Switzerland parental leave initiative filed with 112,517 signatures

A parental leave initiative titled ‘A strong society and economy through parental leave’ has been officially submitted to the Swiss Federal Chancellery, having collected 112,517 signatures.

The proposal calls for 18 weeks of paid leave for each of the two parents following the birth of a child. Under this model, the leave would not be transferable between parents; however, both parents could take up to 4.5 weeks simultaneously. Compensation would generally follow the system used for military or civil service allowances, though it would reach 100% of income for the lowest earners.

The initiative is supported by various political groups, including the Center, Greens, Green Liberals, Socialist Party, BDP, and FDP, as well as labor organizations. Currently, working mothers in Switzerland are entitled to 14 weeks of paid maternity leave, while paternity leave was established at two weeks in 2021.