Why work accident insurance is mandatory
Article 49 of the Work Accidents Act requires the employer to take out work accident insurance with an authorised insurance company. The policy covers all employees and all work for which the employer uses them: full-time or part-time, permanent, temporary or occasional, domestic staff included.
Exceptions
There is no exception based on the number of employees or the length of the work. Public employers fall under a separate act. For an unpaid school internship, the duty to insure lies with the educational institution, not with the host company.
What is the risk?
An employer without insurance is affiliated with Fedris automatically and pays a flat-rate contribution of about € 124.66 to € 297.74 per employee per month; Fedris compensates the victim and recovers all costs from the employer. Failing to take out insurance is also a level 3 offence under Article 184 of the Social Criminal Code: an administrative fine of € 1,000 to € 10,000, heavier if intentional.
What to do
Take out the policy before the first employee starts and report every new employee to your insurer. Report an accident at work to the insurer within 8 days.
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Sources
Every amount and deadline on this page was checked against these official sources, last consulted on .