In her search for meaning in life, Debora Pons dances at several weddings, both professionally and privately. All of this has a place in her life, or space is made for it.  She thinks it's a shame that Switzerland still has a lot of catching up to do when it comes to work-life balance. There is still a lot to do - it's good that companies are doing pioneering work here. And even better that she works in one.

Debora Pons works in human resources development. And tells us how she wants to develop herself as a typical or atypical Gen Z employee.

Are you a typical Gen Zer and what does that even mean?

I don't feel like a model Gen-Zer per se. I also think that there are two "camps" here too, those like me who still had cassettes at home. And those who didn't grow up with analogue things at all, like my younger sister, for example. 
 
What characterises my generation? Sustainability is important to us. And meaningfulness. Second-hand, for example, is totally our thing. And the values of the companies we work for have to match ours. Another thing I've noticed is that many of my friends are involved in organisations and actively help out there. We consciously make time for things like that. 

Speaking of time: you work part-time. Why is that?

I always liked the idea of having an extra day a week for myself. I now have this one day where I can do whatever I want. At the moment, I use it for my Bachelor's degree, but when it's the semester break, I go for coffee with friends or do sports.

Do you want to stay like this for the time being? Or can you imagine working full-time again in the future?

I worked 100% for 15 months, then I went travelling for six months. When I came back, I said to myself: "I'll never work 100% again." And that's how it was. 80 or 90 per cent suits me and my life very well, I can achieve a lot with this workload.

And pension provision? Not an issue?

At 90%, the difference in pension benefits is not huge. But I realise that if I were to reduce it to 60%, it would look completely different. Unlike many others of my generation, pension provision is very important to me. Since more salary was suddenly deducted when I reached a certain age, I've taken a closer look at it. And - it's hard to believe - I even pay into the 3rd pillar. Incidentally, quite a few people in my age group are already doing this. 

Your generation is also said to attach less importance to the salary than to the values that the company represents. Do you agree?

Absolutely! The values of a company are very important to me. And I'm also proud to be at Swisscom. Our corporate values - above all what the company does in the area of diversity, equity and inclusion - are a great fit for me.


"I realise that Swisscom invests money and time in such topics and that is very important to me."

For example, the Women Empowerment Programme, which I also help with, is completely in line with my values. I realise that Swisscom invests money and time in such issues and that is very important to me.

Do you also talk about compatibility in your circle of friends?

Many friends are now slowly having their first children. So the question arises: How do we achieve compatibility? Is that even possible? Incidentally, many of my generation are also self-employed at a very early age. Precisely because there is often more flexibility.


"We always say: In Switzerland, the family is at the centre - but that doesn't seem to be the reality."

To be honest, I think Switzerland is in a terrible position when it comes to maternity and paternity leave. That's not possible! Compared to the 12-18 months offered by other countries, I think the difference is simply huge. We always say: In Switzerland, the family is at the centre - but that doesn't seem to be the reality.

You are quite young, but have been with Swisscom for a long time and dance at many weddings here. Which ones exactly?

I'm in the Leadership Development department in Personnel Development. I have various mandates there. I also develop new training programmes for Swisscom Leaders. I also moderate a few of these training sessions. I also host customer events a few times a year. And from 1 January 2025, I will be a member of the comPlan Foundation Board. In the WoMen's Empowerment Community, I'm helping to build up the French-speaking part of Switzerland.

Quite a lot. And then there are your hobbies...

They're also very important to me. I don't want all my memories to revolve around my job later on. There's more to me than my job. For example, I do a lot of sport, specifically trail running in the mountains. I also enjoy photographing landscapes. In general, you could say that I dabble in many things, some things stay, others don't. I once did a year-long ceramics course and then made my own crockery.  And I love reading. But that's not all: I've been writing a novel for almost three years and I hope to finish it in early 2025. Sometimes I can only write a few pages, sometimes 50 at a time. I don't have that many expectations of this project, I just want to finish it.


"I never want to have to regret what I didn't do."

Is there really room for all this in your life?

"I don't have time" is not an option for me. It's a question of organisation. Full stop. I've read a few books on time management and I know that time is a great resource and we have to manage it properly. I never want to regret what I haven't done. So I always find room for new things. That's (my) driver. It's the only way to have fun. 

And having fun in life, that's another thing that is attributed to your generation. Is it your most important asset in life?

Maybe that's not the right word. Sometimes I don't have fun for months on end because work is hard or sometimes too much. But I still want to have a "purpose" that fulfils me. The meaning of things, why I do what I do. And when I have that, it's somehow automatically fun. 

Are you able to combine your private life with your job at Swisscom?

I can study part-time and when I have exams in January and June, I can work part-time - that has never been a problem so far and has always worked well. It's great to have this flexibility. I can develop here, both personally and professionally. For example, I was given a lot of trust when I applied for a new job, even though my CV didn't necessarily match the job advert. I was trusted to do it. It was made possible. And making certain needs possible is something that Swisscom does very well.

What expectations do you have of Swisscom in terms of work-life balance that have not yet been met?

I see my friends who have families and I realise that it depends on which team you're in and how your line manager lives. In my team, we always find a solution when a child is sick and the parents have to stay at home.

How important is working from home to you and your peers?

Having the choice of when and how much I can be at home is important to us. But I also really appreciate the social contact on site. I need to be at home at least one day a week. 

What can the "old" generally learn from the "young"? And vice versa?

We should simply complement each other. Bernadette from my team, for example, will be retiring next year. I love working with her and learn a lot from her - her wealth of experience is huge, both professionally and personally. We discuss things quite often and also do projects together. It was really exciting what she brought to the table and I created the slides for the presentation that we then gave together - we complemented each other really well.

This article was written by Tadah(opens in new tab).

Compatibility measures at Swisscom: 

Flexible forms of work

  • Home office
  • Mobile working in Switzerland
  • Flexible working hours

More time for private life

  • Buying holidays
  • Unpaid holiday
  • Long-term account
  • Sabbatical (management)

Work model

  • Part-time (also on probation)
  • Job sharing

Further training programmes

  • 5 training & development days
  • Health programmes (stress management, self-management, etc.)

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