A left-leaning alliance, with some support from the centre, has launched a popular initiative calling for a total of 36 weeks of parental leave – 18 weeks per parent – following the birth of a child, reported RTS.
The proposal, published this week in the Federal Gazette, aims to replace the country’s current system of paid maternity (14 weeks) and paid paternity (2 weeks) leave with a more generous system, arguing that it would promote greater equality in both family and working life.
The initiative, entitled “A strong society and economy through parental leave”, frames parenthood as a shared responsibility. Its backers argue that the existing framework disadvantages men in their parental role and penalises women economically. Making it easier for mothers to work, they say, would help address Switzerland’s labour shortages, adding an estimated 2,500 full time workers to the workforce each year. This would pay back the cost within 20 years, they estimate.
The proposed system would offer each parent 18 weeks of non-transferable leave, to be taken in alternating blocks. Up to a quarter of the leave could be taken simultaneously, with exceptions allowed, for example on health grounds.
For many, the non-transferabilty of the proposed leave is the key political sticking point. Parents who agree to double down on one high-earning career, leaving the other to work less and focus on childcare, do not like the idea of subsidising parents who happen to choose to pursue two full time careers. A system of separate non-transferable pots of child care is coercive and discriminatory, they argue. It does not leave parents free to structure their lives as they choose.
The political compromise that would probably end Switzerland’s long running to and fro on this issue would be a proposal to provide a larger pool of fully transferable parental leave. This would make life easier for working parents with newborns, regardless of how they decide to structure their lives, and might have a similar positive economic impact.
The latest initiative is spearheaded by Alliance F, a women’s rights advocacy group, the Green Party, the Green Liberal Party, Travail.Suisse and the Centre Women’s Network. The project also has the support of elected members of the Socialist and Centre Parties.
The committee has until 1 October 2026 to gather the 100,000 signatures required to put the plan before the public as a national vote.
More on this:
RTS article (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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