I work as a family member in a family business, but I do not hold any ownership or control in the company. How does this affect my unemployment security?

Family members working in a family business will be considered salaried employees if they do not hold ownership or control in the company. The following are considered as the entrepreneur’s family members: spouse (also cohabitee) and any person related to the entrepreneur and living in the same household (parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren).

This means you can be part of an unemployment fund for salaried employees and get the same earnings-related unemployment security as other salaried employees. You will fulfil the employment condition after having been a member of a salaried employees’ fund in a non-owning position for at least 12 months, and at least 52 calendar weeks have been accumulated towards the employment condition in that period. The other criteria for the employment condition with regard to working hours and wages, for example, are the same as for other salaried employees.

Keep in mind, however, that if you own even a low share (more than 0%) of the family business, you are considered an entrepreneur in unemployment security.

Read more: Definition of ‘entrepreneur’ for the purpose of unemployment security