Paternity leave? What promoting fathers say about the vote

Tobias Zehnder, co-founder of Webrepublic and a nominee for «Advertiser of the Year,» is the father of two children, ages two and four.

How has the issue of paternity leave been handled at your agency so far?

Tobias Zehnder: We have been offering our employees two weeks of paternity leave since 2015.

What do you think of the «Paternity Leave Now!» citizens’ initiative?

I wholeheartedly support this initiative. The current system in Switzerland is reminiscent of the Stone Age and reinforces a gender role that no longer fits our times: Dad «helps» out a little, while Mom takes on all the family responsibilities. A little more time for both parents right at the start of the family adventure helps enormously. Not only to strengthen the bond between father and child, but also between the parents. Of course, the issue of balancing family and career doesn’t end there, but the initiative addresses one of the most pressing problems for now. Furthermore, from a business perspective, it’s safe to say that these two weeks are something all companies can easily manage.

Lorenz Clormann, Executive Creative Director at Wirz, he is the father of two children, ages eight and five.

How has the issue of paternity leave been handled at your agency so far?

Lorenz Clormann: At the agency where I was working when my son was born, I was given two days off. That’s at least one day more than required by law. But really, it’s ridiculous, since labor can sometimes last as long as 48 hours. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case for us, so in addition to the two days, I took a week of vacation and requested two weeks of unpaid leave. It was definitely worth it. Nothing can replace those first few weeks after a birth. The agency was flexible with my leave arrangements, though, and I was able to hand over all my assignments right after the birth.

Later, I also left the agency for paternity-related reasons, because at that time it wasn’t yet possible to reduce my hours to 90 percent. At the new agency, however, the same thing happened again when my daughter was born. One week of vacation and two weeks of unpaid leave. At least I got three days of paternity leave. Who knows—maybe I’d get four days with my third child.

What do you think of the «Paternity Leave Now!» citizens’ initiative?

It’s high time for this. Honestly, I can’t think of a single valid argument against paternity leave. Sure, two weeks isn’t much, but voting “no” on the ballot and waiting yet another few years for something to happen—that can’t be the right approach either. I would have been happy to have those two weeks back then. And as for anyone else who’s against paternity leave—I have no idea who they are. Childless people? Frustrated fathers? Maybe women? Politicians? I’ll just call them idiots.

Simon Rehsche, He is a managing partner at Heimat Zürich and the father of two four-year-olds.

How has the issue of paternity leave been handled at your agency so far?

Simon Rehsche: We've offered one week of paternity leave since our founding. Anyone who wants to take additional unpaid paternity leave is welcome to do so.

What do you think of the «Paternity Leave Now!» citizens’ initiative?

I voted “yes”; for me, it was never a question. Even from the perspective of a co-owner of an SME, I haven’t heard any argument against it so far that I can really understand. I think a much more progressive approach—such as the one in Sweden—would be the right one for Switzerland as well.

Matthias Kiess, CEO of TBWA\Zurich and currently nominated for «Advertiser of the Year,» is the father of three children aged 12, 15, and 17.

How has the issue of paternity leave been handled at your agency so far?

Matthias Kiess: To be honest, it’s probably more like a «stepfatherly» approach. With the few days we give them, we’re probably not coming across very well right now. For me, as a father of three, this has never bothered me, though.

What do you think of the «Paternity Leave Now!» citizens’ initiative?

The discussion this has sparked goes much further and is also based on Scandinavian models, which grant up to one year of paternity leave. Accordingly, this is probably a «no-brainer.» Two weeks is a minimum that should be guaranteed and is acceptable to everyone.

The upcoming paternity leave initiative, set for a vote on Sunday, aims to amend the Income Replacement Act to require that fathers be able to take two weeks of paid leave within six months of a child’s birth. While some companies, such as Ikea, While companies like Google and Volvo now grant their employees not just several weeks, but several months of paternity leave, the reality in most companies is quite different: In Switzerland, there is no right to paternity leave regulated by federal law. Upon the birth of their child, fathers may claim leave within the scope of «customary days off» (Art. 329, para. 3 of the Swiss Code of Obligations). According to Bsv.admin.ch, most fathers currently receive one to two days of leave.

One by Watson Survey conducted in 2018 A survey of 132 Swiss companies painted a slightly more optimistic picture: 53 companies granted new fathers five paid days of leave, and 36 granted ten. The average among the companies surveyed was 7.7 days.

And the advertising industry? So far, it has tended to take a back seat on this issue—and mostly «adheres to legal requirements.» At least, that’s what the random survey conducted by the Advertising Week as part of the Agency Reviews has been doing for two years. The agency Franz&René stated, to offer paternity leave as well, for the sake of equality—duration unknown. Hinderling Volkart grants two weeks, Home Zurich At least a week.

And today? Werbewoche.ch asked fathers how things are going for them and their agencies—and what they think of the referendum proposal.

Raul Serrat, Chief Creative Officer at Serviceplan Suisse, is the father of three sons aged eight, eleven, and fifteen.

How has the issue of paternity leave been handled at your agency so far?

Raul Serrat: At Serviceplan, paternity leave lasts one week and comes with no obligations whatsoever; becoming a father already imposes enough of those.

What do you think of the «Paternity Leave Now!» citizens’ initiative?

I will definitely vote YES, and I firmly believe that it is time to take this step. Switzerland is a very wealthy country, and most people can afford a very high standard of living. But when it comes to equality and support for families, one often feels as if this country has been transported back to the days of the Rütli Oath.