Unemployment: when will I be paid?

Unemployment: when will I be paid?

"Several people have been made redundant in my company and I'm very much afraid that I'm next on the list. I've never been unemployed and I've been told that there's a risk that I won't receive unemployment benefits straight away. Is this true?"

Anouchka, Geneva

In the event of loss of employment or a reduction in working hours, insured persons may receive benefits in the form of daily allowances from the compulsory unemployment insurance scheme.

The Unemployment Fund determines entitlement to benefits on the basis of the conditions set out in the Federal Law on Compulsory Unemployment Insurance and Compensation in the Event of Insolvency. In principle, only persons domiciled in Switzerland and of Swiss nationality, or in possession of a valid residence permit, are entitled to benefits. In addition, they must be unemployed or partially unemployed, i.e. they must be looking for full-time work and be prepared to accept suitable work and participate in integration measures. Finally, the insured person must have completed compulsory education and have been gainfully employed with unemployment insurance contributions for at least 12 months. It should be pointed out that, in certain special cases, a person who does not meet all of the above conditions may nevertheless receive benefits; this is the case in particular for young people who are unable to find their first job after completing their studies and who can therefore be released from the minimum contribution period.

The duration of the benefit depends on the periods during which the insured person has paid contributions to the Unemployment Office. The age and personal situation of the beneficiary will also be taken into account when calculating the number of benefits. In all cases, benefits are granted for a maximum period of 2 years.

The amount of unemployment benefit is generally calculated on the average of the last 6 months' salary, up to a maximum of CHF 10,500. In principle, unemployment benefit corresponds to 80% of this salary. However, the percentage is reduced to 70% in certain cases, in particular if the insured has no obligation to support children under the age of 25.

Finally, you should know that in order to receive benefits from the Unemployment Fund, you must register no later than the first day following the end of your employment relationship. If you register late, you will automatically be penalised. It should be noted that your entitlement to benefit will not normally start until after a waiting period of between 5 and 120 days, depending on your situation and the circumstances of your dismissal.