Eighteen weeks of paid leave for parents: The wrong answer to the compatibility question
The family time initiative would cost an additional 1 to 1.5 billion francs per year, with modest benefits. Families would be better served with more flexible maternity leave and solutions that arise within the companies themselves.
The Familienzeit-Initiative in Switzerland would provide 18 weeks of paid parental leave for both mothers and fathers, an increase from the current 14 weeks for mothers and 2 weeks for fathers. The initiative would cost between 1 and 1.5 billion Swiss francs per year, funded through higher wage contributions. However, experts argue that the benefits of the initiative would be modest, and that longer parental leave could have negative effects on employment and wage development.
Some studies suggest that flexible solutions, such as allowing parents to take parental leave in a more flexible manner, could be more effective in promoting work-life balance.
Written by urgent.news from NZZ Wirtschaft's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
