In an increasingly knowledge-based society, education companies play a decisive role. Quality assurance is a decisive factor in ensuring long-term competitiveness and customer confidence.
Obrist Interior AG from Inwil, Canton Lucerne, is the winner of this year's Prix SVC Zentralschweiz and creates high-quality interiors in shopfitting and interior design. Its customers include well-known brands. We spoke to CEO Stefan Slamanig about the present and future of the 130-year-old company.
The experience report from Swiss renewable energy provider Soltop shows how only the combination of a virtual telephone system with Microsoft Teams integration can meet the specific telephony needs of an SME.
The recent past shows that pension reforms have a hard time gaining majority support. Centre Patronal recently presented a proposal on how the existing pension model could be put on a new footing.
Centre Patronal is a business association with the aim of representing the interests of the private sector and developing services for companies and their managers. The association was founded in 1940 in the canton of Vaud and is based in Paudex. It currently employs around 400 people. Centre Patronal has been represented in German-speaking Switzerland with a branch in Bern since 1973 and in Zurich since 2022. Centre Patronal also manages an AHV fund and various second-pillar pension schemes. Based on this expertise, the association has been working for years on new proposals for sustainable, modern and social pension provision. The key point is a paradigm shift: for the first pillar (AHV), the main proposal is that entitlement to full pension benefits should no longer be based on a reference age (65 years), but on the number of years of contributions (44 years). For the second pillar (occupational pensions), on the other hand, a new "BVG minimum plan" is to be outlined in order to improve benefits on the basis of increased savings.
Pension provision is a key concern of the Swiss population. For years, there have been repeated referendums in this area without a truly sustainable solution being found for either the AHV or the occupational pension scheme, so that these two pillars together continue to guarantee the famous 60 percent of the last salary. The challenge is to restore confidence in our social security system, in its long-term financing and in its ability to meet the current wishes and needs of our society.
The first pillar is the one that requires the most urgent measures. Centre Patronal proposes that entitlement to full pension benefits be granted depending on the number of years of contributions (the current system requires 44 years of contributions from the age of 21). This change in approach seems fairer for people who enter the workforce early and often have strenuous occupations.
In order to restore the AHV's financial equilibrium in a socially responsible manner, efforts must be extended to two other areas in a fair manner, continues Centre Patronal. Specifically, in addition to increasing the contribution period, VAT and wage contributions must also be increased moderately. It is difficult to say whether such a proposal would gain majority support. However, Centre Patronal believes it is well supported in this respect: Both the quest for fairness underlying these reforms and the trends emerging from opinion polls would indicate that efforts to rebalance the system should be split.
The second pillar does not require as urgent a reform as the AHV, as the pension funds, which have a great deal of room for maneuver, have already taken measures and most of them therefore deviate from the "BVG minimum plan". Nevertheless, in the eyes of Centre Patronal, it is important to define the outlines of a new, financially and technically realistic "BVG minimum plan" that will bring new benefits to the population. Lowering the conversion rate is essential due to increasing life expectancy and also to enable the second pillar to be extended to people who were previously excluded from it. It is also essential to increase the minimum pension capital by strengthening pension savings.
In order to strengthen pension savings and at the same time improve the situation of many insured persons, Centre Patronal is making various concrete proposals, which consist in particular of abolishing the "coordination deduction" (instead, contributions on the entire income of part-time employees, multiple employees and the self-employed), while retaining an entry threshold. The credit rates are also to be changed with a simpler, less progressive age-related scale in order to achieve an ordinary standard rate of 10 % (5 % employee, 5 % employer) from the age of 50. Median earners will not be forgotten, as their savings contributions will be increased by a uniform rate of 6 % to give them a better pension. Finally, the model provides for a simple and original transitional arrangement that makes it possible to maintain the pension level of those already insured.
Centre Patronal's proposals are underpinned by a financial impact study conducted by Prof. Dr. Christoph Schaltegger and Dr. Patrick Eugster. All proposals were "tested" by the opinion research institute Sotomo, which found a high level of acceptance among the Swiss population. A clear majority of people have a positive or rather positive attitude towards a working life model. If it came to a vote, 21% would vote "yes" and 39% would vote "rather yes". 15 percent are undecided. A referendum on the working life model would meet with approval across all political camps, most clearly in the center party and least in the left camp. According to the opinion poll, there are also clear positions on the 2nd pillar: A clear majority is in favor of lowering the entry threshold. Lowering the minimum conversion rate remains very unpopular. There is also support for starting retirement savings before the age of 25. A majority is also in favor of abolishing the coordination deduction.
And do the Swiss believe that their pension from the 1st and 2nd pillars will reach the targeted 60% of their final salary? Many are pessimistic about this: although the 18 to 35 age group would like to see a replacement rate of 67% at the time of retirement, they believe they will only reach 48%. The 36 to 50 age group is more optimistic in this respect: they expect a replacement rate of 52%. Finally, the over-50s expect a replacement rate of 57%, but would like to see one of 71%. All of these survey results underline the fact that wishes and reality diverge when it comes to retirement provision and that new ideas for a financially secure life after retirement need to be discussed "with an open mind".
More information: www.centrepatronal.ch
Centre Patronal acquires Trianon
The business association Centre Patronal acquires Trianon AG, a Mobiliar Group company since 2016, in order to further develop its own offering and Trianon's business areas. The company is now one of Switzerland's leading companies in the field of business process outsourcing. Its activities include the administration of pension funds, HR services and proactive absence management. Centre Patronal has been representing the interests of the private sector and providing services for companies for 85 years. With the acquisition of Trianon by Centre Patronal, clients will benefit from an additional range of services. The acquisition of Trianon by Centre Patronal is expected to take place in the third quarter of 2025, subject to approval by the relevant authorities.
Biodiversity is becoming an increasingly important factor on the financial markets. Some people are talking about a turning point on the stock markets, especially as the share prices of companies that leave a large biodiversity footprint have come under pressure. But what does "biodiversity" actually mean and how can its value for investments be measured?
Moving data management from on-premise solutions to the cloud is no trivial matter. Swiss company LEMO, the global market leader for modern connectivity solutions based in Ecublens, is currently experiencing this. We spoke about this with CFO Michael Fuchs and CIO Isidore Chirichiello.
In this country, we are mainly familiar with mediation for married couples who want to settle their divorce under the guidance of a mediator. Can mediation also be used in the workplace or does it only lead to useless sham solutions?
New ESG requirements pose challenges for Swiss companies. But those who use sustainability as a strategic tool create innovation, resilience and new market opportunities.
In the USA, NPOs are currently being "rationalized away" by the Trump administration. In this country too, non-profit organizations must prove to be efficient and beneficial to society in order to secure their legitimacy and continue to be able to count on the support of patrons. Without continuous further development, there is a risk of losing relevance - and therefore also impact.
The US government's tariff policy under President Donald Trump caused unrest on the financial markets in the first quarter. The White House is also likely to make further erratic financial policy decisions. How are pension funds dealing with these uncertainties?
BNI Switzerland - the country's largest entrepreneur network - celebrated its 20th anniversary in April this year. We spoke to Danja Hegetschweiler, who heads the network in Switzerland.
Even today, over 50% of SMEs still don't know exactly how they can increase the impact of marketing and communication. Time to change this.
