Zurich: radical solution or equal opportunities? Zurich residents will vote on parental leave in May
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The parental leave initiative requires that both parents receive 18 weeks of paid childcare leave. You can find an overview here.
The parental leave initiative requires that both parents receive 18 weeks of paid childcare leave.
20 minutes/Simon Glauser
“Basically, I support supporting families, but this initiative is a radical solution and therefore goes too far,” says SVP cantonal councilor Nina Fehr.
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In the canton of Zurich, the parental leave initiative will be voted on on May 15th. This requires that both parents receive 18 weeks of paid childcare leave. Maternity leave is currently 14 weeks for women, and men have had two weeks of paternity leave since 2021.
That’s what the proponents say
“By accepting the initiative, we would make a significant contribution to gender equality,” says Stefan Rüegger, Deputy Secretary General at the SP. Especially at the beginning, parents should be given freedom of choice in the distribution of child-rearing tasks. Parental leave is also advantageous for working women who do not want to have children: “Since a father would be absent for the same length of time as the mother, women would be less discriminated against in this respect when they are employed.”
Rüegger also sees advantages for the economy: “Parental leave is expected to have a positive effect on satisfaction, which reduces staff turnover and thus pays off for the company.” Equal distribution of roles also enables more women to return to work after maternity with their previous workload. The AL and Greens have also adopted the Yes slogan. According to Green Canton Councilor Florian Heer, Zurich should take on a pioneering role. “Switzerland is at the bottom in this respect and has to move forward,” says Heer.
That’s what the opponents say
“Basically, I support supporting families, but this initiative is a radical solution and therefore goes too far,” says SVP cantonal councilor Nina Fehr. At around CHF 300 million, the costs of parental leave are too high. For small and medium-sized companies in particular, the initiative would be difficult to implement, both financially and in terms of personnel. According to Fehr, families can also organize themselves in other ways and apply for vacations, for example. “We can’t leave everything to the state,” says Fehr.
In addition to the SVP, the FDP, Mitte and EVP as well as the government council also reject the initiative. According to EPP Canton Councilor Mark A. Wisskirchen, Zurich should not be used for a pilot project. “The problem must be regulated at the national level,” says Wisskirchen. The GLP has decided to vote.
