Integration into the primary labor market: Confederation and Travail.Suisse agree on measures to raise awareness and provide training on mental health risks in the workplace
People with health problems should remain in the primary labor market or be reintegrated as quickly as possible. With this goal in mind, Travail.Suisse, the independent umbrella organization for employees, and the Federal Department of Home Affairs signed a cooperation agreement in April 2025. This is the second agreement of its kind; an agreement was concluded with the Swiss Employers' Association at the end of 2022. The new agreement with Travail.Suisse makes it possible to offer awareness-raising and training measures for employees in order to prevent and identify psychological risks in the workplace at an early stage. In addition, information about existing instruments, including the support offered by the IV, is to be increased.
Mental health risks in the workplace (e.g. stress) are increasing and contributing to more frequent absences and sick leave for mental health reasons. This development not only has a negative impact on the health of employees, but also entails costs for the economy and insurance companies. Disability insurance (IV) is directly affected, as incapacity for work due to mental illness is responsible for a large proportion of pension awards. By working together with the trade unions, a large number of employees can be reached and prevention can be strengthened with a view to continued employment and professional integration. With this aim in mind, Travail.Suisse and the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA), represented by the Federal Social Insurance Office (FSIO), have signed a cooperation agreement for a period of four years from April 2025.
Partnership framework agreement
The basis for the agreement is a provision in the Federal Disability Insurance Act (IVG), which was introduced in 2022 with the further development of the IV. This new provision allows cooperation agreements to be concluded with the umbrella organizations of the world of work in order to support measures that are of interest to both the IV and the umbrella organizations. The cooperation agreement regulates the framework for the implementation of specific, practice-oriented measures at a national or linguistic-regional level. In this way, the IV supports the umbrella organizations in providing their members with appropriate instruments for improving the framework conditions for occupational integration.
Sensitize employees to psychological risks
A healthy working environment is an essential prerequisite for the prevention of mental illness, job retention and professional integration. The measures jointly defined by the FDHA and Travail.Suisse as part of the agreement aim to inform, sensitize and train employees in the area of health risks in the workplace - in particular mental health risks. Specifically, seminars and modules at industry events are planned. The sector-specific health risks can be highlighted in this context. The offers will be developed in collaboration with experts and passed on to employees by Travail.Suisse and the affiliated associations, whereby the offers are not only reserved for trade union members. Participants are supported in identifying risks to mental health in the workplace, recognizing signs of mental stress in themselves and others at an early stage and learning about the resources available to deal with them, including IV instruments.
The Federal Social Insurance Office (FSIO) ensures that the social insurance network is maintained and adapted to the ever-changing challenges in its area of responsibility. It is also responsible at federal level for the areas of family, children, youth and old age, intergenerational relations and general social policy issues.
Source: www.bsv.admin.ch
