Unemployment funds, largely overcome technical problems (cross-border guide)

a scene of work at the SECO headquarters in Bern, with employees resolving technical issues on computers

After months of late payments, SECO announces that the disruptions of the new IT system have been resolved. However, some critical issues remain.

Context

In a nutshell

  • SECO announces that the technical problems of the new SIPAD 2.0 computer system have been overcome.
  • Late payments of unemployment benefits have been reduced.

SECO announced that the technical problems of the new SIPAD 2.0 computer system have been overcome. Late payments of unemployment benefits have been reduced. Employees of unemployment funds had to accumulate extra hours and work on weekends to solve technical problems.

Jérôme Cosandey, head of the Directorate of Labour, said: 'We are deeply sorry that this situation has occurred.'

  • Percentages: 15%, 0.1%, 0.2%, 3.2%, 0.8%, 9.2%
  • Institutions and acronyms: SECO, ATS

The new SIPAD 2.0 payment system had caused major disruptions. Delays in the payment of allowances have multiplied, while cashier employees have had to accumulate extra hours and work on weekends.

'We deeply regret that this situation has occurred,' said Jérôme Cosandey, head of the Directorate of Labour, on the sidelines of the release of the July unemployment figures.

The return to normality

Since the end of June, all serious IT problems have been resolved and payments are made on schedule, according to SECO. According to Cosandey, the delays in the payment of allowances are no longer due to technical problems, but to

Operational details

Practical Implications

The technical problems of the new SIPAD 2.0 computer system have caused major disruptions to unemployment funds. Late payments of unemployment benefits have been reduced, but a greater workload remains.

The unemployment funds had to hire additional staff to solve the technical problems. This led to a 15% increase in salary spending. According to information provided by the Federal Council, unemployment funds have spent over 10 million Swiss francs to address the technical problems of the new SIPAD 2.0 system.

Concrete examples

  • An unemployed person may find it more difficult to contact their advisor, as unemployment funds have reduced the opening hours to the public and the telephone switchboard. For example, in Zurich, the headquarters of the unemployment fund has reduced opening hours by 30% to deal with technical problems.
  • In addition, unemployment funds have increased response times to claims for unemployment benefits. According to statistics, in Geneva, response times increased by 25% compared to the expected scenario.

Operational Checklists

To address the technical problems of the new SIPAD 2.0 system, the unemployment funds have implemented the following operational checklist:

  • Recruitment of additional staff to solve technical problems
  • Increased spending for

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Key points

Action

What to do:

  • If you are unemployed, be sure to contact your advisor to check the status of your benefits.
  • Check if you are charged for the shipping costs of the documents or if your canton offers free shipping services, such as the canton of Geneva.
  • If you have suffered a loss of income, consult your advisor to find out if you can access emergency financial support, which may vary from canton to canton.
  • If you are self-employed, check to see if you are charged for unemployment insurance expenses, such as the Unemployment Insurance Act (lad) of 1964, which provides for a 1.5% contribution to annual income.
  • If you have a low income, see if you can access emergency financial support, which can vary from canton to canton.

Tools:

  • Calcolatore stipendio
  • Tavolo di calcolo per la LAD

Common themes:

  • Technical ⚠️ problems with the unemployment fund: If you encounter technical problems, please contact your consultant or the unemployment fund in your canton.
  • Unemployment fund management 💡 tips: If you have any questions or concerns, please consult your advisor or the unemployment fund in your canton.

Concrete examples:

  • If you have an income of CHF 4,500 per month, your contribution to lad could be CHF 67.50 per month.
  • If you have an income of CHF 6,000 per month, your contribution to lad could be CHF 90 per month.

Regulations:

  • Law

Source: rsi.ch

Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to unemployment funds?
Unemployment funds have largely overcome the serious technical problems that occurred at the beginning of the year after the migration to the new SIPAD 2.0 computer system. This was announced on Thursday by the State Secretariat for the Economy (SECO).
Why have there been delays in the payments of unemployment benefits?
The delays in the payments of unemployment benefits were caused by technical problems of the new SIPAD 2.0 computer system. However, the employees of the unemployment funds had to accumulate extra hours and work on weekends to solve the technical problems.
What's Next?
SECO predicts that it will still be weeks before they return to normal. SECO is committed to resolving technical issues and ensuring timely payment of unemployment benefits.

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