The new Federal law on improving reconciliation between professional activities and assuming the care of family members comes into force in two stages in 2021. The first, valid as of 1 January, provides for paid leave in the case of a short leave of absence from a professional activity to take care of a family member. The second, which will be applicable as of 1 July, provides for a paid leave of absence for an employee whose child is seriously ill or has been the victim of an accident. Explanations.
As of 1 January, employees are entitled to a paid leave of absence to assume the care of a member of their family or their partner who is ill or has been the victim of an accident. This covers the parents, children, brothers and sisters, parents-in-law and the spouse or partner with whom the employee has shared a household for at least five years.
The right to AVS care credits is extended to enable more people with handicaps to live independently in their own homes. With the new law, family caregivers will be able to receive these credits even if the person requiring care has the right to benefits for a minor disability. Furthermore, if a child is hospitalised for more than one month, a supplement for intensive care and the AI allowance for disability continue to be paid, on condition that the parents’ presence at the hospital remains necessary.
As of 1 July, an employee who must leave their gainful employment to take care of a child who is seriously ill or who has been the victim of an accident may be entitled to a paid leave of absence.
With an aging population, the assistance and care provided by relatives to their family members will become ever more important in the future. However, it is difficult to reconcile caregiving with a professional activity. Prior to the adoption of this law, approximately two thirds of companies granted partially remunerated short leave to provide care for a relative. As regards children suffering from a long illness, parents often had no choice other than to request unpaid leave or to stop working for a period of time. Every year some 4,500 families were confronted with this dilemma. These new legislative provisions are therefore a step in the right direction.
Sources :
Fédération des Entreprises Romandes – www.fer-ge.ch Federal Social Insurance Office – www.ofas.ch
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