Employers generally pay premiums for compulsory insurance against occupational accidents, occupational illnesses and non-occupational accidents for the entire financial year in advance. If they wish to pay their premiums in instalments, a statutory surcharge is applied. Up to now, this has been 1.25 percent (for semi-annual premium payments) or 1.875 percent (for quarterly premium payments).

Since Article 117 of the Accident Insurance Ordinance (AIO) was last revised in 1997, interest rates have changed, both in Switzerland and around the world. We are currently in a low-interest-rate environment. Suva and the private accident insurers (represented by Suva, the Swiss Insurance Association (SIA), IG Übrige UVG-Versicherer and another insurer) considered the surcharge for payment by instalments too high in the current situation. They jointly submitted an application to the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA), asking the department to review the situation and possibly reduce the rates.

The applicants were all of the opinion that the Ordinance (Art. 117 para. 1 AIO) should continue to stipulate fixed surcharges for payment by instalments, so as to ensure uniform application of the law under AIA. However, the percentage, which is meant to be based primarily on market interest rates for the insurers’ lost investment income, is now lower. On 1 January 2023, the surcharge was reduced to 0.25 percent of the annual premium for semi-annual payment by instalments and to 0.375 percent for quarterly payment. However, the Federal Council noted in its report that the surcharges could be adjusted again if interest rates were to rise significantly in the future.