‘Alarming’ rates of sexual harassment and stress among Swiss apprentices
More than two-thirds of students after the compulsory three years of lower secondary school choose to pursue the vocational path.
Keystone/ennio Leanza
Some two-thirds of apprentices in Switzerland, many of whom are minors, have experienced sexual harassment – one-third of whom say that it occurred in the workplace.
This is according to a studyExternal link on the life of apprentices published by the trade union organisation Unia Youth on Monday. The organisation surveyed 800 apprentices – some 28% of whom were in their first year of apprenticeship. Women made up 61% of the survey respondents.
Many of those affected are minors and have only been working for a short time, often in their first job. One third of respondents indicated that they faced sexual harassment at work, another third at school and just over half in their private lives. Only 30% had never experienced sexual harassment.
“The fact that so many young people have already had such an experience is alarming and shows that apprentices, but also all employees, need to be protected more,” said Kathrin Ziltener, national youth secretary at Unia, in a statement.
The most common forms of sexual harassment were sexual innuendos and derogatory remarks. The experience was more common among women with some 80% of females surveyed indicating they faced sexual harassment, compared to 46% of males.
Stress on the job
The survey also found high levels of stress among apprentices, with some 70% indicating that they felt stressed and nearly half felt overwhelmed on occasion.
Almost two-thirds (63%) of all respondents had to work overtime from time to time during their apprenticeship and almost a third (31%) have already been bullied at the workplace.
To address the situation, Unia calls for better legal protections for apprentices, especially with regards to overtime and evening work. It also urges workplaces to implement a zero-tolerance policy concerning sexual harassment, to create a contact point within or outside the company, and to put in place sanctions for employees who are found guilty of sexual misconduct.
Geneva decides not to remove controversial memorials
This content was published on
The city of Geneva has presented an action plan regarding a series of controversial local statues and monuments of historical figures linked to racism, colonialism or slavery.
University of Lausanne calls for end to pro-Palestine sit-in
This content was published on
The pro-Palestinian occupation continues at the University of Lausanne (UNIL). On Monday evening, a group of students refused to agree to the deadline set by the rectorate.
Ukraine peace conference should include Russia, says Chinese ambassador
This content was published on
China supports a peace conference on the Ukraine war that would see equal participation of all parties, says Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui.
This content was published on
A majority of Swiss citizens have open attitudes towards various infertility treatments, including even egg donation, which is currently prohibited.
Reports of Swiss cyber fraud almost doubled in six months
This content was published on
The head of the new Federal Office for Cybersecurity (FOC), Florian Schütz, has presented a new strategy after just over four months in office.
Ecological status of Swiss streams insufficient according to study
This content was published on
Pesticide use and obstructions of waterways have a particularly negative impact on sensitive organisms, completely absent in 70% of streams analysed.
Train line between Brig and Domodossola interrupted
This content was published on
One day after a derailment approximately 15 kilometres from the Swiss border, BLS is running buses for passengers between Preglia and Domodossola, in Italy.
This content was published on
Some 85% of Swiss graduating from an apprenticeship find a job within three months; almost half of them stay loyal to the employer who trained them.
One in five Swiss women has been a victim of sexual violence
This content was published on
Sexual violence is much more widespread in Switzerland than previously thought, affecting at least one in five women, Amnesty warns.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.