Caring relatives: support is worthwhile for companies
If companies provide targeted support to their employees who are caring for sick or injured relatives, they can avoid consequential costs. Particularly in view of the shortage of skilled workers, it is worthwhile for employers to invest in a good work-life balance. This is the result of a postulate report adopted by the Federal Council at its meeting on June 20, 2025.
In Switzerland, around 360,000 people take on care and nursing duties for a sick or injured family member in addition to their gainful employment. Over 40 percent of them do this to such an extent that it becomes difficult to reconcile care and work. This can result in reduced workloads or absences. Companies need to take supportive measures to ensure that these employees can remain in employment and are not absent due to excessive workloads.
A research report on the Maret 21.3232 postulate ("Cost-benefit analysis of measures that companies have taken for their employees to reconcile work and caring for relatives") uses case studies and simulation calculations to show that companies benefit in most cases from supportive measures for caring relatives. All measures - even those with higher costs - are often more profitable for companies than the follow-up costs that arise, for example, from a dismissal and the subsequent recruitment of new employees.
Working from home and flexible work schedules can promote compatibility
One measure that improves the situation of employees providing care is, for example, the option to work from home more often and thus work flexibly in terms of time and location. Such solutions are generally associated with low costs for companies. In Switzerland, however, less than half of employees are able to work from home on a regular basis. This is because working from home is not possible in sectors with compulsory attendance or fixed opening hours. These mainly include the social and healthcare sectors, retail, hospitality and construction, but also many craft and industrial businesses. It is more difficult to find solutions in these areas. The postulate report mentions options for family caregivers in these sectors, such as swapping shifts within a team or the possibility of generating minus hours for a certain period of time.
According to the postulate report, the social partners play a central role in the search for sector-specific solutions. They often know best which measures can achieve the most in which sector. Within the scope of its competencies, the Confederation helps to sensitize the social partners to the issue of reconciling work and family care.
Source: Federal Office of Public Health FOPH
