Basel warns population against walking and sitting under trees; number of employer-employee conflicts in Swiss companies rises significantly; and more news in our Wednesday roundup.
Basel warns residents against walking and sitting under trees
During heatwaves, people living in cities seek shelter in the shade of trees.
In Basel, however, these ‘cooling spots’ are no longer safe, as tree branches – impacted by heatwave and drought – become brittle and prone to breaking.
Therefore, authorities have posted signs in city parks warning visitors against sitting under large trees.
According to Simon Leuenberger, head of Basel’s parks maintenance department, resting under shady trees is currently not safe due to “the risk of branches breaking and falling down.”
Number of employer-employee conflicts in Swiss companies has risen significantly in 2025
Work-related disputes surged in 2025, according to a new survey by AXA-ARAG legal protection insurance.
Cases of workplace harassment and unfair dismissal increased by 36 and 26 percent respectively.
Furthermore, 14 percent more employees reported receiving either negative or inaccurate performance assessments in reference letters – even though Swiss labour law stipulates that these certificates must be written in a “fair manner.”
READ MORE: Must my Swiss employer give me a reference letter?
Public apartments in Zurich occupied by tenants not legally permitted to live there
An analysis of properties owned by the city of Zurich reveals that approximately 1,400 of the 7,700 of these flats intended specifically for low and middle-income families are occupied by people who earn too much to be eligible to live there.
However, the city can’t force these tenants to leave so that lower-earners can move in.
That’s because local regulations stipulate that the city may only intervene if more than 15 percent of municipal apartments are occupied by people with high wages.
In this particular case, only 3.4 percent were found to be ineligible.
Geneva MP seeks to close roads to noisy vehicles at night
To reduce nighttime noise, deputy Matthieu Jotterand has submitted a motion in the cantonal Parliament aiming to ban excessively loud cars and motorcycles from the roads.
They include streets in the city centre like Route des Acacias and Boulevard du Pont-d’Arve, where noise emitted by motor vehicles can exceed 70 decibels on average at night – equivalent to the noise of a vacuum cleaner at full power, Jotterand pointed out.
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