Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Friday
The reason why Swiss tenants pay too much for the heating costs, older people can now find jobs more easily, and more news in our roundup on Friday.
Most Swiss tenants pay for the heating costs for the neighbors
Even though you may be trying to save on heating, it could be in vain — at least as far as your bill is concerned.
That’s because two-thirds of all households also pay for their neighbours’ heating costs, according to Patrik Lanter, president of the Association for Energy and Water Cost Billing.
Only around every third household pays for the heating costs it actually generates, Lanter said.
This is especially the case in older and less energy-efficient buildings, where there are no meters installed with which the consumption in each apartment can be measured individually.
READ MORE: Swiss tenants face higher heating costs
Older workers are in demand in Switzerland
While in the past people over the age of 50 found it difficult to get hired, this is no longer so, surveys carried out by recruitment agencies indicate.
As Switzerland’s labour market has been experiencing shortages of skilled workers across various industries, prospects of employment for older people are now better than before.
“A few years ago, there was almost a youth obsession. You had to be less than 40 years old to get big projects and responsibilities,” Thomas Bösch, head of human resources at Novartis told SRF broadcaster on Thursday.
Today, “companies value the experience of older employees, also because these people no longer want to prove themselves, but instead focus on the task,” he added.
Several provisions of Covid-19 law to be extended
MPs have decided on Thursday to extend until 2024 some provisions of the Covid-19 legislation, which is set to expire on December 31st.
One of them is the Covid certificate — even though it is no longer used in Switzerland, it continues to be required abroad.
Also, SwissCovid tracking application, deactivated since April 1st, 2022, will remain in force, with its software to be reactivated if necessary.
The extension also concerns the development of drugs against the coronavirus, as well as provisions allowing cross-border workers to continue commuting to Switzerland in the event of border closures.
The MPs also decided that Covid tests will no longer be free of charge from January 1st. This move, they argued, represents a significant saving, as the government had spent 2.1 billion francs on tests in 2021, and 1.6 billion so far this year.
Weather forecast: Snow!
You probably woke up this morning to see snow on the ground — the first this year on the plains.
Depending on where in Switzerland you live, three to 20 cm of snow may have fallen in your area.
This weather is likely to persist in the coming days, according to Vincent Devantay, a meteorologist at MeteoNews weather service.
The sun will be back on Sunday, though temperatures are likely to drop below the zero mark, and some high Alpine valleys chould even experience lows of -20C to -25C, Devantay said.
All this is a good indication that skiing should be excellent this weekend.
READ MORE: EXPLAINED: Six money-saving tips for skiing in Switzerland
And looking ahead…
If you rely on public transportation to get from one point to another, don’t forget that the new SBB timetable comes into effect on Sunday, December 11th.
There will be direct connections every two hours between Romanshorn (TG) and Interlaken (BE). The Bernese Oberland will be better connected to eastern Switzerland and the Zurich area.
Basel and Olten (SO) will also benefit from additional direct connections to Valais.
More information about the new schedule can be found here.
If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected]
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Most Swiss tenants pay for the heating costs for the neighbors
Even though you may be trying to save on heating, it could be in vain — at least as far as your bill is concerned.
That’s because two-thirds of all households also pay for their neighbours’ heating costs, according to Patrik Lanter, president of the Association for Energy and Water Cost Billing.
Only around every third household pays for the heating costs it actually generates, Lanter said.
This is especially the case in older and less energy-efficient buildings, where there are no meters installed with which the consumption in each apartment can be measured individually.
READ MORE: Swiss tenants face higher heating costs
Older workers are in demand in Switzerland
While in the past people over the age of 50 found it difficult to get hired, this is no longer so, surveys carried out by recruitment agencies indicate.
As Switzerland’s labour market has been experiencing shortages of skilled workers across various industries, prospects of employment for older people are now better than before.
“A few years ago, there was almost a youth obsession. You had to be less than 40 years old to get big projects and responsibilities,” Thomas Bösch, head of human resources at Novartis told SRF broadcaster on Thursday.
Today, “companies value the experience of older employees, also because these people no longer want to prove themselves, but instead focus on the task,” he added.
Several provisions of Covid-19 law to be extended
MPs have decided on Thursday to extend until 2024 some provisions of the Covid-19 legislation, which is set to expire on December 31st.
One of them is the Covid certificate — even though it is no longer used in Switzerland, it continues to be required abroad.
Also, SwissCovid tracking application, deactivated since April 1st, 2022, will remain in force, with its software to be reactivated if necessary.
The extension also concerns the development of drugs against the coronavirus, as well as provisions allowing cross-border workers to continue commuting to Switzerland in the event of border closures.
The MPs also decided that Covid tests will no longer be free of charge from January 1st. This move, they argued, represents a significant saving, as the government had spent 2.1 billion francs on tests in 2021, and 1.6 billion so far this year.
Weather forecast: Snow!
You probably woke up this morning to see snow on the ground — the first this year on the plains.
Depending on where in Switzerland you live, three to 20 cm of snow may have fallen in your area.
This weather is likely to persist in the coming days, according to Vincent Devantay, a meteorologist at MeteoNews weather service.
The sun will be back on Sunday, though temperatures are likely to drop below the zero mark, and some high Alpine valleys chould even experience lows of -20C to -25C, Devantay said.
All this is a good indication that skiing should be excellent this weekend.
READ MORE: EXPLAINED: Six money-saving tips for skiing in Switzerland
And looking ahead…
If you rely on public transportation to get from one point to another, don’t forget that the new SBB timetable comes into effect on Sunday, December 11th.
There will be direct connections every two hours between Romanshorn (TG) and Interlaken (BE). The Bernese Oberland will be better connected to eastern Switzerland and the Zurich area.
Basel and Olten (SO) will also benefit from additional direct connections to Valais.
More information about the new schedule can be found here.
If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected]
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