Two weeks: 60.3 percent say yes to paternity leave – News

09/27/2020 Switzerland



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  • With a significant increase of 60.3 percent of the vote, the proposal for a paternity leave of two weeks was approved.

  • Yes, with 81.6 percent, it was clearer in the canton of Vaud. Geneva fell behind with 79.4 percent of the vote.

  • Most powerfully, voters in the canton of Appenzell-Innerrhoden rejected the bill with 65.3 percent no votes.

French-speaking cantons were more open to submission than German-speaking Switzerland. There were also majorities of more than 70 percent in the Jura and Neuchâtel, as well as in Basel-Stadt, the only German-speaking canton. The percentage of claims was lowest in western Switzerland with 60.5 percent in Valais.

On the contrary, paternity leave was rejected in the interior and eastern Switzerland. In addition to Appenzell-Innerrhoden, the no with 58.3 percent was also clear in Obwalden, followed by Schwyz with 58, Nidwalden with 57.1, Uri with 57 and 56.7 percent in Glarus. The rejection at Thurgau was narrower at 50.8 percent. A total of 1,933,114 voters were in favor and 1,270,551 against paternity leave.

The clarity of yes gives a boost to new demands

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Federal Palace Editor Nathalie Christen’s Review:

The clear yes to two-week paternity leave brings one thing above all else: equality between young fathers. Now every two weeks, you have time to get to know the child and take some pressure off the mother after delivery. Not just those lucky enough to work for a company that already volunteers more generous paternity leave.

However, discussions will continue, regarding equality between women and men. On the table are parental leave claims, as most OECD countries are already familiar with. Proponents hope this will result in the same spit duration for young women and men in the labor market. Because today, from the perspective of a company, a young woman runs the risk of being absent for 12 weeks during maternity leave and then working less. This can lead to a lower salary or a lack of promotion. With parental leave, this risk would be shared between both sexes.

Today there was a yes to two weeks of paternity leave. Nothing more and nothing less. However, the clarity should prompt requests for additional steps.

The public debate on paternity leave was sparked by a popular initiative launched three years ago. It requires that all working parents be able to take at least four weeks of paternity leave and receive income compensation during their absence.

That was too much for Parliament. In the end, an indirect counterproposal was imposed, stipulating a paternity leave of two weeks. The Federal Council rejected both the referendum and the counterproposal.

Same model used by mothers

Both paternity leave and maternity allowance are funded through the income compensation plan (EO). The compensation amounts to 80 per cent of the average income from work earned by the father before the child was born, but not more than 196 francs per day. According to the federal government, the costs amount to 230 million francs a year.

The Federal Council is expected to put the new provisions into effect on January 1, 2021. Paternity leave is specifically regulated by an amendment to the Income Compensation Act.

Opponents spoke of “wage theft”

The proposal was fought by a referendum committee around the Swiss Trade Association (SGV). Paternity leave is a new irresponsible social insurance.

For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the two-week paternity leave is neither financially nor organizationally sustainable, opponents argue. It describes the proponents as “wage thieves.” The corona pandemic was also mentioned. Of the larger parties, the SVP and the FDP opposed the bill.

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