Proposal pushing for 18 weeks of parental leave submitted to Swiss government

A popular initiative has been submitted to the Swiss federal government with 112.517 signatures, calling for every parent in Switzerland to be given 18 weeks of parental leave.

What is the Family Time Initiative?

A cross-party alliance is behind the popular initiative “A Strong Society and Economy Thanks to Parental Leave”, otherwise known as the Family Time Initiative (Familienzeit-Initiative). 

Supported by the Centre, Greens, GLP, SP, EVP and FDP, the proposal wants to expand the current statutory parental leave offered to parents today from 14 weeks for a mother and two weeks for a father to 18 weeks for each parent. 

Parents taking the 18 weeks would only be able to take a quarter, around 4,5 weeks, of leave at the same time, and it would not be transferable, reports 20 Minuten. 

The initiative also calls for the compensation parents receive when off work to be “governed by the principles of compensation for those performing military or civilian service.” Today, parents are paid 80 percent of their total salary while on maternity or paternity leave in Switzerland.

The European Union currently requires member states to offer 14 weeks of maternity leave and two weeks of paternity leave as a minimum. Many countries go way above this, with countries like Spain and Finland already offering both parents equal amounts of time off.

Extended parental leave creates more equality

Offering all parents in Switzerland 18 weeks of parental leave would bring many social and economic benefits, according to the Family Time Initiative. Not only would extending statutory time off equalise the amount that both mothers and fathers can take, but it would also help mothers return to work and challenge stereotypical gender roles.

Advantages expand to the wider population and economy too, by “strenthen[ing] cohesion between generations” and “creat[ing] certainty for companies”, states the proposal.

Initiative critics, however, are concerned it will cost companies too much and lead to financial losses. The Swiss Employers' Association (SAV) has previously called extended parental leave “only a short-term solution to the real challenge: namely the compatibility of work and family,” reports 20 Minuten, arguing instead that flexible working and subsidised childcare should be prioritised.

What happens next?

As a popular initiative, the Federal Council must now verify the signatures, examine the proposal and draft a response, usually including a recommendation on whether the initiative should be passed or rejected. The government can also draft a counter-proposal if it is in support but has amendments.

The Family Time Initiative will then go to parliament, where both the National Council and the Council of States can make recommendations. 

Popular initiatives in Switzerland, because they propose amendments to the Federal Constitution, typically go to a nationwide vote, with the population ultimately making the final decision on whether the proposal will be adopted. The whole process can take a few years.