parental leave

Following the confederation law, the maternity leave is 14 weeks, and starts the day of the birth.

The maternity benefit is 80 % of the wage, and is limited at CHF 196.00 per day. Those are the minimal conditions, however, the employer can support longer maternity leave and allocate extra benefit, check your case!

You are entitled to maternity leave and benefit if :

• you have been insured with AVS during the 9 months previous maternity
• you have worked for at least 5 months during the period before maternity
• your pregnancy has lasted at least 23 weeks

As a breastfeeding mother, you are entitled to various rights at your place of work during your child’s first year of life:

• You should not be obliged to work overtime. (OLT1 Art. 60 al. 1)
• The company must provide you with a suitable room for resting with a small couch. (OLT3 Art. 34)
• You cannot be obliged to perform dangerous or strenuous work which may pose a threat to mother or child. If no suitable protective measures can be taken and the company cannot provide a safe equivalent job you can stay at home and continue to receive 80 % of your wage. (OLT1 Art. 62, 64)
• Breastfeeding offers protection just as pregnancy does
• You can breastfeed your child either at work or away from your workplace.
• You should not be obliged to make up the time lost during breastfeeding. This time is not deducted from other resting periods such as holidays.(LTr Art. 35a, al. 2)
• If you breastfeed your child at work, the time you spend breastfeeding counts fully as time worked. If you go home to breastfeed half of this time is counted as time worked. (OLT1 Art. 60 al. 2).

Paternity

Fathers have recently been granted two weeks of paternity leave. This paid leave is to be taken during the 6 months following the birth of the child. The paternity allowance corresponds to 80% of the salary and is limited to a maximum of CHF 196.00 per day, thereby a maximum amount of CHF 2744.

You are entitled to paternity leave and benefit if :

• you have been insured with AVS during the 9 months previous maternity
• you have worked for at least 5 months during the period before maternity
• you are still employed on the day of the birth
• you are the legal father of the child

Link

See also our section about maternity insurance.

Source: Travail.Suisse