Ooops, sorry about this - i should have checked location before
Maybe if you give a call to these guys, they will be able to help you and forward you to the correct service. I tried to find it online to no avail:
http://www.ge.ch/dse/

Regarding the sick days the RAV will pay, allow me to correct myself. It will be 44 working days (that is a little more than 2 months).

Lucy, great info thanks

- if one is unemployed and sick (unable to work 100% as per doctor's certificate), can one register at RAV and receive unemployment benefits?


-if above holds true, for how long in total can one receive unemployment benefits?

Also you do not need to give the reason. The doctors note is sufficient and will not disclose the details... will just say you are signed off sick for x days/weeks

https://awa.zh.ch/internet/volkswirt...html#a-content

Here we go again..... the maximum is 20 days and it must be backed up by a doctors cert and you can be called to attend a doctor of their choice at any time if they deem it necessary.

That an employer can't fire you when you're off sick isn't strictly true, is it. You only have limited protection depending on how long you've worked for the employer. e.g. you can be fired after 3 months off.


The industry that I worked in, and many others, word gets around and if you're known to have been off long-term due to stress this can be seen as a negative thing, but no-one needs to know. The thought that employers (workers) in different companies don't talk to each other due to professional ethics I find to be more than a little unrealistic. You should assume that they do if you want to be on the safe side.


You should check your contract for wording related to sickness absence as the duration of salary payment can vary.



It can be a confusing time, I know.

Hi OP

As I was exactly in your shoes 5 years ago (IT in banking sector), and I have gone through the same, so probably my experience helps you:

Was signed off by the doctor (the stress in the job just triggered my collapse). 1 Month later I've got a polite enquiry over phone indirectly (from a colleauge, but definitely was asked by the boss) when can they expect that I come back. I answered with "do not know yet, my recovery is the first prio". On the day after I've got the contract cancellation. As it was an unlimited contract, the company's sick insurance (KTG) has payed me 180 days. I've signed in at RAV after the contract termination, but they said, come back as soon as I am not signed off sick anymore. I've got mad calls from the agent, who placed me to that company and probably was very angry, that he/she won't get commission after me anymore and promised me that he will make every attempt to ruin my career in Switzerland and make sure I do not get any employment in the future. That has scared me indeed for a moment, but in those days I could not think of any work anyway. So after 180 days the sick insurance have finished the paying and I've felt also fit to work again. The time off itself has helped a lot and the therapy I've got to change my thinking gave me a lifelong gift which has totally improved my life in every aspect!!! Even if I would not have got any job in Switzerland, the psychotherapie (without any medication) was worth it itselft... Actually I have experienced improvement in my life after ca 2 years, but I was already fit to work after half a year. So when I started to apply for jobs I started to worry about the acceptance of the gap and reason in my CV. Interestingly, I've got an interview from a bank whom I was already working for, but from another department. In the interview about the last 7 monhts I've just said, I have done a break (without further reasoning it), what I recommend to everyone, because I feel now full with energy and motivation". They have absolute positively reacted and agreed on that and indeed, they saw my motivation to work again and in that moment it was just decided to join to them. Since then I had 3 another projects and never was a question about this gap (I had other more few months gaps on RAV because of project cancellation). Noone was interested either.

So, the moral of the story is that I live much complete and happy life since 3 years (absolutely love my the life I live), had couple of interesting and meaningful jobs (projects) in other sectors apart from banking, and no any offense about my past.

I hope you will have a very similar path! Be brave enough to take care of yourself and live your single one life!

Just shows you're really not so important after all and nobody really cares about such things anyway, you got more employment irrespective of what crap the agent spouts.