Parenthood and all related issues require a community. This guide is for members of the University of Geneva – staff and students – who are parents or planning to become parents, as well as their superiors or academic supervisors.

Back to work

You return to work at the end of your maternity leave.

If you return to work before the end of your maternity leave, even part time, you lose your entitlement to the remaining maternity allowance. In any case, it is forbidden to return to work in the eight weeks following the birth.

Reducing your employment rate

You have a contract paid by the Department for Public Education (DIP)
Whatever your role, you can ask to temporarily reduce your employment rate, in particular because of family responsibilities. However, the request needs to be made sufficiently far in advance.

You have a contract paid by an external fund
You are not entitled to unpaid parental leave, nor to a temporary reduction of your employment rate for family reasons. This reduction can nonetheless be negotiated with your superior, but a return to the previous working hours is not guaranteed.

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Illness of your child (or a relative)

You are allowed to miss work to care for sick family members: serious illness of the father, mother, spouse, registered partner, child or any person for whom the employee has a maintenance obligation. A maximum of 15 days of absence per year is permitted without any impact on salary.

In case of serious health problems (illness or accident) of a child, the parent can take 14 weeks of leave to care for them.

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A medical certificate must be submitted to the superior as of the first day of leave when children over 10 years old are concerned.

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Chaperon Rouge (emergency babysitting), route des acacias 9, 1211 Geneva 4, 022 304 04 82, chaperon.rouge(at)croix-rouge-ge.ch

(Future) parents follow the guide!

Back to work

Reducing your employment rate

menu_bookLaws and regulations

Illness of your child (or a relative)

emoji_objectsTo do

sentiment_satisfiedContacts

menu_bookLaws and regulations