Women are the big losers of the Covid-19 crisis and telework is a “double-edged sword”, according to an annual barometer of working conditions in Switzerland.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/gw
Português
pt
Pandemia agrava disparidades de gênero no trabalho
Even before the pandemic hit, women were rating their workplace conditions worse than men by 1.6-1.8 index points. But this difference has more than doubled in 2020, to 3.3-3.8 index points, the independent workers’ umbrella organisation Travail.Suisse said on Thursday.
This can be explained by an increase in workload in sectors where women are highly represented – such as the retail trade and healthcare services – over the course of the pandemic.
Healthcare is the only sector to receive lower scores than in previous years in all areas covered in the barometer.
Working from home has both its advantages and disadvantages, according to the representative survey of 1,500 employees across Switzerland. Respondents appreciated the peace and quiet of telework and being able to scrap commuting from their schedule, but they viewed less favourably shorter or non-existent breaks and being permanently reachable.
On a more positive note, internal communication with employees had improved during the health crisis, said Travail.Suisse, which conducted its survey in June and July 2020.
Plummeting job numbers
The survey results came as the Federal Statistical Office published its latest employment figures, which showed the number of jobs fell by 0.4% between September 2019 and September 2020.
The sectors hardest hit include manufacturing and the services sector, notably hotels and restaurants. Taking seasonal adjustments into account, there were 5.122 million people in employment, an increase of 0.5% over the previous quarter.
Regionally, canton Ticino posted the biggest decline in jobs (-1.5%). Zurich was the only canton to experience an increase (+0.8%).
The prospects for finding work were also bleak: the number of vacancies fell by 15.1%, to 11,900 job openings.
Popular Stories
More
Multinational companies
Azeri fossil-fuel cash cow brings controversy to Switzerland
Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines
This content was published on
The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
Nature should not figure in net zero calculations: academic study
This content was published on
The natural removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by forests or oceans should not be included in the net-zero balance of climate protection measures, argue researchers.
This content was published on
None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.
This content was published on
Nestlé's new CEO Laurent Freixe, has presented plans for the future of the world's largest food company, after his first few weeks in office.
Swiss foreign minister calls on Moscow to end Ukraine war
This content was published on
It's high time Moscow ended its war against Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis tells the UN Security Council.
This content was published on
The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
Study reveals food culture differences between Switzerland and neighbours
This content was published on
Three-quarters of Swiss people consider eating to be a pleasurable, social activity, a new survey reveals. Healthy eating, however, plays a much less important role, it found.
This content was published on
The latest work figures show that 85,000 fewer people are employed now than at the same time in 2019 – the biggest decline since 1993.
Women still struggle to break top ranks in Swiss firms
This content was published on
Women represent half of employees in non-management levels in Switzerland, but promotion rates between men and women remain unequal.
This content was published on
More Swiss firms are announcing job cuts after the coronavirus crisis hit their business in the second quarter of the year.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.