Coronavirus: compensation for reduced working hours for on-call workers

Bern, 28.10.2020 - On October 28, 2020, the Federal Council amended the Covid-19 unemployment insurance ordinance. With this change, the right to compensation for reduced working hours is granted to on-call workers who have an indefinite contract. The change comes into effect retroactively on September 1, 2020.

On September 25, 2020, parliament decided to supplement the Covid-19 law in order to grant on-call workers who have an indefinite employment contract a right to compensation in the event of a reduction in working hours ( compensation in the event of RHT). It gave the Federal Council the power to regulate the entitlement and payment of compensation in the event of RHT for this category of persons. With the amendment of October 28, 2020 of the Covid-19 unemployment insurance ordinance, the Federal Council made use of this competence and responded to the will of Parliament after consulting the social partners and the cantons.

This regulation provides for a right to compensation in the event of RHT in favor of on-call workers who have an indefinite employment contract and who have been working in the company for at least six months. The modification comes into force retroactively on September 1, 2020. The rights of this category of workers have thus been guaranteed without interruption since March 2020. It is limited to June 30, 2021.