The Swiss people are preparing to vote about the option to legally set a relative earning limit of 1:12 in organizations located in Switzerland. Despite the fact that earning inequality is widely considered one of the biggest social challenges of our times, no country has yet taken concrete steps to address this aspect of the problem. 2013 Economics Nobel Prize Winner and Yale professor Robert J. Shiller says: “rising economic inequality is the most important problem that we are facing today.” The Swiss vote will most certainly make international headlines, hopefully igniting a global debate on the topic, particularly if the Swiss vote will be in favor of the new law. With only three weeks to go, current chances are estimated at 50:50.

The issue

Over the past 2 decades, executive compensation has exploded in Switzerland and elsewhere. Salaries in other income categories have increased as well, but by far not…