Follow the payment, not the trading name
Two people can run a workshop together without having the same cover. Daily sickness insurance can replace the insured person's lost earnings, subject to the policy. It does not by itself guarantee the second partner's income, pay for their extra work or reimburse shared overheads. The Federal Office of Public Health distinguishes statutory and private regimes. Legal form and the status recognised by the compensation office can also affect the arrangements. Ask who is insured and who would receive a payment.
A workshop with complementary roles
Suppose two partners are recognised as self-employed, with one printing and the other selling the work. The first becomes ill and orders are cancelled. The second is still fit to work and must cover some deliveries. Even if the first has a confirmed allowance, nothing here shows the second will be compensated or that the workshop can meet CHF 1,500 in subcontracting costs. Prepare one budget for the ill partner's household and another for the workshop.
Compare two cover records
For each person, record declared income, the insurer's earnings basis, minimum incapacity, waiting period, benefit duration, exclusions and payee. Check whether reduced hours or subcontracting affect the calculation. Ask how each case would be assessed if both partners were ill at once. If the business becomes a limited company, do not assume the former status or policy automatically carries over.
Make an operational decision before signing
Identify tasks that can be covered and how much a substitute would cost. Separately check personal cover and any policy intended to protect business continuity, asking what event triggers each. Plan a scenario with no payments during the waiting period. Cash reserves, written responsibilities and a standby contractor can address needs an individual sickness benefit does not target.
List the costs outside both personal policies
Write down what the business keeps paying if either partner stops work: rent, equipment leases, subscriptions and maintenance. Put the cost of hiring a temporary replacement on a separate line. An allowance paid to the sick partner does not automatically become business income. Look at how a cash reserve, an agreement between partners and any available business cover would each respond to the costs in your example.
Recheck cover if the legal structure changes
If you move from working together as self-employed individuals to a limited liability company that pays both partners a salary, revisit the file with the insurer and compensation office. Ask which date the change takes effect and who is insured before and after. The workshop example gives you a starting checklist, but it does not establish continuity of cover under the new structure.
Sources & further reading
OFSP / FOPH — Assurance facultative d’indemnités journalières