Federal Offices

On 19th December 1912, Parliament approved the formation of the Federal Social Insurance Office (BSV). It was the first federal agency to be designated as a ‘federal office’. The BSV began its work at the beginning of 1913. It was assigned to the Federal Department of Economic Affairs until 1954 and has been part of the Federal Department of Home Affairs since 1955. Being responsible for most social security programs, the BSV is one of the most important stakeholders in social policy within the federal administration Its main task concerns preparing and implementing social legislation as well as overseeing and coordinating its social insurance programs.

The Federal Office for Public Health has been responsible for overseeing health, accident and military insurance since 2004. This increase in responsibilities represented a major turning point for the office. Its established competencies in health policy were suddenly expanded by important social security prerogatives.

The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO (formerly the Federal Office for Industry, Trade and Labour (BIGA)) is now responsible at the federal level for unemployment insurance and protecting working conditions. It encompasses the former Federal Office for Industry, Trade and Labor, considered one of the key stakeholders in the history of Swiss social security.