Switzerland: Paternity Leave: Fribourg First Swiss City to Introduce A 40-Day Paternity Leave for Fathers in the Public Sector

At the end of April 2024, the city parliament of Fribourg decided to grant its public employees 40 days of paternity leave.

In September 2020, the Swiss population voted in favour of introducing a nationwide paternity leave of two weeks. Employed fathers (or the mother’s wife) are entitled to two weeks’ leave, which can be taken in the form of full weeks (including weekends) or individual days. The leave must be taken within six months of the child’s birth. The paternity allowance corresponds to 80% of the average income from gainful employment obtained prior to the child’s birth, up to a maximum of CHF 220 per day. Therefore, for two weeks, those entitled can receive fourteen daily allowances, i.e., a maximum of CHF 3,080.

Individual municipalities, cantons, and private employers that want to be attractive to potential employees provide for more generous regulations. The latest example is the City of Fribourg, which introduced a 40-day paternity leave. The leave is now called “Leave of the Second Parent” because it also applies to the mother’s wife.