compare_cantons

The same hourly wage and weekly hours computed in all 26 Swiss cantons: monthly employer cost, net wage, family allowance fund rate, admin fee and the canton's minimum wage, ranked. Use it for 'where is it cheapest', 'how much does the canton matter' or a table for several cantons.

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Argument	Type	Description
sort_by	string	Sort the 26 cantons by monthly employer cost (ascending) or by the worker's net wage (descending).
language	string	Language of the explanatory texts and of the clino.ch links: en, de, fr, it, es or pt. Default en.
wage_is_net	boolean	true if the agreed hourly wage is what the worker receives in hand (net). The gross wage is then worked out from it. Default false (gross).
hours_per_week*	number	Average working hours per week with this household (e.g. 4).
vacation_weeks	integer	Paid vacation weeks per year: 4 (legal minimum), 5 (under age 20) or 6. Default 4.
hourly_wage_chf*	number	Agreed hourly wage in CHF, before the vacation supplement (e.g. 30).

Input schema (JSON)

{
  "type": "object",
  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
  "required": [
    "hourly_wage_chf",
    "hours_per_week"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "sort_by": {
      "enum": [
        "employer_cost",
        "net_wage"
      ],
      "type": "string",
      "default": "employer_cost",
      "description": "Sort the 26 cantons by monthly employer cost (ascending) or by the worker's net wage (descending)."
    },
    "language": {
      "enum": [
        "en",
        "de",
        "fr",
        "it",
        "es",
        "pt"
      ],
      "type": "string",
      "default": "en",
      "description": "Language of the explanatory texts and of the clino.ch links: en, de, fr, it, es or pt. Default en."
    },
    "wage_is_net": {
      "type": "boolean",
      "default": false,
      "description": "true if the agreed hourly wage is what the worker receives in hand (net). The gross wage is then worked out from it. Default false (gross)."
    },
    "hours_per_week": {
      "type": "number",
      "maximum": 70,
      "description": "Average working hours per week with this household (e.g. 4).",
      "exclusiveMinimum": 0
    },
    "vacation_weeks": {
      "type": "integer",
      "default": 4,
      "maximum": 6,
      "minimum": 4,
      "description": "Paid vacation weeks per year: 4 (legal minimum), 5 (under age 20) or 6. Default 4."
    },
    "hourly_wage_chf": {
      "type": "number",
      "maximum": 500,
      "description": "Agreed hourly wage in CHF, before the vacation supplement (e.g. 30).",
      "exclusiveMinimum": 0
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false
}

estimate_employer_cost

Monthly and annual cost of employing a cleaner, nanny, babysitter or carer in a Swiss private household, and the worker's net wage: gross wage, vacation supplement, every employee deduction (AHV/IV/EO, unemployment, accident insurance, withholding tax, BVG) and every employer contribution (incl. the canton's family allowance fund and the compensation office's admin fee). Uses the same engine as Clino's public calculator. Picks the simplified or ordinary procedure from the annual wage. Canton = where the household lives.

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Argument	Type	Description
canton*	string	Swiss canton: two-letter code (ZH, BE, GE, VD, TI...) or its name in German, French, Italian or English (Zürich, Genève, Ticino, Basel-Stadt). For employer contributions this is the canton where the household lives.
language	string	Language of the explanatory texts and of the clino.ch links: en, de, fr, it, es or pt. Default en.
skill_level	string	Qualification of the worker, which sets the federal NAV wage tier: unskilled; experienced (4+ years in household work); eba (2-year federal vocational certificate); efz (3-year federal vocational diploma).
wage_is_net	boolean	true if the agreed hourly wage is what the worker receives in hand (net). The gross wage is then worked out from it. Default false (gross).
hours_per_week*	number	Average working hours per week with this household (e.g. 4).

fetch

The full text of one document returned by search (canton/ZH, guide/de, source/nav-ungelernt...), with its clino.ch or official URL to cite.

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Argument	Type	Description
id*	string	A document id returned by search, e.g. canton/ZH, guide/en or source/nav-ungelernt.

Input schema (JSON)

{
  "type": "object",
  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
  "required": [
    "id"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "id": {
      "type": "string",
      "maxLength": 80,
      "minLength": 1,
      "description": "A document id returned by search, e.g. canton/ZH, guide/en or source/nav-ungelernt."
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false
}

get_canton_rules

Everything canton-specific for a private household employer: the compensation office (name, contact, portal), how and by when to register, contribution rates with their official sources, family allowances, minimum wage, sick pay in the first year, whether daily sickness allowance insurance (KTG) is mandatory, withholding tax, childcare tax deduction and the penalty for not registering.

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Argument	Type	Description
canton*	string	Swiss canton: two-letter code (ZH, BE, GE, VD, TI...) or its name in German, French, Italian or English (Zürich, Genève, Ticino, Basel-Stadt). For employer contributions this is the canton where the household lives.
language	string	Language of the explanatory texts and of the clino.ch links: en, de, fr, it, es or pt. Default en.

Input schema (JSON)

{
  "type": "object",
  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
  "required": [
    "canton"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "canton": {
      "type": "string",
      "maxLength": 40,
      "minLength": 2,
      "description": "Swiss canton: two-letter code (ZH, BE, GE, VD, TI...) or its name in German, French, Italian or English (Zürich, Genève, Ticino, Basel-Stadt). For employer contributions this is the canton where the household lives."
    },
    "language": {
      "enum": [
        "en",
        "de",
        "fr",
        "it",
        "es",
        "pt"
      ],
      "type": "string",
      "default": "en",
      "description": "Language of the explanatory texts and of the clino.ch links: en, de, fr, it, es or pt. Default en."
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false
}

get_contract_terms

What the employment contract of a cleaner, nanny, carer or au pair in a Swiss private household has to say in one canton, from the canton's standard employment contract for household work (NAV / CTT / CNL) and the Code of Obligations: probation and its notice, notice after probation by service year, paid vacation weeks (by age), full-time week, overtime, night and Sunday supplements, paid public holidays, 13th month wage, hours register, maternity leave and sick pay in the first year. Every term carries its article and the instrument's verbatim sentence, and whether a written contract may deviate. Also what must be confirmed in writing (Art. 330b OR) and a link to Clino's free contract generator, prefilled with the figures given. Use it for 'write me an employment contract', 'what notice period applies', 'how many weeks of vacation', 'is overtime paid extra'.

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Argument	Type	Description
role	string	What the worker does: cleaner, nanny (childcare), carer (care of an elderly or disabled person), au_pair or other. Sets which contract generator the link opens; au_pair in Geneva adds the au pair contract's own rules.
canton*	string	Swiss canton where the household lives: two-letter code (ZH, GE, VD...) or its name. The standard employment contract (NAV/CTT) of the WORKPLACE governs; that is this canton unless workplace_postcode places the work in another one.
language	string	Language of the explanatory texts and of the clino.ch links: en, de, fr, it, es or pt. Default en.
lives_in	boolean	true if the worker lives in the household (board and lodging). Neuchâtel's standard contract only covers live-in staff, and Vaud gives them a longer notice.

get_employer_guide

Clino's one-page fact sheet for private households, as Markdown, in six languages: when the duties apply (from the first franc), which contributions are due and who pays them, the simplified procedure and its ceiling, minimum wage and working conditions, what happens without registration, and the six steps. Optionally adds one canton's registration route. Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0.

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Argument	Type	Description
canton	string	Optional canton: adds the canton's compensation office and registration route to the checklist.
language	string	Language of the explanatory texts and of the clino.ch links: en, de, fr, it, es or pt. Default en.

Input schema (JSON)

{
  "type": "object",
  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
  "properties": {
    "canton": {
      "type": "string",
      "maxLength": 40,
      "minLength": 2,
      "description": "Optional canton: adds the canton's compensation office and registration route to the checklist."
    },
    "language": {
      "enum": [
        "en",
        "de",
        "fr",
        "it",
        "es",
        "pt"
      ],
      "type": "string",
      "default": "en",
      "description": "Language of the explanatory texts and of the clino.ch links: en, de, fr, it, es or pt. Default en."
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false
}

get_employment_package

Everything a Swiss private household needs to employ a cleaner, nanny or carer legally, in one call, from the canton, the weekly hours and the gross hourly wage: the employment plan grouped by deadline (before the first working day, in the first month, every year) with real dates when a start date is given; the monthly and annual employer cost and the worker's net wage with every deduction and contribution; the minimum-wage check at the workplace; the terms the employment contract must contain under the canton's standard employment contract (probation, notice, vacation weeks, supplements, public holidays, 13th month, sick pay), each with its article; the official sources and prefilled clino.ch links (contract generator, calculator, canton guide). Use it when the user wants the complete package or a file to keep; for one question (only the cost, only the minimum wage, only the contract) the single tools answer faster. The output keys are fixed. The workplace must be in the household's canton.

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Argument	Type	Description
role	string	What the worker does: cleaner (household help), nanny (childcare, babysitter), carer (care of an elderly or disabled person) or other. Sets which contract template and guide the links open.
canton*	string	Swiss canton: two-letter code (ZH, BE, GE, VD, TI...) or its name in German, French, Italian or English (Zürich, Genève, Ticino, Basel-Stadt). For employer contributions this is the canton where the household lives.
language	string	Language of the explanatory texts and of the clino.ch links: en, de, fr, it, es or pt. Default en.
start_date

get_hiring_checklist

Everything a Swiss household has to do to employ a cleaner, nanny or carer legally, for its own case, in one call: the six steps of Clino's fact sheet in the user's language with real due dates when a start date is given (contract, registration with the compensation office within 30 days, accident insurance from day one, monthly payslip, annual declaration by 30 January, pension fund above the BVG threshold), the canton's sickness-insurance duty with its carve-outs, a minimum-wage check at the workplace, the monthly employer cost and net wage, and prefilled links to a contract template and the calculator. Use it first for 'I want to hire...' questions.

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Argument	Type	Description
role	string	What the worker does: cleaner (household help), nanny (childcare, babysitter), carer (care of an elderly or disabled person) or other. Sets which contract template and guide the links open.
canton*	string	Swiss canton: two-letter code (ZH, BE, GE, VD, TI...) or its name in German, French, Italian or English (Zürich, Genève, Ticino, Basel-Stadt). For employer contributions this is the canton where the household lives.
language	string	Language of the explanatory texts and of the clino.ch links: en, de, fr, it, es or pt. Default en.
start_date	string	First working day, YYYY-MM-DD. With it the checklist gives real dates: registration deadline, first payslip, annual declaration.
skill_level	string

get_minimum_wage

The legal gross hourly minimum wage for household work (cleaning, childcare, care) at a Swiss workplace: federal NAV tiers by qualification, cantonal minimum wages (GE, NE, JU, TI, BS), city minimum wages (Stadt Luzern in force; Zürich and Winterthur voted, not yet in force) and the rule below 5 hours a week. Give the workplace postcode for the exact answer, or a canton.

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Argument	Type	Description
canton	string	Canton, if no postcode is known. A postcode is better: some cities have their own minimum wage.
language	string	Language of the explanatory texts and of the clino.ch links: en, de, fr, it, es or pt. Default en.
postcode	string	4-digit Swiss postcode (PLZ/NPA) of the WORKPLACE. City minimum wages (e.g. Stadt Luzern) depend on it.
skill_level	string	Qualification of the worker, which sets the federal NAV wage tier: unskilled; experienced (4+ years in household work); eba (2-year federal vocational certificate); efz (3-year federal vocational diploma).
hours_per_week	number	Weekly hours with this household. The federal NAV floor binds from 5 hours a week; below that only some cantonal or city minimums apply.

Input schema (JSON)

{
  "type": "object",
  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
  "properties": {
    "canton": {
      "type": "string",
      "maxLength": 40,
      "minLength": 2,
      "description": "Canton, if no postcode is known. A postcode is better: some cities have their own minimum wage."
    },
    "language": {
      "enum": [
        "en",
        "de",
        "fr",
        "it",
        "es",
        "pt"
      ],
      "type": "string",
      "default": "en",
      "description": "Language of the explanatory texts and of the clino.ch links: en, de, fr, it, es or pt. Default en."
    },
    "postcode": {
      "type": "string",
      "pattern": "^\\d{4}$",
      "description": "4-digit Swiss postcode (PLZ/NPA) of the WORKPLACE. City minimum wages (e.g. Stadt Luzern) depend on it."
    },
    "skill_level": {
      "enum": [
        "unskilled",
        "experienced",
        "eba",
        "efz"
      ],
      "type": "string",
      "default": "unskilled",
      "description": "Qualification of the worker, which sets the federal NAV wage tier: unskilled; experienced (4+ years in household work); eba (2-year federal vocational certificate); efz (3-year federal vocational diploma)."
    },
    "hours_per_week": {
      "type": "number",
      "maximum": 70,
      "description": "Weekly hours with this household. The federal NAV floor binds from 5 hours a week; below that only some cantonal or city minimums apply.",
      "exclusiveMinimum": 0
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false
}

get_official_sources

The federal and cantonal figures Clino uses, each with the official document, its URL, the date it was checked and, where recorded, the verbatim sentence that states the value: contribution rates, thresholds, minimum wages, BVG, board and lodging, sick-pay scales, Geneva au pair contract, IV assistance contribution. Use it to cite or verify a number.

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Argument	Type	Description
topic	string	Which group of figures: contributions (AHV/ALV/UVG/withholding tax), thresholds, minimum_wages, pension_bvg, in_kind_wage (board and lodging), sick_pay, au_pair_geneva, iv_assistance (IV Assistenzbeitrag), or all.
search	string	Optional word to filter the figures by label, e.g. 'NAV' or 'Geneva'.

Input schema (JSON)

{
  "type": "object",
  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
  "properties": {
    "topic": {
      "enum": [
        "contributions",
        "thresholds",
        "minimum_wages",
        "pension_bvg",
        "in_kind_wage",
        "sick_pay",
        "au_pair_geneva",
        "iv_assistance",
        "all"
      ],
      "type": "string",
      "default": "contributions",
      "description": "Which group of figures: contributions (AHV/ALV/UVG/withholding tax), thresholds, minimum_wages, pension_bvg, in_kind_wage (board and lodging), sick_pay, au_pair_geneva, iv_assistance (IV Assistenzbeitrag), or all."
    },
    "search": {
      "type": "string",
      "maxLength": 60,
      "description": "Optional word to filter the figures by label, e.g. 'NAV' or 'Geneva'."
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false
}

search

Search Clino's documents on employing household help in Switzerland: one document per canton (compensation office, registration, contribution rates, minimum wage, family allowances, sick pay, sickness insurance), the employer fact sheet in six languages and every official figure with its source. Returns ids for fetch. Queries in any language; name the canton for canton rules.

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Argument	Type	Description
query*	string	What to look for, in any language: a canton, a topic (minimum wage, accident insurance, registration, sick pay, au pair) or a figure.

Input schema (JSON)

{
  "type": "object",
  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
  "required": [
    "query"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "query": {
      "type": "string",
      "maxLength": 200,
      "minLength": 1,
      "description": "What to look for, in any language: a canton, a topic (minimum wage, accident insurance, registration, sick pay, au pair) or a figure."
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false
}

Clino: Swiss household employment

Try it

compare_cantons

Clino: Swiss household employment

Try it

compare_cantons

Tools (11)