Incapacity for work

Incapacity for work is a medical and functional concept used throughout Swiss social insurance. It concerns the insured person’s ability to perform the previous occupation or another reasonable activity, considering health limitations. It is usually expressed as a percentage and may be temporary or long-term. Medical certificates are important but the insurer evaluates their legal relevance. The concept differs from incapacity to earn, which assesses economic loss on the labour market rather than immediate work performance.