Yesterday, Switzerland’s National Council, or parliament, voted 95 to 94, with 3 abstentions, to introduce quotas for the management and boards of quoted companies. Boards will be required to have 30% women and management teams 20%. The rules could affect 250 companies. At the same time the quotas will not come with sanctions. Companies would […]
Parent-teacher relations a major concern in French-speaking Swiss schools
For the first time, a survey by Switzerland’s head teachers’ association asked about parent-teacher relations. In French-speaking1 Switzerland, 55% listed parent-teacher relations as a principle concern, in second place after concern over the health of teachers (73%), who are finding their job increasingly stressful. Across the rösti graben in German-speaking Switzerland, 45% thought parent-teacher relations […]
No risk from glyphosate in food, according to Swiss government
Glyphosate is the world’s most heavily used herbicide. Its largest use is in agriculture, which increased sharply after crops were genetically modified to make them resistant to the chemical. In March 2015, the IARC classified glyphosate as probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A). It said there was limited evidence of carcinogenicity in humans for non-Hodgkin […]
Child care tax deductions set to rise in Switzerland
Switzerland’s Federal Council, or cabinet, plans to increase the maximum annual deduction for child care costs to CHF 25,000 per child, up from CHF 12,100. This would allow parents to deduct up to this amount from their income for federal tax purposes but would not affect canton and commune taxes. Deductions could not exceed the […]
Swiss government data shows sharp rise in another tick borne disease
A report published recently the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) shows a sharp increase tularemia cases, a disease spread primarily by ticks. From 2010 to 2016, an average of 31 cases of infection were recorded annually. In 2017, the number jumped to 129, a four-fold increase. 129 cases is 1.5 per 100,000. Most were […]
Switzerland breaks record for highest number of PhD students
In 2017, there were 31,293 doctoral students at Switzerland’s two federal technical universities, EPFL in Lausanne and ETHZ in Zurich. This record figure is 1,000 more than in 2016 and 10,000 more than 10 years ago. The biggest rise in 2017 was the number in computing (+7.5%) and in science and engineering (+4.1%), both higher […]
Child obesity in Switzerland related to education and nationality
A recent study of children’s waistlines in three Swiss cities shows strong correlations between obesity, nationality and the education level of parents. Among Swiss children, 14.5% are obese or overweight, while among foreigners the rate is 22.1%. The gap between those with the most and least educated parents is even greater. Only 10% of children […]
Toxic turf – how great are the health risks of Switzerland’s synthetic sports pitches?
Synthetic sports pitches might be durable and easy to maintain, but the small black beads made from old tires found in some of them contain toxic chemicals. The French football magazine So Foot, raised the issue recently. Around 20 pitches in French speaking Switzerland are affected, according to RTS. Several analyses have been done around […]
Suicide leading cause of death among Swiss youth
A recent press release by Stop Suicide, an organisation for the prevention of youth suicide, highlights the vulnerability of young people in Switzerland. In 2015, 2.5 times as many people aged under 30 died from suicide as from car accidents. In addition, it is the first time since 2011 that the rate has risen. In […]
Single mum asked to repay more than 200,000 francs of welfare by Swiss municipality
A single mother in Münchenstein in the canton of Basel-Landschaft has been asked by her municipality to repay CHF 224,866 francs of welfare she received, according to a recent report by the Swiss broadcaster SRF. Life became challenging for the 43-year-old woman after she gave birth to a premature child requiring intensive care. Then her […]
