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Pizza maker under fire for ‘sexy’ delivery staff

A pizza company is taking flak in the canton of Vaud for advertising for young and pretty women to deliver its products.

Published: 16 July 2013 11:10 CEST
Pizza maker under fire for 'sexy' delivery staff
Image used by Bulldog Pizza to promote its business. Photo: Facebook

Bulldog Pizza is opening soon in Nyon, a town between Geneva and Lausanne, promising to deliver pizzas and sandwiches to businesses and homes.

But its plan to hire solely young women for deliveries has provoked the ire of Magaly Hanselmann, an official with the canton of Vaud responsible for gender equality, 20 Minutes reported online on Tuesday.

“It is shocking: we are confronted here with a case that could be one of direct discrimination,” Hanselmann is quoted by the newspaper as saying.

The pizza company has advertised in French for “female delivery people, women only . . . of excellent appearance, young and go-getting”.

Hanselmann said the text poses not only a problem with the law on equality but it puts potential employees in a dangerous situation.

“To have sexy women making deliveries alone makes no sense,” she told 20 Minutes.

“It’s putting them in a delicate situation,” Hanselmann said.

“In case of harassment, this employer is not protected from the filing of a complaint.”

Peter Zehetbauer, owner of Bulldog Pizza, said he expected criticism when he launched his business, 20 Minutes reported.

“When I spoke to my sister about it, she wanted to strangle me,” Zehetbauer is quoted as saying.

“But our concept is innovative,” he said.

“I am convinced that it responds to a demand.”

In its advertising flyer and on its Facebook page the company shows a couple of young women, wearing low-cut white polo shirts and caps with pizza boxes in their hands.

Zehetbauer brushed aside accusations of sexism, 20 Minutes reported.

“I am transparent with my employees,” he said.

“And all the same, they do not work scantily clad,” the entrepreneur insisted.

“If they attack me, I know how to defend myself.”

Zehetbauer said that all the delivery women are equipped with tear gas cannisters “just in case”.

He said four women have already been hired, “including a model”.

Several men have applied for jobs without success, 20 Minutes said.

Zehetbauer said once the “business concept” is explained to them they understand why they have been turned down.

By contrast, all the pizza makers are men, he added.  

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How much can you expect to be paid in certain professions in Switzerland?

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Published: 11 April 2024 17:01 CEST
How much can you expect to be paid in certain professions in Switzerland?

Thanks to a strong economy and the ability to weather many of the economic storms of the past few years, there is an increased focus on the alpine nation as a destination for job seekers. 

A new report released by financial services company Conotoxia provides a fresh look at the average monthly salaries for Switzerland’s most significant job sectors, and the monthly costs that new arrivals can expect. 

A commanding advantage

The good news is that Swiss workers enjoy a commanding salary advantage over many of their neighbours. 

Conotoxia, which based its report on figures from Switzerland’s Federal Statistics Office states: “Switzerland is renowned for its high labour standards and competitive salaries. The average annual salary is 78,000 CHF or around €79,500.”

In comparison, the most recent figures from Eurostat, dating from 2022, place the average annual salary across the European Union at €33,500. 

Wages in Switzerland do vary depending on the region and the specific position.

READ MORE: Which job sectors in Switzerland employ the most foreign workers?

Medical and IT are the strongest earners

Switzerland’s booming pharmaceutical and life sciences sectors – most visible in the country’s ‘Health Valley’ stretching between Geneva and Bern – have led to doctors and those with direct medical experience expecting to earn Switzerland’s highest monthly salaries. 

Doctors, for example, can expect to earn an average of 8,000 CHF to 15,000 CHF monthly, whereas pharmacists can expect a monthly paycheque of between 7,000 CHF and 10,000 CHF.

With IT providing the backbone to many of Switzerland’s other industries—particularly banking—it is no surprise that programmers, developers, and system administrators can expect a sizeable monthly salary. 

READ MORE: Which Swiss companies have the biggest gaps between high and low earners?

On average, IT professionals should earn between 7,000 CHF and 12,000 CHF. 

Of course, those in the banking sector can also expect an excellent monthly salary. Conotoxia lists roles such as financial analyst earning between 7,000 CHF and 11,000 monthly – with salaries trending towards the higher end in Zurich, the country’s financial capital.

Other professions listed were as follows: electricians (5,200 CHF), pharmacists (7 to 10,000 CHF) hotel managers (5 to 8,000 CHF) University lecturers (6 to 10,000 CHF) sales managers (6,500 to 9,500 CHF) logistics specialists (5,500 to 8,000 CHF) and mechanical engineers (6,500 to 9,000 CHF)

A higher cost of living

Higher salaries, however, result in a higher cost of living for those coming to Switzerland from abroad. 

Rents in Switzerland are among the highest in Europe and can range between 1,000 CHF for a studio apartment and 3,000 CHF for a larger apartment, especially in larger cities such as Geneva and Zurich, which are classed as among the world’s most expensive cities to live in. 

READ MORE: Why are Zurich and Geneva among the world’s most expensive cities?

While essential utilities are not the most expensive in Europe, they are undoubtedly high. 

According to the report, those living in Switzerland can expect to pay between up to 250 CHF a month for power, gas and water. 

However, according to the quality of life database Numbeo, this is still well below the most expensive European country, Austria, where the average monthly cost of utilities is €335.69, and Germany, at €321.45. 

The report also found that the average monthly cost of groceries was between 600 and 800 CHF, depending on the time of year. 

READ MORE Can a family in Switzerland live well on a median salary?

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