Care work at home must be distributed more fairly between women and men.

Nicole Burth heads Communication Services and is a member of the executive board at Swiss Post, as well as a board member at Advance. The married mother of two children is convinced that compatibility only succeeds if the whole family helps out.

“My mother ran a large restaurant and advocated for women in the workforce in our hometown. She was always an active and independent role model for me. We children learned early on to stand on our own two feet – and that everyone contributes to the whole. My husband and I maintain this today: we support each other so that the family does not come up short alongside work. The fact that he works part time helps enormously. In addition, we are lucky that grandmothers on both sides are highly committed.”

“I am convinced that compatibility only succeeds if the whole family helps out. Unfortunately, the reality is still different. While six out of 10 women work part time today, it is just under 20 % for men. That’s why I also advocate in my environment at Swiss Post that a reduction to 80 % is almost always possible. This would also mean that our teams could become more diverse and the care work at home could be distributed more fairly. 77 % of this work is currently exclusively carried by women in Switzerland!”

“As an employer, teams with a balanced ratio of women and men in leadership positions are important, not only for equality. It has long been proven that such teams sustainably perform much better. In addition, there is an acute shortage of skilled workers in Switzerland. At the same time, there are many women who are not employed at all or are in part-time positions. If we manage to activate more women for the labor market, then we can at least alleviate the skilled worker shortage. One more thing is very important to me: diversity is crucial for business success. That’s why I deliberately rely on mixed teams. Because I am convinced that they find better and more innovative solutions thanks to diverse experiences, different ways of thinking and perspectives.”

“I am convinced that compatibility only succeeds if the whole family helps out.”