NVBIndependent insurance advice

For SMEs, trades & the self-employed

Insurance for your SME – UVG, BVG, daily allowance & business

As an employer, you must insure your employees against accidents and enrol them in a pension fund – and loss of salary due to illness can quickly overwhelm a small business. We explain clearly what each insurance is for, obtain quotes from several insurers and compare them neutrally.

Request a quote What is what?

Part 1

Personal and social insurance for your employees

These insurances protect your employees – and protect you as an employer against costly continued salary payments. The premium is almost always based on the AHV (old-age and survivors’ insurance) payroll.

Compulsory

Accident insurance (UVG)

Federal Act on Accident Insurance

Every employer in Switzerland must insure its employees against occupational accidents and occupational diseases. Anyone who works at least 8 hours a week for the same employer is also insured against non-occupational accidents (leisure time).

  • Treatment costs in the general ward, with no deductible or co-payment
  • Daily accident allowance: 80 % of the insured salary from the 3rd day after the accident
  • Disability and survivors’ pensions as well as compensation for impairment to integrity
  • The employer pays the occupational accident premium; the non-occupational accident premium may be deducted from the salary

Good to know: Many sectors (e.g. construction, industry, trades using machinery) are insured with Suva by law – there, the UVG insurer cannot be chosen freely, but the supplementary insurance can. The self-employed are not insured compulsorily and can take out insurance voluntarily.

Compulsory

Daily accident allowance

Salary replacement after an accident

The daily accident allowance is part of the compulsory UVG insurance. It replaces the salary as long as a person is fully or partially unable to work after an accident.

  • Day of the accident and the following two days: continued salary payment by the employer (at least 80 %)
  • From the 3rd day: 80 % of the insured salary paid by the UVG insurer
  • The salary is insured up to the statutory UVG maximum
  • With supplementary UVG insurance, the daily allowance can be increased to up to 100 %

Good to know: For owners of a sole proprietorship, the UVG does not apply automatically. Without voluntary UVG insurance, accidents are only covered by the health insurer – and there is no daily allowance there.

Optional

Supplementary accident insurance (UVG-Z)

Supplement to compulsory accident insurance

Supplementary UVG insurance closes the gaps in the compulsory cover – particularly important for management and well-paid employees, and an attractive additional benefit for your staff.

  • Insurance of salary portions above the UVG maximum
  • Daily allowance of up to 100 % instead of 80 % of salary
  • Treatment costs in the semi-private or private hospital ward
  • Higher benefits in the event of disability and death

Good to know: You can take out the supplementary insurance with a different insurer than the compulsory UVG insurance – even if your business is insured with Suva.

Compulsory

Occupational pension (BVG)

2nd pillar / pension fund

Employees whose annual salary exceeds the statutory entry threshold must be enrolled in a pension institution (pension fund or collective foundation). Contributions are shared between employer and employees – the employer pays at least half.

  • Risk cover for disability and death from 1 January after the 17th birthday
  • Retirement savings from 1 January after the 24th birthday
  • Choice between the BVG minimum, an all-in (extra-mandatory) solution and management plans
  • Full insurance (maximum security) or semi-autonomous collective foundation (greater return potential)

Good to know: Employers not affiliated with any pension institution are assigned to the substitute pension institution (Auffangeinrichtung). The self-employed without staff can insure themselves voluntarily – often attractive for tax purposes.

Strongly recommended

Daily sickness allowance (KTG)

Loss-of-earnings insurance in case of illness

If an employee falls ill, you must continue to pay their salary for a limited period under the Swiss Code of Obligations (Art. 324a OR). A collective daily sickness allowance insurance takes over this risk and usually pays 80 % of the salary for around two years (720 or 730 days).

  • Not compulsory by law – but many collective labour agreements (GAV) require it
  • Choice of waiting period (e.g. 14, 30, 60 or 90 days): the longer, the cheaper
  • Cover of 80 % or 100 % of salary
  • Protects your SME against long continued salary payments in case of prolonged illness

Good to know: For the insurance to replace the statutory continued salary payment, it must be equivalent – among other things, the employer pays at least half of the premium. During the waiting period, you pay the salary yourself.

Part 2

Insurance for your business

Liability, contents and IT: these insurances protect the company itself. Most SMEs request them as a package – in the form, you can select everything at once.

Strongly recommended

Business liability insurance

Damage your business causes to third parties

Covers personal injury and property damage that you or your employees cause to customers or third parties, and defends against unjustified claims.

  • Usual limits of indemnity: CHF 3, 5 or 10 million
  • Important: work on third-party premises, exports (especially USA/Canada), pure financial losses
  • The premium depends on the sector, turnover and number of employees

Good to know: Not required by law, but often demanded by clients, landlords or professional associations.

Strongly recommended

Property, contents and business interruption

Furnishings, machinery, goods and loss of income

Insures your contents (office furniture, IT, tools, machinery, stock) at replacement value against fire and natural hazards, theft, water and glass breakage. Business interruption insurance compensates for loss of income if work cannot continue after property damage.

  • Sum insured at replacement value – otherwise you risk underinsurance
  • Indemnity period for business interruption usually 12 or 24 months
  • An alarm system, sprinklers or a safe can reduce the premium

Good to know: In most cantons, the building itself is insured with the cantonal building insurance. If you rent the premises, you only insure your contents.

Optional

Cyber insurance

Hacker attacks, data loss, extortion

Covers the costs after a cyberattack: data recovery, IT forensics, business interruption, crisis communication and third-party claims, e.g. after a data protection breach.

  • Own losses and liability claims in one contract
  • 24h emergency hotline with IT specialists, depending on the provider
  • Insurers ask about your IT security measures

Good to know: Without basic protection such as regular backups and two-factor authentication (2FA), many insurers decline or reduce benefits.

Tip: upload documents instead of typing

You don’t have all the payroll figures and details to hand? No problem. Simply upload your documents in the form – this saves you most of the typing, and insurers immediately receive reliable figures for a binding quote.

  • Current policy (or policies) and latest premium invoice
  • Latest payroll declaration (UVG/KTG) or payslip
  • Staff list with date of birth and annual salary (for BVG)
  • Income statement or annual financial statements

Quote request for companies

Your SME request

Select the insurances you want – the form only shows you the questions needed for them. We check your details, obtain quotes from several insurers and get back to you personally.

Fields marked with * are required.

1

Which insurances would you like to request?

Multiple selection possible. The relevant questions appear depending on your selection.

2

Company details

Business identification number, e.g. CHE-123.456.789 – available on uid.admin.ch or zefix.ch.

Number of employees
3

Contact person

Upload documents (optional)

Upload your current policy, latest payroll declaration, a staff list or the income statement (PDF or photo) – this saves you a lot of typing and insurers receive reliable figures.