Swiss Diversity Study 2026: Employees Call for Greater Opportunities to Shape Their Work
New findings from the Swiss Diversity Study 2026 reveal that employees across all age groups and genders are seeking greater flexibility and more personalised ways of working. The results of the study's first phase were presented last week at the Swiss Diversity Impact Business Forum.
How flexible should work be – and how well do today's working models reflect the diverse realities of employees' lives? These are the questions explored by the Swiss Diversity Study 2026, Flexible People, Rigid Systems?, conducted by the ZHAW Zurich Center for Sustainability Leadership under the leadership of Dr. Daniela Frau in collaboration with Swiss Diversity and Impact2Go. The study is supported by BKW AG.
The first phase of the study examines employees' perspectives and already provides valuable insights into how work is experienced today and where organisations can further develop their working models. Dr. Daniela Frau presented the findings last week at the Swiss Diversity Impact Business Forum. The second phase of the study, focusing on the perspectives of organisational decision-makers, will be published in autumn 2026.
The analysis shows that perceptions of standardisation in the workplace vary primarily according to employment type and field of work, while differences by gender and age are relatively small. At the same time, the findings indicate that existing flexibility measures are often not sufficiently aligned with employees' individual life circumstances.
Differences also emerge in how workplace flexibility is perceived. Men generally report a better fit between work and private life and perceive their work as more flexible than women do. Employees in the middle age groups also tend to perceive greater flexibility than their younger and older colleagues.
Another key finding is that the flexibility currently offered by employers often does not match employees' preferences. This applies across several dimensions, including temporal, spatial, contractual, career-related and functional flexibility.
Overall, perceived tensions between work and personal life are moderate. General well-being is also rated at a moderate level on average, although respondents aged 56 and over report particularly high levels of well-being.
Across all genders and age groups, one clear message emerges from the findings: employees want greater opportunities to shape the way they work. The study highlights the importance of flexible, diversity-oriented working models that better reflect the diverse needs of employees while supporting more sustainable organisational leadership.
Organisational decision-makers are still invited to participate in the second phase of the study.