Flying is the most polluting way to travel and Swiss residents are frequent flyers. 56% of those surveyed by gfs-zürich on behalf of the Swiss Energy Foundation have flown once or more for non-work reasons in the last two years. According to the Swiss Energy Foundation, the average non-work related distance flown per Swiss resident […]
Amazon Prime coming to Switzerland
According to the newspaper Bilanz, Amazon has signed an agreement with Swiss post to provide rapid customs clearance. The head of postal customs, Felix Stierli, confirmed discussions with the company. A maximum customs clearance time of 3 hours will allow 24-hour delivery, one element of Amazon’s Prime offer. Once Prime is available, Swiss customers will […]
Dogs poisoned in Geneva parks
Dog owners in Geneva have reported poisoning in parks on social media. Genève chiens, a local dog owners association has posted a warning on its website, after warnings from dog owners were posted on the association’s Facebook page. Parks mentioned include: parc Bertrand, parc La Grange and parc Château-Banquet. One dog has died according to […]
What an average Swiss family spends on food and drink
If you’ve ever wondered what families in Switzerland spend on groceries, then here is a breakdown. Figures are taken from mean household income and expenditure data recently published by the Federal Statistical office for 2015. More on this: Federal Statistical Office report (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now For more stories like this […]
Stress rises among Swiss workers
A recent report by Travail.Suisse shows around 40% of Swiss workers report feeling often or very often stressed by their work. Stress and emotional exhaustion is a daily reality for many says Travail.Suisse. Between 2015 and 2017, the percentage suffering work related stress or emotional exhaustion has risen from 38% to 48%. A key issue […]
Switzerland’s 1.3 billion franc payment to EU proves divisive
20 Minutes. Switzerland’s deal with the EU involves a financial contribution. The sum announced by the Federal Council is CHF 1.3 billion over the next 10 years. The arrangement, announced on Thursday to coincide with a visit by european commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, extends a previous 10 year deal. Not everyone is happy with the […]
Facebook posts that could still break Swiss law
Warning someone of a Swiss speed check via Facebook or other social network could still be illegal. People should still think twice before doing this. A warning is allowed under Swiss law if it is not public. But the law does not define public. A recent case in Saint Gallen demonstrates the lack of clarity. […]
Switzerland’s Federal Council against banning dual nationals from office
When Ignazio Cassis gave up his Italian nationality ahead of his recent election to the Federal Council some celebrated. According to 20 Minutes, Lorenzo Quadri, from the Lega dei Ticinesi, a political party in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, put forward a motion to have this made law. He thinks Federal Councillors, parliamentarians and diplomats […]
Where an average Swiss household spends its income
A recent report from Switzerland Federal Statistical Office shows how an average Swiss household spends its income. In 2015, the mean income was CHF 9,946 per month, including all forms of income and any 13th month payment received at the end of the year. This means an average Swiss household of 2.17 people had CHF 119,352 […]
Glyphosate – Swiss government rejects ban plan. Plus how to avoid it.
Last week, the Federal Council, Switzerland’s executive, rejected the Green party’s plan to ban the use of the controversial herbicide glyphosate, a compound classified as “probably carcinogenic to humans” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organisation. According to 20 Minutes, the Federal Council thinks glyphosate residues in Switzerland are […]
