Mothers in the Swiss workplace – Why we need new approaches and solutions, and how Mom2MomBusiness can support

In Switzerland, mothers face a double challenge every day: they juggle work, family, and social expectations – and often feel as if they have to tear themselves apart to do everything justice.

The truth is: Balancing work and family life in Switzerland is still a huge effort. High childcare costs, a lack of flexible working models, and outdated role models make it difficult for mothers, but also fathers, to reach their full potential.

 But there are solutions – and that's where we at Mom2MomBusiness.com come in.

1. The part-time trap – putting your career on the back burner?

Switzerland is a leader when it comes to part-time work: 78.1% of working mothers with children under the age of 15 worked reduced hours in 2021.

What sounds family-friendly often means in reality:


- Fewer opportunities for advancement


- Lower income


- Uncertainty in old age

Many mothers want to take on more responsibility, but don't dare to leave the “part-time trap” because the structures in companies are often not suitable.

“Part-time work was a blessing for me while the children were young. But now I realize that I'm stuck in my career. There are hardly any opportunities for further training and advancement for part-time employees,” says Selina, 41, mother of a teenager from Bern.

2. Childcare – a luxury rather than a given

The cost of daycare or after-school care is among the highest in the world. A daycare place costs an average of around CHF 130 per child per day. In cities such as Zurich or Geneva, this quickly adds up to as much as CHF 3,325 per month.

"Daycare costs are so high that my 50% job is almost not worth it financially. I work anyway because I'm afraid of losing touch with my career otherwise," explains Lea, 29, a nurse from Basel.

The problem is that once you leave your job, it's difficult to get back into it. Your professional knowledge becomes outdated, your professional network breaks down, and self-doubt grows.

3. Role models – the invisible pressure

Although much has changed, many people still have the same image in their minds: the mother stays at home, the father works full-time. This unspoken ideal creates pressure – not only from outside, but also within many women.

According to a Swiss Life study, if given the choice, only 4% of mothers in Switzerland would want to work full-time – for fathers, the figure is only 13%.

“There is this unspoken pressure that ‘good mothers’ should be at home as much as possible. Even when I'm working, I often feel guilty because I think I'm not there enough for my child,” says Anna, 34, a mother of two and marketing specialist from Zurich.

4. Lack of flexible working models

Working from home has shown that flexibility is possible—but in many industries, real alternatives to the 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. structure are still in short supply. Job sharing, project-based work, and flexible part-time models often exist only as pilot projects

“We hesitated for a long time before introducing job-sharing models. But since we tried it, we've been thrilled: we're winning back highly qualified mothers – and team performance has even increased thanks to shared responsibility,” reports Claudia Meier, HR manager at an IT company.

“The compatibility of work and family life is no longer a ‘nice-to-have,’ but crucial to our attractiveness as an employer,” says Peter Schmid, CEO of a medium-sized company.

How Mom2MomBusiness opens up new opportunities for mothers in Switzerland

Mom2MomBusiness.com is more than just a platform. We have a mission: to support working mothers in Switzerland in returning to work, furthering their careers, or changing careers — while showing companies how work-life balance really works.

Because we believe that mothers have a wide range of professional skills — they just need to be made visible and used optimally.


Our 3 pillars:



1. Network & visibility


We are committed to helping mothers, families, and employers recognize, design, and implement family-friendly working models. It's what you can do that counts—not how many hours you work each week.



2. Self-determination & empowerment


We offer workshops, coaching, and practical programs to help mothers recognize their skills and opportunities and confidently break new ground.



3. Rethinking working models


We advise companies and work together to develop solutions and structures that offer families real prospects—without them having to choose between career and children, creating win-win situations.

Our goal – and your opportunity

Balancing work and family life should not be a privilege. It is a necessity for a modern society, sustainable skilled workers and managers, and a healthy labor market.



With Mom2MomBusiness.com, we create an environment in which mothers are visible and can work independently – without compromising on family or career. And for companies, we are committed to retaining these skills in the long term.

Our team is as diverse as life itself — and brings with it expertise and personal experience.

Whether as a mother or a company, new solutions are needed to achieve a work-life balance. Mom2MomBusiness connects, strengthens, and supports both sides.

For more information and contact details, visit mom2mombusiness.com.

Sources

- Federal Statistical Office / SRF (2022): Employment of mothers, 78.1% work part-time
- Watson (2023): Daycare costs in Switzerland – average CHF 130 per day
- einwandern-schweiz.ch (2023): Childcare costs up to CHF 3,325 per month
- Swiss Life study on part-time work (2022): Only 4% of mothers would want to work full-time
- Wikipedia (2023): Work-life balance in Switzerland