Nearly half (41%) of Swiss workers say they end their day exhausted, according to the latest “Working Conditions Barometer”, published by the union federation Travail.Suisse. The study suggests that although overall job satisfaction remains high, the strain of long hours, blurred boundaries and rising workloads is taking a toll. The 2025 edition of the survey […]
Swiss journalists face rising hostility, study finds
Six in ten Swiss media professionals encountered insults or hate speech last year, according to the first systematic study of journalists’ safety in the country. The research, by the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), paints a picture of a profession increasingly exposed to harassment. Eleven per cent of respondents reported physical (19%) or verbal […]
Swiss soldiers may soon take ammunition home again
Swiss soldiers may soon be allowed to keep ammunition at home once more. The Security Policy Committee of the Council of States has voted, by seven to five, to instruct the Federal Council to prepare for the reintroduction of so-called pocket ammunition, citing Europe’s deteriorating security environment, reported SRF. For decades Switzerland raised eyebrows abroad […]
Switzerland’s fertility rate has fallen to a record low
Swiss women had, on average, 1.29 children in 2024—the lowest level since records began, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) reported on Monday. The share of people who do not want children is rising too. Among 20- to 29-year-olds the proportion declaring no desire for children rose from 6% in 2013 to 17% in 2023. For […]
Swiss Reformed Church follows Catholics and launches sexual abuse inquiry
Switzerland’s Protestant church is to commission an independent inquiry into sexual and spiritual abuse within its ranks. On Monday the parliament of the Evangelical Reformed Church of Switzerland voted unanimously to instruct its council to launch a scientific investigation into the issue, reported RTS. The synod approved funding of up to CHF 250,000 for the […]
Residents of Bern’s stretched homeless shelters mostly from abroad
Bern’s emergency shelters are under strain—and most of those using them are not Swiss. A new regulation introduced in October 2025 by the canton of Bern restricts access to emergency accommodation to people with valid papers, in an effort to ration scarce spaces. The measure, intended to ensure that limited places go to those legally […]
The decline of truth as professional journalism faces an existential crisis
Disinformation and conspiracy theories, amplified by social media, are distorting minds at scale. At the same time, the rise of news deprivation—a world in which citizens are either cut off from reliable reporting or simply tune it out—has deepened public confusion and mistrust. This week, we looked at a study that shows nearly half of Switzerland’s population […]
Swiss retail staff push back against Sunday trading expansion
Retail workers in Switzerland are pushing back against plans to allow stores to open on up to 12 Sundays a year, up from the current four. A petition opposing the proposal was submitted to the Federal Chancellery in Bern on Thursday, backed by the unions Unia and Syna, which argue the change would worsen already […]
Study confirms Swiss domestic stereotypes
The Swiss, it seems, live up to their reputation for cleanliness and comfort. A new survey by the Sotomo research institute for IKEA Switzerland suggests that the home remains, for many, a reassuring refuge from an increasingly disorderly world. Nearly everyone (98%) removes their shoes upon entering the house. From there, habits diverge: older residents […]
Swiss conservatives call for tougher laws after violent pro-Palestinian protest
After a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Bern descended into violence on October 11th, centre-right and right-wing parliamentarians are demanding legal action against violent extremism, reported RTS. The proposed measures include bans on pyrotechnics, the use of facial-recognition technology, and longer detention periods. Details were presented in Bern by the Alliance Sécurité Suisse, a cross-party group bringing […]
