Who must be insured in a pension fund?

The occupational pension – also known as pillar 2 or the pension fund – is a key part of your financial security. It supplements the benefits from the OASI/DI (pillar 1) and helps you to secure your standard of living in retirement, or in the event of disability or death. The rules on who exactly has to pay into a pension fund are clearly defined.

Am I required to have insurance?

The 3 criteria in detail

Whether you must be insured in a pension fund depends on three key points:

• Minimum age: The obligation to be insured for the risks of disability and death begins on 1 January after you turn 17. Saving for your actual old-age pension also starts on 1 January after your 24th birthday.
• Minimum salary: Your annual salary must be above the legal minimum threshold of CHF 22,680 (as of 2025). If your salary is below this amount, there is no mandatory insurance in pillar 2.
• Employment relationship: Your employment contract is permanent or concluded for a period of more than three months. The insurance obligation also begins in the case of several consecutive employment contracts with the same employer if they last for a total of more than three months.

Who is not covered by mandatory insurance?

Certain groups of people are exempt from the mandatory insurance obligation. These include:

• Self-employed persons: However, they can voluntarily join a pension fund.
• Persons with fixed-term contracts: Employees with an employment contract of a maximum of three months.
• Employees in a secondary employment: If they are already mandatorily insured through a primary employment.
• Persons with a disability pension: Anyone who receives a full pension from the federal disability insurance (DI).

Special work situations

Modern working life includes many flexible models. Here is an overview of some common cases:

Multiple part-time jobs

If you have several part-time jobs but do not reach the entry threshold of CHF 22,680 per year with any single employer, you are not mandatorily insured.
For example: You have one job with a salary of CHF 15,000 and a second with CHF 10,000. Since neither salary is above the threshold, you are not automatically insured. In such a case, voluntary insurance can be useful to close pension gaps.

Unemployment

If you receive daily allowances from unemployment insurance, you are mandatorily insured for the risks of death and disability through the Substitute Occupational Benefit Institution. However, no savings contributions are made for your old-age pension during this time.

A good pension solution is an important building block for your financial future. It is important to know your own situation in order to make the right decisions.

Have you reviewed your situation and are unsure what the next step is? Or do you, as an employer, have specific questions about registering your employees? Our team will be happy to support you with clear answers. Please feel free to contact us without obligation.

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