  • The website external page work & care brings together project results on the topic of reconciling employment and private care work.
  • external page Fragile Suisse (German) helps people with brain injuries to become more independent and supports their families.
  • external page heiminfo.ch (German) is a search engine for social institutions in Switzerland
  • external page Nursing homes with care places and old people’s homes in the canton of Zurich (German)
  • external page CareInfo is an information platform on the subject of care and support at home by 24-hour carers.
  • external page palliative zh+sh (German) deals with matters relating to palliative care and lists relevant points of contact by postcode.
  • external page Parkinson Schweiz (German) informs, supports, advises, and helps those affected by Parkinson’s, with the aim of helping them to achieve the best possible quality of life despite their illness.
  • external page Pro Infirmis (German) provides services to help people with disabilities and their families with daily living and participating in important areas of life, for example housing, work, and leisure.
  • external page Pro Mente Sana (German) advises people with mental illness and their family members on psychosocial and legal matters. The advice is provided free of charge by phone or email.
  • external page Swiss Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society (German) provides a dedicated service for the families of people affected by MS.
  • external page Procap (German) is the largest self-help organization by and for people with disabilities in Switzerland.
  • The Swiss Foundation external page cerebral (German) works to ensure that people with cerebral movement impairment and their families can lead as self-determined, mobile, and carefree lives as possible.
  • The external page Cancer League advises, supports and informs people with cancer and their families. It is specifically committed to the prevention and early detection of cancer and promotes independent cancer research.
    
  • The regional contact points external page REAS are aimed at people with multiple chronic illnesses and psychosocial problems.
  • The external page Schweizerischer Zentralverein für Blindenwesen is committed to ensuring that blind, deafblind, visually impaired and hearing-impaired people can live their everyday lives according to their abilities and as independently as possible.