Mothers Back to Business

In Switzerland, reconciling work and family life is a huge challenge. The numbers speak for themselves: more than 50,000 Swiss mothers would like to return to work. However, companies make it difficult for them to re-enter the labour market: conditions are difficult, there are few opportunities with real responsibility, and the prospects for the future are often lacking. In this way, a lot of professional potential is lost, along with a great deal of money. This situation is estimated to cost the Swiss economy more than 5.5 billion francs. Employers need to take a different approach.
As a state-owned company, SBB recognises its opportunity to position itself as a modern and innovative enterprise. In addition to introducing family-friendly working conditions, SBB is launching the “Back to Business” programme – a set of initiatives designed to empower Swiss mothers to return to work. In an appeal to the internal workforce conducted on a large scale, children of SBB employees were invited to a painting workshop (at the Aargauer Kunsthaus) that would allow them to paint portraits of their mums and dads at work under artistic guidance. Combined with an appropriate headline, the portrait series is used in an online and offline campaign that is rolled out on a broad basis.