Swiss initiative to grant more paternity leave given official green light

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The 100,000 signature mark required to launch a popular vote was reached in June 2017. Yesterday the Swiss Federal Chancellery validated 107,075 of the 107,455 signatures collected completing the first significant official milestone.

The initiative is demanding four weeks of paid leave for fathers, to be taken within the first year of the birth of a child. The plan would be funded by increased social security taxes payable by all salary earners in the same way as maternity leave is funded. According to the initiators the plan will cost someone earning a salary of CHF 100,000, CHF 60 a year.

• Swiss vote on paternity leave gets enough qualifying signatures (Le News)

If the public vote “yes” to the plan it will be implemented within three years.

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