Key facts
During the COVID-19 pandemic, those subject to service in the Armed Forces, civil protection and civilian service were deployed simultaneously. They provided support in numerous ways, especially for healthcare and social services. In total, those subject to service worked more than 800,000 service days between March 2020 and the end of May 2021. Most of these were service days that could be offset against service obligations. Whereas the Armed Forces deployment and the emergency civilian service deployment were completed in spring 2021, members of the civil protection service are still deployed in the cantons. The loss of earnings compensation for these deployment days amounts to around CHF 120 million. In addition, the Confederation is facing costs of approximately CHF 20 million as a result of compensation for civil protection deployment days or compensation over and above the compensation payments to the deployed conscript soldiers for loss of earnings.