Birth in Switzerland
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These events in a person's life are universal, but each country has different procedures for them. Switzerland also has its own special features.
Birth
Every child born in Switzerland has to be registered with the authorities. Parents are entitled to maternity leave.
The birth has to be declared to the civil registry at the place of birth within three days. If the birth takes place in a medical facility, it is responsible for completing this formality.
If the child of a Swiss citizen was born abroad and also has another nationality, it is recommended that the birth be declared to the Swiss diplomatic mission or civil registry office at the last place of residence in Switzerland. If this is not done, the child loses the right to Swiss nationality when he or she reaches the age of 22.
If the father and mother are married at the time of birth, they are automatically recognised as parents. If the child's mother is not married, the father can apply for an acknowledgement of paternity before or after the birth.
Maternity and paternity leave
Women have been entitled to paternity leave since 2005. From the time the child is born they can be on maternity leave for 14 weeks and get 80 % of their pay. Some collective agreements and some companies have more favourable conditions for employees. A mother is not allowed to go to work in the first 8 weeks after the birth and if she starts work before the 14 weeks' leave expires, she loses her entitlement to the rest of the payment.
From 2021, men are also entitled to paternity leave. Unlike paternity leave, it is more flexible: it can be taken as a whole or broken down into parts, up to 1 day, as long as all the days are used within 6 months of the birth.
Raising a child
As a rule, Swiss families are small. The fertility rate in Switzerland is 1.52 children per woman, and the average age of a woman at first birth is 30.9 years.
Switzerland remains on the whole a rather conservative country, with mothers taking on most of the housework and childcare. Today, 6 out of 10 working women have a part-time job, while among men only 1.8 out of 10 have a part-time job.
The flip side of the coin is that part-time work often means precarious working conditions, inadequate social protection, difficulties in gaining additional qualifications and a fulfilling career.
Nursery or childminder costs are very high in Switzerland, in particular nurseries are among the most expensive in the world. The monthly fee for a child to attend nursery three days a week can easily reach 1,000-2,000 francs a month.
But leaving a child in care is not the only major expense. According to a survey carried out by the Zurich Youth Welfare Office the cost per child ranges from 1,200 to 1,800 francs a month depending on their age. Thus, with a median wage of 6,500 francs per month, childcare costs can be as high as 18 to 27 % of a parent's gross income.
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