On 26 November, the Federal Council decided that the amendments to the Unemployment Insurance Act (AVIG) will enter into force on 1 January 2026. The compensation system for the administrative costs of unemployment insurance funds (ALK) will become more transparent and efficient.
For all ALKs, the payment of administrative costs is to be tied to a incentive-basedbonus-malus-system with flat-rate compensation being abolished. The corresponding key performance indicators on ALK administrative costs will be published every yearincreasing cost transparency and incentivising efficient service provision. Furthermore, opportunities to take part in work placements as part of the unemployment insurance (ALV) will be expanded and the legal basis for implementation of the e-Government strategy in the area of ALV will be improved.
These changes will be implemented by the amendment of two ordinances: the Unemployment Insurance Ordinance (AVIV) and the Ordinance on the Compensation of Administrative Costs of the Unemployment Insurance Funds (ALK-EntschV).
The changes to the AVIV includes the adaptation of articles that simplify implementation,namely that the calculation of short-time working compensation and bad weather compensation will not be dependent on the employer’s working time model in near future and that access to work placements can be granted regardless of the unemployment rate. Furthermore, the basic provisions have been adapted to better meet the demands of digitalisation and data protection.
The Ordinance on the Compensation of Administrative Costs is being completely revised as the fundamental rules for ALK compensation will be set out directly at ordinance level, rather than in individual agreements between the Confederation and cantons.
The revised AVIG and AVIV will come into force on 1 January 2026, with the exception of the Articles 46 paragraph 2 and 66a AVIV paragraph 2. These will come into force on 1 January 2027 due to the current economic situation. The ALK-EntschV will come into force at a later date due to the introduction of a new information system (ASAL 2.0). The amendments to the law were already passed by Parliament on 14 June 2024.
These amendments implement the requests raised in Motion Müller 20.3665 ‘Transparency in the unemployment insurance funds’ and address a concern from the report on Postulate Jositsch 20.3480 ‘Boosting the work experience of unemployed holders of vocational qualifications in the coronavirus crisis’.
The documents can be accessed here (Press release, 26.11.2025):
Arbeitslosenkassen: Höhere Effizienz und Transparenz bei den Verwaltungskosten
The report on the results of the consultation procedure and the statements submitted on the AVIG are available in German, French and Italian at Abgeschlossene Vernehmlassungen - 2022 | Fedlex. The referendum deadline expired unused on 3 October 2024.
The Federal Council launched a consultation procedure on three ordinances to implement the partial revision of the AVIG on 13 November 2024. The consultation ran until 3 March 2025.
Abgeschlossene Vernehmlassungen - 2024 | Fedlex
Completed revisions
On 24 January 2024, the Federal Council decided that the amendments to the Unemployment Insurance Act (AVIG) and Unemployment Insurance Ordinance (AVIV) on short-time working compensation for workplace trainers would enter into force retroactively from 1 January 2024.
This partial revision to the UIA, adopted by Parliament on 29 September 2023, allows workplace trainers receiving short-time working compensation to continue supervising apprentices in the workplace if their training cannot otherwise be guaranteed. The entry into force of these new provisions aims to ensure that apprentices’ workplace training is not interrupted if their host company introduces short-time work. The amended AVIV regulates the deadline for submitting the authorisation for workplace trainers.
These legislative amendments were adopted following Parliament’s approval of motion Bühler 16.3884 in June 2019.
Mehr Unterstützung für Berufsbildnerinnen und Berufsbildner (Federal Council press release, 15.02.2023)
The report on the results of the consultation is available (in German, French and Italian only) at Abgeschlossene Vernehmlassungen - 2022 | Fedlex.