In Switzerland, pension rules make it more expensive to employ older workers. The amount employers must contribute to 2nd pillar contribution-based employee pensions increases with age. Workers under 35 only cost an additional 3.5% of salary. From 55, workers cost employers an additional 9% – workers aged 35 to 44 cost employers an additional 5% […]
Majority favours later retirement for women, according to survey
In Switzerland, the official retirement age for women is 64, a year earlier than it is for men. A poll by gfs.bern shows that around two thirds are in favour of raising the retirement age of women to 65. Only 16% are against the idea, with a further 18% somewhat against it. Men (78%) are […]
Switzerland’s special tax deals less attractive from 2021
Foreigners who don’t work in Switzerland can benefit from special tax deals known as lump sum taxation, or forfait fiscal in French. Instead of paying tax on their worldwide income and assets their tax is calculated based on their living expenses. When someone becomes Swiss they automatically lose eligibility. The regime, which generated CHF 767 […]
Air traffic control strike planned in Switzerland
On Tuesday, the union Skycontrol, presented a plan for a strike in July. Skycontrol represents some workers working for the air traffic control company Skyguide, which operates at airports in Geneva, Sion, Bern, and Lugano. The strike would run from Monday 23 July until Friday 27 July 2018. A tweet from Skycontrol sets out the […]
Vote to end free Swiss-EU migration gets enough signatures
Organizers of a vote to limit immigration into Switzerland from EU and EFTA nations, had until 18 July 2019 to collect 100,000 valid signatures. Last week, almost one year ahead of the deadline, the Swiss People’s Party announced that they had collected 125,000 signatures. Surprised by how quickly the signatures were collected, Swiss People’s Party leader […]
Geneva – vote to challenge new laws some deem discriminatory
In April 2018, the government of Geneva introduced rules designed to protect religious freedom and preserve religious peace, known as laïcité, or secularity, laws. Laïcité is enshrined in article 3 of Geneva’s constitution, which requires the state to be secular and separate from religion. In Switzerland, religion is a cantonal matter. Geneva’s parliament voted 63 […]
Swiss town tests blockchain-based voting
On 25 June 2018, the city of Zug, the town at the heart of Switzerland’s crypto valley, started testing a voting system based on blockchain technology. During the trial, which runs until 1 July 2018, around 200 voters will cast non-binding municipal votes on mock questions in a trial designed to identify any bugs in […]
Toilet tantrums – some Swiss toilets charge women more than men
Public toilets in some Swiss train stations charge 2 francs for a toilet and 1.5 francs for a urinal. The sit-down price is the same for both men and women, but given only men can use urinals, they have an option unavailable to women, to pay a bit less for a number one. Why the […]
Swiss parliament rejects initiative calling for primacy of Swiss law
On 12 June 2018, an initiative calling for a constitutional amendment, which would place Swiss law above international law, was rejected by the National Council by 129 to 68 votes, after a lengthy nine hour discussion spanning three days. Earlier, the initiative dubbed: Swiss law not foreign judges, organized by the Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP), […]
Switzerland’s parliament narrowly votes for women’s quotas on company boards
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 […]
