In Switzerland, paid leave for new parents is limited to 14 weeks for mothers and 2 weeks for fathers. However, the political push for more is growing, and some cantons are pressuring the federal government to extend paid leave. A commission for the federal Council of States is currently analysing some of the proposals put forward, reported RTS. The question is whether the federal parliament will budge.
The four cantons of Valais, Ticino, Geneva and Jura have all presented parental leave proposals to Bern. The governments of Valais and Ticino both propose 20 weeks of parental leave with at least 14 used by the mother. This would essentially extend paternity leave to 6 weeks, up from the current 2 weeks. Jura wants a nationwide increase in parental leave without specifying any details on its preferences.
In Geneva in 2023, 57% of the electorate voted in favour of 16 weeks of paid leave for mothers and 8 for fathers, a total of 24 weeks. If both parents are in agreement it would be possible to shift the split to 14 for mothers and 10 for fathers. Despite voter acceptance the plan has not been implemented because it is not compatable with federal law. Now the ball is back in Bern’s court.
The resistance to extending parental leave is broadly twofold. Many are resistant to the rise in payroll taxes that would be required to pay for it. In addition, some do not like the lack of neutrality in the current proposals, prefering a system that offered a single lump of parental leave that could be freely allocated to either parent – 100% of it could be used by either the mother or father. The current proposals are viewed as politically cohersive and unfair because they penalise families with only one earning parent – single-earner families would bear the full cost but miss out on a portion of the leave.
To date, Bern has been resistant to proposals to increase parental leave. However, political pressure is growing and the cantons are sending strong signals. When the Council of States commission publishes its report it will provide a further political signal.
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RTS article (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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