Swiss parental leave policy developments

In Geneva, the Swiss Federal Assembly has approved an extended parental leave policy following a federal law revision. This decision allows the canton to provide an additional eight weeks of leave for the non-birthing parent, supplementing the standard 16-week maternity leave. The implementation was previously delayed due to constitutional incompatibilities with the Federal Act on Compensation for Loss of Earnings (LAPG), but a recent revision to the LAPG now permits cantons to exceed federal requirements.

Concurrently, a national parental leave initiative titled ‘A strong society and economy through parental leave’ has been officially submitted to the Swiss Federal Chancellery after collecting 112,517 signatures. The proposal seeks to establish 18 weeks of paid leave for each parent, with a model where leave is not transferable but allows for up to 4.5 weeks of simultaneous leave. The initiative is supported by various political groups and labor organizations, aiming to expand upon current standards of 14 weeks for mothers and two weeks for fathers.