The current standard maternity leave in Switzerland is 14 weeks. Fathers don't get any time off work, but in September the parliament backed a proposal to grant them two weeks of paid paternity leave.
Under the Basel proposal, the father would be granted eight weeks, with the remaining 16 weeks being divided between the two parents. Parental leave could be taken during the period between the birth and the beginning of the child's schooling.
The motion, which was introduced by the left-wing Social Democratic Party, was accepted at the municipal level. The canton now has three months to take a stand on this issue.
If accepted, it would be first time that dads in Switzerland get extended paid paternity leave.
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