Yes, if your employee has a non-terminated employment contract (limited or unlimited) with you.
Short-time work can be applied for if the employer can prove that the corona virus causes a loss of working hours for the employee (e.g. due to a drop in sales or ordered closure of the business). This justification is part of the application for short-time work.
However, from the point of view of quitt. it is hardly possible in the case of private domestic helpers to justify a reduction in working hours with the corona virus. The fear of a mutual infection of employee and employer does not entitle the employer to reduce or cancel the work assignment and is therefore not a sufficient reason to apply for short-time work compensation. Only if the work cannot be performed due to an official instruction, e.g. due to a strict ban on going out, the employer should be entitled to short-time compensation.
quitt. cannot answer the question of whether you as an employer are entitled to compensation for short-time work and unfortunately, we cannot advise you on this either.
Please find below a summary of what you need to consider when applying for compensation for short-time work:
- You must prove in the application that there is a loss of working hours for the employee due to the corona virus
- the employee must agree to short-time work in writing to the employer
- You must provide the authorities with proof of the employee’s working hours before and after the start of short-time work (e.g. Excel list)
- The waiting period for applying for short-time work has been cancelled, thus eliminating any participation by employers
- it takes about 4-6 weeks until the authorities will decide on your application (during this time you are still obliged to pay the salary yourself)
- if the authorities decide positively, you must report the actual working hours of your employee to the authorities on a monthly basis for examination
- if the decision is positive, the unemployment insurance will pay 80% of the lost wages and the corresponding social contributions
You will find the necessary form to apply for short-time work compensation here: https://www.seco.admin.ch/seco/de/home/Arbeit/Arbeitslosenversicherung/leistungen/kurzarbeitsentschaedigung.html
You submit your application to the relevant cantonal employment office: https://www.arbeit.swiss/secoalv/en/home/menue/institutionen-medien/adressen—kontakte.html