Enormous increase in the need for legal clarification
The Axa Group stated that there were around 20 percent more inquiries in the first eight months of 2020. The legal expenses insurer Axa-Arag, as the largest insurer of its kind in Switzerland, named this figure. In March alone there was an increase of around 42 percent. The Touring Club Switzerland also feels an enormous need for clarification, and inquiries are also increasing here. Around every tenth request is related to legal issues relating to the corona pandemic.
Often the inquiries concern labor law, with short-time working being the focus of interest. Can short-time work be ordered, what about the wages and how do I get back to my normal working hours? These and other questions need to be clarified, whereby the focus was also on incorrect accounting for short-time work.
Many companies fired their employees and justified the termination with an in-house decline in orders due to Corona. The instruction to work in the home office also led to numerous inquiries from insurers. Many workers wanted to know if their employer could force them to work in the office when they were so afraid of infection. Others wanted to achieve the opposite and go back to work, although the boss advised against it. What is legal and what rights does the boss have in this regard?
Great need for clarification in the travel sector
Many people had booked a vacation that had to be canceled thanks to Corona. Here, too, Axa-Arag stated that inquiries about travel rights had actually doubled compared to the previous year. The Touring Club Switzerland even stated that inquiries had increased by around 60 percent. Some vacationers want to cancel their flight themselves, but have been warned not to. In that case, they could be left at their expense. Any claims will not be paid to those who cancel a flight on their own!
Other topics included canceled hotel and package tour bookings, overnight stays booked through Airbnb and possible refunds.
In addition to the travel sector, shopping on the Internet was more frequently affected by inquiries, and the courts were concerned with numerous lawsuits against sellers. It was about money losses due to paid and not delivered goods and about defective or defective goods deliveries. Tip from the experts: Avoid dubious shops and be sure to find out about the seriousness of the retailer first via known rating platforms.
Conclusion: complaints about complaints in the corona crisis
The corona crisis is very preoccupying for people in Switzerland and is leading to extreme uncertainties with regard to work, travel or online shopping. Legal expenses insurers are currently confronted with a flood of inquiries that will continue to grow. In addition, a wave of lawsuits is rolling towards the courts, which has so far received little attention as a by-product of the Corona crisis.
