The short answer
Salary payable during sickness is determined by employment law, the employment contract and any applicable collective employment agreement or standard employment contract. The sickness daily allowance insurance contract is a separate document, which may meet all or part of this cost subject to its terms. For an absence, organise notification, track dates and incapacity rates, then reconcile payroll and benefit statements.
Two obligations that must not be confused
The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) explains that employers must continue paying salary for a limited period when an employee is prevented from working through no fault of their own, and that an insurance arrangement may replace this obligation if it is at least equivalent overall. The employment contract, collective employment agreement or standard employment contract may provide for more. Your sickness daily allowance insurance policy sets out its own terms: waiting period, duration, benefit rate and insured persons.
Before any absence occurs, establish which provisions apply to each group of employees, and whether the sickness daily allowance insurance contract is governed by the Insurance Contract Act (VVG/LCA) or the Health Insurance Act (KVG/LAMal): the procedural and transfer rules differ.
Notify and monitor
Designate who receives medical certificates and who notifies the insurer of the claim within the period specified in the policy. Keep a simple record: date of the first day, degree of incapacity for each period, and planned or actual return date. Changes in the degree of incapacity are the main source of discrepancies between payroll and benefits.
Reconcile payroll and benefit statements
When benefits are paid to the employer, reconcile each benefit statement with the salaries paid for the same period. Check the treatment of social insurance contributions and how the amounts appear on the payslip. An unexplained discrepancy is easier to resolve in the same month than six months later.
Anticipate transitions
A prolonged absence raises further questions: expiry of contractual benefit entitlements, coordination with invalidity insurance (IV/AI), leaving the company, and relapse after returning to work. These topics are covered in our guides on long-term absences, sickness daily allowance insurance clauses and relapse; identify them early enough to avoid discovering them only when a deadline arrives.
Frequently asked questions
Does sickness daily allowance insurance always replace the obligation to pay salary?
Only if the arrangement is at least equivalent overall and the agreed conditions are met. Otherwise, the rules under employment law and the contract continue to apply.
Who should receive the medical certificate?
The employer, in accordance with internal rules and the employment contract. Detailed medical information remains restricted to the insurer's authorised contacts.
What should we do if the degree of incapacity changes during the month?
Record the exact date of the change and forward the new certificate. Then check that the dates, benefit statements and payroll are consistent, applying the salary continuation rules applicable to the employee.