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Equal pay obligation: challenges of implementation in practice
The Gender Equality Act (GIG) obliges employers with one hundred or more employees to carry out an equal pay analysis from July 1, 2020. The number of employees at the beginning of the year is decisive, regardless of their workload. The first analysis had to be carried out by the end of June 2021. What does this involve and was it actually carried out?
Delegating, but the right way – what the Board of Directors needs to know
In principle, the Board of Directors (BoD) of a public limited company manages the company’s business itself, unless it has delegated the management. The personal union of strategic and operational management is widespread and common practice, especially in smaller public limited companies, even if it contradicts the so-called principal agent theory. If management has not been delegated, all members of the BoD are entitled to it jointly. However, the law also allows the BoD to delegate the management of the company. The following section explains what needs to be considered when delegating and what effects this can have on the duties and liability of the BoD.
Revaluations of properties in the canton of Zurich from the 2026 tax period
Properties in the canton of Zurich are currently valued in accordance with the 2009 directive issued by the cantonal government. This directive regulates the valuation of properties for income and wealth tax purposes. In the meantime, both the Tax Appeals Court and the Administrative Court have ruled that the current property tax values no longer comply with federal law. In some cases, they are significantly below the permissible valuation range, particularly in market regions that have risen sharply. A report commissioned by the Government Council from the experts at Wüest Partner AG confirms this assessment. The experts found that the market values of single-family houses and condominiums in the canton of Zurich have risen by an average of over 50% since the last valuation in 2009. The main reason for this is rising land prices. Market rents rose by an average of 15 % in the same period.
Different treatment of board members and foundation board members with regard to accident insurance obligations
Both the Board of Directors of a public limited company and the Board of Trustees of a foundation are bodies of the respective legal entity. However, the duties of the two bodies are regulated differently: those of the Board of Directors in the Code of Obligations, those of the Board of Trustees in accordance with the Civil Code in the foundation deed drawn up by the founder. In the case of pension funds, further obligations for the Board of Trustees arise from the provisions of the Federal Law on Occupational Retirement, Survivors’ and Disability Pension Plans (BVG). While a public limited company generally runs a profit-oriented business, a foundation is an asset that is dedicated to a special purpose.
Read the entire article in the latest issue of EXPERT INFO in the downloads section.
For further information on accident insurance obligations for members of the Board of Directors and Board of Trustees, revaluation of properties in the Canton of Zurich from 2026 and management at the AG, please refer to Expert Info | Issue 2 | 2025 in the download area.
