Content of the page:

• General information about secondary employment 
• Annual notification of secondary employment for teachers 
• Other employees 
• Assessment of secondary employment 
• Dealing with unauthorised secondary employment
• Employer's obligation to negotiate 
• Labour law consequences
• For more information about secondary employment 

General information on secondary employment

In principle, a secondary occupation is any activity that is carried out temporarily or permanently alongside employment. 

The main rule is that secondary occupations are permitted. However, a secondary occupation may not be detrimental to trust under the Public Employment Act, nor may it be a competitive or obstacle to work on the basis of central collective agreements, see more information under each heading below. 

As a manager, you have a responsibility to inform your employees about the rules regarding secondary employment. To support this information, there will soon be a short training course on "Reporting secondary employment - how should I think" for all employees in Kompetensportalen. Both employees, and managers are redommended to take part in this training.  

Link to the course (in Swedish): Att rapportera bisyssla – hur ska jag tänka? 

Annual notification of secondary employment for teachers 

Teachers and managers who are part of the University's local management circle must report annually whether they have a secondary occupation or not. 

Notification must be made in primrose during the first quarter, i.e. no later than 31 March. The report must then be assessed with a justification by you as a manager, no later than 30 April. Any decision to terminate secondary employment will also be made no later than 30 April. This is stated in the university-wide routine and the annual operating cycle, which you will find under the related document in the right-hand column. 

For you as head of department, there is a university-wide template with information (in Swedish and in English) to send out to teachers when it is time for the annual notification of secondary employment. Newly employed teachers must submit a notification as soon as possible, but no later than one month from the start of employment.

Other employees 

For other employees, they are only obliged to submit a notification of secondary employment when the manager requests this, when the employee is unsure whether the secondary employment is permitted, or wants the employer to assess it.  Changes to existing secondary employment (e.g. changes in scope or nature) must also be reported, as well as if the employee is given another position at Lund University that may affect the previous assessment. 

Assessment of secondary employment 

A number of different circumstances come into play when assessing a secondary occupation and a reported secondary employment must be assessed in each individual case. Each assessment must be justified in Primula.  

It is important that you have read both the regulations and the memorandum on secondary employment before assessing reported secondary employment. To help you in the assessment, there is a checklist (see related documents in the right-hand column). 

If there is uncertainty in the assessment, contact your HR partner/contact person for secondary employment at your faculty or equivalent.

Dealing with unauthorised secondary employment 

If it is discovered that an employee is engaging in an unauthorised secondary occupation, the matter should primarily be resolved through advice and discussions with the employee.  

According to the Public Employment Act (LOA 7 c §) and collective agreements, the university must make a special decision that an employee must cease an unauthorised secondary occupation or prohibit the employee from undertaking a secondary employment. Prior to such a decision, it is important that you contact your HR partner/appointed contact person for secondary employment at your faculty.

The employer's obligation to negotiate before making a decision

It is the employer who decides on the permissibility of a competing secondary occupation and assesses whether a secondary occupation can be considered an obstacle to work and should therefore be terminated. Secondary occupations that hinder work and competing secondary occupations are regulated in collective agreements. 

This means that the employer has an obligation to negotiate with the trade union in accordance with the MBL before a decision is made that the employee must terminate the secondary employment that has been deemed to be unauthorised. In the case of secondary occupations that undermine trust, there is no such obligation to negotiate as they are not allowed by law. 

Delegation 

Who has the delegation to make decisions on the termination (or prohibition of undertaking) is regulated in the regulations on the allocation of decision-making powers at Lund University.

Download the regulations under Related documents in the right-hand column.

Labour law consequences  

Not to state secondary employment, to provide incorrect information, or not to cease secondary employment after assessment/decision that it is considered to be damaging to trust, hindering work or competing may be assessed under labour law and may in more serious cases risk the employee being dismissed from his or her employment at Lund University. 

For more information about secondary employment 

Read memos, regulations, annual operating procedures and more regarding secondary employment, under Related documents in the right-hand column.