Dedicated Staff Restaurants and Discount Mechanisms
Several institutions provide dedicated restaurants or canteens where staff can purchase meals at reduced rates:
- KSA Kantonsspital Aarau (KSA): Employees of KSA Kantonsspital Aarau can buy meals at reduced prices (zu vergünstigten Preisen) at the Restaurant «time out» or in the Mitarbeiterkantine «my time».
- Universitätsspital Zürich (USZ): In the staff restaurants (Personalrestaurants), staff have the option of enjoying affordable meals (günstige Verpflegung). Payment is facilitated using the employee ID (Mitarbeiter-Sichtausweis or Badge). A deposit fee of CHF 50.– is required for the Badge on the first day of employment.
- Universitäts-Kinderspital beider Basel (UKBB) and Universitätsspital Basel (USB): Sub-assistants are granted a staff discount (Personalrabatt) on food and drinks. They may eat at the Bistro Nemo, UKBB, which offers various meals such as sandwiches, a salad buffet, breakfast, and soup. Staff may also dine at the Centrino, the staff restaurant of the Universitätsspital Basel, where the UKBB ID (Badge) grants them a price reduction on the large selection of food and drinks available.
- Spitäler Schaffhausen: Staff receive highly discounted meals (stark vergünstigte Verpflegung) at the various restaurants located at the Kantonsspital and Psychiatriezentrum Breitenau using their employee ID (Mitarbeitendenausweis).
- Claraspital (Basel): This hospital offers daily choices of balanced menus, prepared using regional and seasonal products, available at discounted prices (vergünstigten Preisen).
- Kantonsspital Winterthur (KSW): Discounted meals (Vergünstigte Mahlzeiten) are listed among the benefits provided to employees.
Meal Allowances and Supplementary Provisions
Some hospitals offer financial allowances specifically for food costs or provide facilities for staff who bring their own meals:
- Klinik Barmelweid: Sub-assistants receive a monthly Verpflegung allowance (Zulage für Verpflegung) of CHF 200.– (calculated 12 times per year) specifically for food and drinks at the Barmelweid restaurant. This allowance is part of a total monthly package of CHF 2,400 for a 100% pensum.
- Spital Emmental (Burgdorf and Langnau): While staff benefit from an employee discount on the locally sourced and healthy culinary offerings, the hospitals also provide microwaves for employees who bring their own food (Selbstmitgebrachtes).
Practical Costs and Staff Experience
While discounts are widely offered, the perceived value of these benefits can vary, reflecting the generally high cost of living in Switzerland:
- Cost Perception: One sub-assistant, relating their personal experience, reported finding a hospital cafeteria to be expensive, mentioning that a small portion of fries cost 8 CHF, and estimating a full meal cost around 20 CHF. In comparison, they noted that an average meal at a bar or restaurant in the surrounding area cost over 20 CHF.
- Alternative Measures: This same individual opted to bring their own lunch due to perceived high cafeteria costs. They were able to survive on a monthly grocery budget of approximately 400 CHF for four weeks by purchasing the cheapest options available, largely restricted to sandwiches, yogurt, and salads because they lacked access to a kitchen.
- Uncertainty Regarding Free Meals: The sub-assistant noted that personnel and medical students generally received one free meal per day during weekend shifts, but they personally did not receive this amenity, which prompted them to bring their own food.
Despite the expense, many institutions prioritize providing readily available meal options, often focusing on using seasonal, healthy, and local products.