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Salary & Insurance
Staff are hired by the University of Basel on the basis of a public contract or a private employment relationship.
Pay overview
«We Pay Fair» label
Following a comprehensive analysis of its salaries, the University of Basel has been awarded the “We Pay Fair” label by the University of St. Gallen’s Competence Centre for Diversity & Inclusion. Thanks in no small part to the University of Basel’s fair, non-discriminatory pay system, salaries at the University of Basel comply with the “equal pay for equivalent work” principle, which is enshrined in the Swiss constitution.
The University of St. Gallen’s “We Pay Fair” label is awarded to organizations that comply with the equal pay requirement according to the Logib equal pay analysis tool.
Remuneration
The University of Basel’s salaries are based on the analytically structured pay scale and classification model used by the Canton of Basel-Stadt. The salary band and grade are assigned by Human Resources on appointment.
Salary bands
The salary band depends on the position and is determined on the basis of the job description. There are 28 salary bands for the classification of positions and band 24 is the highest at the University of Basel.
Salary grades
While the salary band is based on the position, the salary grade reflects the number of years of experience of a staff member.
Along with previous professional experience, this also includes general life experience that is beneficial to a person's career, particularly in terms of family and volunteering. Non-work activities of this kind are taken into account (Salary Regulations, § 8). Each salary band has three starting, 18 one-year and six two-year grades (see salary scale).
Wages generally increase automatically on 1 January. This increase occurs at the university’s discretion. For project employees, assistants and apprentices, the move to the next grade is dated from the time of joining. The University Council can suspend standard grade increases in justified cases – particularly taking into consideration the general economic climate and financial situation of the University of Basel.
New staff who start working at the University of Basel after 1 July cannot move up to the next grade before January of the year after next.
Pension fund
Permanent staff are covered by the pension fund of Basel-Stadt; temporary employees are covered by the Basel-Landschaft pension fund.
Accidents & sickness
Sickness allowance insurance
All employees pay one third of their sickness allowance insurance. AXA provides sickness coverage to the University of Basel. Upon termination of employment, it is possible to transfer over to the individual insurance, without a medical examination, within a period of 90 days.
Accident insurance
Staff with a weekly workload of eight or more hours are insured to cover the consequences of occupational and non-occupational accidents. Staff with a weekly workload of less than eight hours are only insured to cover occupational accidents and must insure themselves against non-occupational accidents. Accidents that occur on the way to work are considered occupational accidents. In the event of hospitalization due to an accident, all staff are privately insured (Category 1). The premium for occupational accident insurance as well as the premiums for the supplementary accident insurance are borne entirely by the University of Basel. The staff member is responsible for one third of the non-occupational accident insurance premium.
Wage continuation
After the probationary period, employees who are absent due to sickness or an accident continue to receive salary payments for the duration of their work contract, for a period not exceeding 730 days.
Family and child support allowance
Family allowance
The Family Compensation Fund (FAK) makes the final decision on whether an employee is eligible for family allowance. Family allowance is paid out by the University of Basel.
Staff who are secondary claimants under the terms of the family allowance legislation, i.e. the family allowance can only be claimed by their co-parent, will receive a balancing payment. This payment shall not exceed the amount that would have been paid in the event of a primary claim.
Family allowance in the Canton of Basel-Stadt (2024 rates):
- up to age 16 (not in education/training):
CHF 275 per child per month - age 16 to 25 (in education/training, max. income CHF 2,450 per month):
CHF 325 per child per month
Child support allowance
Only employees who are eligible for family allowance according to the decision handed down by the Family Compensation Fund (FAK) are eligible for child support allowance. If the family allowance is paid out by the University of Basel, child support allowance will also be organized through the university. If the entitlement to family allowances exists through the family compensation fund of the other parent, the maintenance allowance can be applied for at the University of Basel, as long as we are the main employer.
The full amount of child support allowance will be paid to employees with a level of employment of 50% or higher. A pro rata child support allowance amount will be paid to employees with a level of employment below 50%.
Child support allowance (2024 rates):
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Allowance for one child: CHF 434.40 per month
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Allowance for two children: CHF 531.40 per month
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Allowance for three children: CHF 568.75 per month
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Allowance for four or more children: CHF 598.30 per month
The terms of employment are governed by the following rules and regulations:
