Advertisement

Covid-19 vaccines For Members

Can you call in sick with vaccine side effects in Switzerland?

The Local
The Local - [email protected]
Can you call in sick with vaccine side effects in Switzerland?
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Employees in Switzerland are not allowed to take sick days for voluntary medical procedures - but what about side effects from the Covid vaccination?

Advertisement

Switzerland has repeatedly reaffirmed its position that the Covid vaccine is and will remain voluntary. 

Under Swiss labour law however, people are not entitled to take time off sick for medical procedures which are voluntary. 

Switzerland’s SRF news outlet reports that some employers are refusing to sign off on people’s sick days if they take place as a result of vaccination - and have encouraged them to use their vacation days instead. 

Advertisement

According to legal experts, employers are not allowed to do this as vaccination is in the public interest. 

This means people who get vaccinated and experience side effects are not “culpable” for their incapacity to work. 

Therefore, anyone who is sick as a result of vaccine side effects can use their sick days.

READ MORE: What are the most common side effects of the Covid-19 vaccine in Switzerland?

Legal expert Gabriela Baumgartner told SRF, employees are “entitled to continued payment of wages for the days on which they were sick”. 

While employers are therefore required to pay you for your days off, they can demand evidence of vaccination such as a medical certificate in order to prove that you have undergone the procedure and/or that you are ill as a result. 

Generally speaking, employers can ask for a medical certificate from the third day of sick leave - although this will differ depending on the terms of the collective agreement. 

Workers in Switzerland generally receive 80 percent of their wages when taking sick leave and can take a maximum of 720 days. 

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also