Uncle Tan shared with me what his former auditor, who has since came to Zurich to work for 2 years, told him on the marriage trend here. The Swiss would usually stay together as a couple and not get married until their newborns are out. This is avoid paying higher taxes because once a couple is married, they will have to file for tax as a couple together = more tax. So to go around it, the Swiss would delay their marriage until their child is born which would require them to produce their marriage cert in order to get the child's birth cert.
Unlike the Asians, the moment one has a child before marriage, she better get married asap as it's not socially acceptable to be an unwed mum. In Singapore, it's even more unique cos we have the customary wedding where some couples will not even stay together after they have been officially registered. So usually it's better (or rather preferred) to conceive after one's customary wedding. As what my Australian ex-colleague said, most Singapore women marry twice :)
In Switzerland, they also recognise same-sex unions here (since 2007) where registered partnerships have the same legal standing as marriage as far as such matters as next-of-kin status, tax and social security.
The tax are pretty high here and I was told that someone managed to save as much as thousands of swiss francs when he delayed his marriage. I suppose when it comes to statistics like the average no. years a couple decides to have a child after marriage would not be as accurate and likewise for the case in SG, given that we usually have to wait for a year or more for the flat.
When I shared about how we apply for flats in SG with my Hungarian neighbour, she found it the criteria for flat application - that only a family unit can apply for a new flat in SG and they have to be related strange. For the singles, it's only after the age of 35, otherwise they have to rent a place instead. I explained to her that this was one of the govt's policies to encourage S'poreans to start a family. But of course, the policy also has its loopholes and disadvantages. Well, no policies are perfect and they always have to be fine-tuned to meet changing circumstances/needs.
Although the land is aplenty here with low-rise housings, the floor area is not as big as compared to a 4-room flat in SG. Most of the people here stay in 2-3 rooms apartment and that includes the living room as one of the rooms. And it is indeed a room as it is like the size of a bedroom, perhaps for some, slightly bigger and comes with a door. Interesting huh :)
It's also interesting to note that in terms of sex equality, Switzerland lags behind most Western European countries in many aspects. For instance, it was about 4 years back where working women in Switzerland are entitled to a minimum of 14 weeks’ maternity leave, paid at 80% of their normal salary. Previously, there was no obligatory maternity benefit. Compared to the Sweden, where working women enjoy a minimum of 69 weeks’ paid maternity leave and those in Norway with 42 and the Italians 22, it was still a far cry.
Er...SG only has 12 weeks...albeit mothers will still receive full salary for the whole 12 weeks as compared to the Swiss, who receive only 80% of their normal salary. Plus, they aren't as lucky as us where we have plenty of childcares centres to choose from - neighbourhood ones to the branded ones. Over here, there's a short supply of childcare facilities and the private ones are way too ex. Also, the Swiss school hours are not harmonised, so children in the same family may have staggered starting and ending times and they have up to two hours off at lunch time for the children to go home to eat, although it is usually now possible for a midday meal to be arranged for the kids. So in a way, we are still quite well-taken care of.
So anyone keen to start a childcare chain here? ;>
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