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Work · Switzerland
Updated September 2026

🩹 I had an accident at work — who do I report it to, and what am I owed?

Direct answer

Report it to the employer the same day, in writing, and see a doctor stating it was a work accident — that label opens the accident-insurance route, which pays treatment, wages and, for lasting injury, a pension, without proving anyone's fault. SUVA / Dein Unfallversicherer (041 419 58 51) is the accident insurer or fund for Switzerland; the employer must notify them, and you can too. Kantonales Arbeitsinspektorat / Arbeitsamt (seco.admin.ch) investigates serious accidents and unsafe conditions; Unia — Gewerkschaft (unia.ch) makes sure the claim is filed right and represents you if the employer disputes it.

Call firstSUVA / Dein Unfallversicherer
Report toKantonales Arbeitsinspektorat / Arbeitsamt
If that failsUnia — Gewerkschaft

🗣️ What to say

"On [date] at [time] I had an accident at [place] while [task]: [what happened, injuries]. Witnesses: [names]. I ask you to record it as a work accident and notify the accident insurer today, and to send me a copy of the report."

🪜 Step by step

  1. Doctor, same daySay it happened at work. The medical record with that sentence is the basis of everything.
  2. Report to the employer in writingEven for "small" injuries — the ones that get worse are the ones nobody reported.
  3. Check the notification: SUVA / Dein UnfallversichererThe employer must notify within days; if they do not, notify the insurer yourself with the medical report.
  4. Witnesses and photosThe scene, the equipment, the missing guard. Before it is "fixed".
  5. Serious or unsafe: Kantonales Arbeitsinspektorat / ArbeitsamtThe inspectorate investigates serious accidents and can order changes; your report protects colleagues.

📇 All contacts

SUVA / Dein UnfallversichererOccupational and non-occupational accidents, daily benefit, pensionAfter any work accident📞 041 419 58 51🔗 www.suva.ch
Kantonales Arbeitsinspektorat / ArbeitsamtOversight of working conditions, adviceFor breaches of the labour act and collective agreements🔗 www.seco.admin.ch/seco/de/home/Arbeit/Arbeitsbedingungen/Arbeitsinspektorate.html
Unia — GewerkschaftAdvice, legal protection, wage claimsFor members, joining possible right away🔗 www.unia.ch
Deine Krankenkasse / Ombudsstelle KrankenversicherungCoverage, doctor search, disputes with the insurerFor coverage and benefit questions📞 041 226 10 10🔗 www.om-kv.ch

❓ Frequently asked

The employer says not to report it

That is illegal and it costs you cover. Report it yourself to SUVA / Dein Unfallversicherer; the employer's refusal is itself reportable to Kantonales Arbeitsinspektorat / Arbeitsamt.

What if it was my own mistake?

Accident insurance is no-fault: you are covered regardless. Only deliberate self-harm or gross drunkenness is excluded.

Accident on the way to work?

Commuting accidents are covered in most EU countries on the direct route. Report it the same way.

📎 Sources

Last checked: 2026-09-26

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Recognise your own search? The answer above covers all of these.

  • “accident at work report Switzerland”
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🧭 Is this still correct?

We check this information carefully, but phone numbers, websites and rules change — and sometimes we get something wrong. Spotted a mistake or a change? Let us know below.

🔗 Related questions

🤒Sick and pressured→📄No contract→💼Unpaid wages→⚖️Unfair dismissal→

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