Swiss tourists stranded in the Middle East could lose their wages; Switzerland is increasingly relying on cross-border workers; plus other news in our Tuesday roundup.
Swiss tourists stranded in the Middle East could lose their wages
Some 4,000 Swiss nationals who are stuck in Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Dubai due to US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran have much to worry about: as though being stranded in a war zone with no way out is not bad enough, they may also lose part of their salaries.
Many of them will not return to their jobs in Switzerland on time, as airlines are currently not operating.
That’s because, according to the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), under the Swiss law, absence from work due to a flight cancellation is generally borne by the employee.
“The problem is that Swiss labour legislation does not automatically guarantee continued salary payments, which depend solely on contractual provisions or a collective bargaining agreement,” said Tanja Riepshoff, an attorney for the Swiss Employees Association.
Switzerland is increasingly relying on cross-border workers
In some municipalities, cross-border commuters represent a significant portion of the workforce.
This is the case in many communities close to France. For instance, cross-border employees account for nearly 59 percent of the total workforce in Ballaigues (Vaud) and Boncourt (Jura), 50 percent in Meyrin (Geneva), and 40 percent in Le Locle (Neuchâtel).
This is due to shortages in Switzerland’s labour market, fuelled by demographic shifts: the proportion of working-age Swiss citizens is steadily declining.
READ MORE: Why is the number of cross-border workers in Switzerland growing?
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Three Swiss hospitals ranked among the world’s best
A new study published by the US magazine Newsweek, analysed 2,500 hospitals in 32 countries.
They were ranked based on opinions of medical experts regarding the overall quality and safety, as well as patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs).
The Zurich University Hospital got the highest score among Swiss healthcare facilities, placing 9th globally.
The Geneva University Hospital (HUG) is ranked in the 19th place, followed closely by the Vaud University Hospital (CHUV) in the 21st.
READ MORE: The Swiss hospitals that offer the best specialised care
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Gender pay gap is still a reality in Switzerland, a new study reveals
This is what emerges from the international comparison, “Women in Work Index 2026,” published on Monday by the consulting firm PwC.
In it, Switzerland moved up one place to 20th spot.
According to the study, the female employment rate in 2024 (the last year for which data is available) was 80.8 percent – a slight increase compared to the previous year (80.4 percent).
At the same time, however, the full-time employment rate for women fell from 60.7 to 59.2 percent. The gender pay gap widened slightly and remained high at 17.4 percent, the PwC reports.
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