2025-04-242024/25:AU8 · p.10AULabour market
Penalty fees
Expanded administrative fines in the area of occupational safety
What's at stake: The decision affects how forcefully the Work Environment Authority can act against employers who repeatedly break work-environment rules or obstruct safety representatives, which matters for how quickly shortcomings in both the physical and the organisational/psychosocial work environment - which affect women and men differently - can be addressed.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The question is whether the Work Environment Authority's ability to impose administrative fines should be expanded now - including escalating fines for repeat offences, fines linked to company turnover, and fines against employers who obstruct safety representatives - or whether this should wait until ongoing inquiries and impact evaluations of the current system are complete.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee shares the basic starting point that women and men, regardless of occupation, branch or sector, should have the same protection, and that safety representatives should be able to carry out their duties without obstruction, but rejects the motions on expanded administrative fines. The reason is that such fines are a powerful instrument that should be predictable and clearly linked to high-risk situations, that the matter is already the subject of inquiries and impact evaluations by the Agency for Work Environment Expertise and the Work Environment Authority, and that the committee does not want to pre-empt this ongoing work.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 22 (S)
The reservation (S) calls for a broad review of administrative fines to ensure they are sufficiently impactful, for examining whether the size of fines can be linked to a company's turnover as a complement to the current system, for introducing escalating fines for employers who repeatedly breach work-environment rules, for linking fines to more regulations - including on systematic work-environment management and organisational and social work environment - and for giving the Work Environment Authority the power to impose sanctions on employers who obstruct safety representatives. The reasoning is that work-environment law has historically focused on the physical work environment and that rules for the organisational and psychosocial work environment should be equally central, and that stricter, repeat-offence-adjusted fines increase compliance.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 22 by S.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
The decision would have held
Explicit commitments that contradicted the vote: VVänsterpartiet
Ja 187–91Ja 168–110
Counterfactual: the parties above are moved to the position their own documents explicitly point at, carrying their whole contingent present. Every other party keeps its real figures, including dissenters and absentees.
How the AI parties would have voted
For each party: what its own plan – election manifesto and party programme – argues for in this case, next to how the party actually voted. The AI can only answer Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| AI | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | Yes 19/0/0/5 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| S | No | No 0/91/0/15 | match | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| MP | No | Abstain 0/0/13/5 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| C | Yes | Yes 21/0/0/3 | match | confidence: medium | derived |
| L | Yes | Yes 12/0/0/4 | match | confidence: low | not addressed |
| KD | No | Yes 14/0/0/5 | differs | confidence: medium | derived |
| M | Yes | Yes 58/0/0/10 | match | confidence: low | not addressed |
| SD | No | Yes 63/0/0/9 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2024/25:1705 by Carina Ödebrink and Azra Muranovic (both S) claim 5, 2024/25:2347 by Johan Andersson et al. (S), 2024/25:3055 by Ulrika Westerlund et al. (MP) claim 23 and 2024/25:3070 by Ardalan Shekarabi et al. (S) claims 32-36 and 47.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2024/25:1705 av Carina Ödebrink och Azra Muranovic (båda S) yrkande 5, 2024/25:2347 av Johan Andersson m.fl. (S), 2024/25:3055 av Ulrika Westerlund m.fl. (MP) yrkande 23 och 2024/25:3070 av Ardalan Shekarabi m.fl. (S) yrkandena 32-36 och 47.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag rejected 110 proposals in motions on work environment matters. The motions were submitted during the general motion period in 2024 and concern, among other things, the employer's work environment responsibility, safety representatives and safety committees, workplace crime, and the Work Environment Authority. The Riksdag refers to the fact that work is already underway in the areas covered by the proposals and to the parties' responsibility on the Swedish labor market.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to establish a state crisis commission that takes a comprehensive approach to fatal workplace accidents and proposes concrete measures. (S) — Reservation 22
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The party programme explicitly identifies laws protecting workers' conditions by strengthening safety representatives as a strategic reform, and requires regulations securing serious occupational health and safety work at all workplaces, including those prioritising short-term profit.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme explicitly identifies laws protecting workers' conditions by strengthening safety representatives as a strategic reform, and requires regulations securing serious occupational health and safety work at all workplaces, including those prioritising short-term profit. The counter-proposal's requirement for significant and escalating sanction fees, linked also to organisational and social working environment and to obstacles to safety representatives, is that commitment in concrete form. The plan also wants to give unions better opportunities to ensure that laws and agreements are complied with.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet pekar uttryckligen ut lagar som försvarar arbetsvillkoren genom att stärka skyddsombuden som en strategisk reform, och kräver regelverk som säkrar ett seriöst arbetsmiljöarbete på alla arbetsplatser, också de som prioriterar kortsiktig vinst. Motförslagets krav på kännbara och stegrande sanktionsavgifter, kopplade också till den organisatoriska och sociala arbetsmiljön och till hinder mot skyddsombud, är samma åtagande i konkret form. Planen vill dessutom ge facken bättre möjligheter att säkerställa att lagar och avtal följs.
- laws strengthening safety representativesdecisive»till exempel handla om lagar som försvarar människors arbetsvillkor« (party programme ↗)“for instance by enacting laws protecting people's working conditions”
- working environment requirements even on profit-driven»arbetsmiljöarbete på alla arbetsplatser, också de som idag prioriterar« (party programme ↗)“working environment work at all workplaces, also those that currently prioritise”
- compliance with law and agreement»bättre möjligheter att säkerställa att lagar och avtal« (party programme ↗)“better opportunities to ensure that laws and agreements”
- better working environment»Att utveckla en bättre arbetsmiljö gör stor skillnad« (party programme ↗)“Developing a better working environment makes a major difference”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
The election manifesto establishes that it shall never pay to gain competitive advantages by neglecting employees' right to a safe working environment and promises better supervision of personnel's working environment.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto establishes that it shall never pay to gain competitive advantages by neglecting employees' right to a safe working environment and promises better supervision of personnel's working environment. Palpable and escalating administrative penalties, linked also to systematic and organizational workplace safety work and to prevention of safety representatives being obstructed, follow from this and from the programme's requirement for strong labour law legislation. However, the construction of the penalties is not addressed in the documents.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet slår fast att det aldrig ska löna sig att skaffa konkurrensfördelar genom att försumma de anställdas rätt till en trygg arbetsmiljö och lovar bättre tillsyn av personalens arbetsmiljö. Kännbara och stegrande sanktionsavgifter, kopplade även till det systematiska och organisatoriska arbetsmiljöarbetet och till hindrande av skyddsombud, följer av detta och av programmets krav på stark arbetsrättslig lagstiftning. Avgifternas konstruktion behandlas dock inte i dokumenten.
- violations of workplace safety shall costdecisive»Det ska aldrig löna sig att begå brott eller skaffa sig konkurrensfördelar genom att försumma de anställdas rätt till en trygg arbetsmiljö« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It shall never pay to commit crimes or gain competitive advantages by neglecting employees' right to a safe working environment”
- strong labour law»arbetsrättslig lagstiftning behövs som skydd för de anställda« (party programme ↗)“labour law legislation is needed as protection for employees”
- strengthened workplace supervision»tillsynen av personalens arbetsmiljö ska förbättras« (2022 manifesto ↗)“supervision of personnel's working environment shall be improved”
- health-promoting working environment»Det fordrar en arbetsmiljö, som främjar hälsa och välbefinnande« (party programme ↗)“It requires a working environment that promotes health and well-being”
The party programme gives everyone the right to a good physical and psychosocial work environment, wants employees to feel involved and secure and values the union organisation that safety representatives rest on.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme gives everyone the right to a good physical and psychosocial work environment, wants employees to feel involved and secure and values the union organisation that safety representatives rest on. The plan's principle that what is bad should be expensive speaks for noticeable and escalating penalty fees, also linked to the organisational and social work environment.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet ger alla rätt till en god fysisk och psykosocial arbetsmiljö, vill att arbetstagare känner sig delaktiga och trygga och värnar den fackliga organisering som skyddsombuden vilar på. Planens princip att det som är dåligt ska vara dyrt talar för kännbara och stegrande sanktionsavgifter, även kopplade till den organisatoriska och sociala arbetsmiljön.
- psychosocial work environment equateddecisive»god fysisk och psykosocial arbetsmiljö.« (party programme ↗)“good physical and psychosocial work environment.”
- secure employees»Arbetstagare ska ha goda utvecklingsmöjligheter och känna sig delaktiga, trygga« (party programme ↗)“Employees shall have good development opportunities and feel involved, secure”
- strong union organisation»Modellen bygger på att en hög andel av arbetstagarna är fackföreningsanslutna« (party programme ↗)“The model is based on a high proportion of employees being union members”
- policy instruments that make the bad expensive»ska vara billigt, det som är dåligt ska vara dyrt och« (party programme ↗)“shall be cheap, what is bad shall be expensive and”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan is not silent on working environment but its bearing commitment in the business area is to clean up in the regulations and make it cheaper and easier to hire, not to build out a sanctions system with revenue-based and escalating charges coupled to more rules.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan is not silent on working environment but its bearing commitment in the business area is to clean up in the regulations and make it cheaper and easier to hire, not to build out a sanctions system with revenue-based and escalating charges coupled to more rules. A greatly expanded charge apparatus pulls in the opposite direction from the requirement for given and foreseeable rules, which especially small businesses are dependent on. The plan's language about employers' responsibility for preventive measures speaks to the subject matter but concerns responsibility and rehabilitation, not tightened penalty charges. Altogether the plan rejects the counter-proposal's demand.
Original (Swedish)
Planen är inte tyst om arbetsmiljön men dess bärande åtagande på företagsområdet är att rensa i regelverket och göra det billigare och lättare att anställa, inte att bygga ut ett sanktionssystem med omsättningsbaserade och stegrande avgifter kopplade till fler föreskrifter. En kraftigt utvidgad avgiftsapparat drar åt motsatt håll mot kravet på givna och förutsägbara spelregler, som särskilt små företag är beroende av. Planens skrivning om arbetsgivares ansvar för förebyggande insatser talar för sakområdet men handlar om ansvar och rehabilitering, inte om skärpta straffavgifter. Sammantaget avvisar planen motförslagets krav.
- regulatory simplification for businessdecisive»Rensa upp i regelträsket för entreprenörer, stora som små.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Clean up in the regulatory jungle for entrepreneurs, large and small.”
- cheaper to hire»Det måste bli billigare och lättare att anställa, särskilt personer som står långt från arbetsmarknaden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It must become cheaper and easier to hire, especially people far from the labour market.”
- foreseeable rules»Ekonomin ska ha givna och förutsägbara spelregler« (party programme ↗)“The economy shall have given and foreseeable rules”
- employer responsibility for prevention»Arbetsgivare bör ta ett större ansvar för förebyggande insatser och rehabilitering.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Employers should take greater responsibility for preventive measures and rehabilitation.”
The plan requires reduced regulatory burden for small businesses and that public decisions be analysed from a small business perspective, and establishes that labour market conditions shall principally be determined in collective agreements and not by law.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires reduced regulatory burden for small businesses and that public decisions be analysed from a small business perspective, and establishes that labour market conditions shall principally be determined in collective agreements and not by law. A broad expansion of turnover-based and graduated sanction fees moves in the opposite direction. The plan does, however, want to clarify employers' responsibility to prevent work-related injuries, which partly supports the counter-proposal.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver minskad regelbörda för små företag och att offentliga beslut analyseras ur småföretagarperspektiv, och slår fast att arbetsmarknadens villkor i huvudsak ska bestämmas i avtal och inte i lag. En bred utbyggnad av omsättningsbaserade och stegrande sanktionsavgifter går i motsatt riktning. Planen vill dock tydliggöra arbetsgivarnas ansvar att förebygga arbetsrelaterade skador, vilket delvis talar för motförslaget.
- reduced regulatory burden for small businessdecisive»offentliga beslut analyseras ur småföretagarperspektiv« (party programme ↗)“public decisions are analysed from a small business perspective”
- collective bargaining model over legislation»avtal och inte i lag, bidrar till ansvarstagande på arbetsmarknaden« (party programme ↗)“agreements and not by law, contributes to responsibility-taking on the labour market”
- remove obstacles for business»Politikens uppgift måste vara att snabbt undanröja hinder« (party programme ↗)“Politics' task must be to quickly remove obstacles”
- employer's preventive responsibility»förebygga arbetsrelaterade skador och sjukdomar och bidra till rehabilitering av anställda« (party programme ↗)“prevent work-related injuries and illness and contribute to rehabilitation of employees”
The plan requires the state to actively work for improved working conditions through advice, support and inspection, and establishes that worker protection shall take into account both physical and mental health.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires the state to actively work for improved working conditions through advice, support and inspection, and establishes that worker protection shall take into account both physical and mental health. The counter-proposal's demand that penalty fees shall be able to be linked also to systematic workplace environment work and the organizational and social working environment is an application of precisely that commitment, as is the demand for protection of safety representatives. That new rules should be tested from a small business perspective moderates the design but not the direction.
Original (Swedish)
Planen ålägger staten att genom rådgivning, stöd och kontroll aktivt verka för en förbättrad arbetsmiljö, och slår fast att arbetarskyddet ska ta hänsyn till både fysisk och psykisk hälsa. Motförslagets krav på att sanktionsavgifter ska kunna kopplas även till systematiskt arbetsmiljöarbete och den organisatoriska och sociala arbetsmiljön är en tillämpning av just det åtagandet, liksom kravet på skydd för skyddsombud. Att nya regler bör prövas ur ett småföretagarperspektiv modererar utformningen men inte riktningen.
- public control for better working conditionsdecisive»Staten ska bland annat genom rådgivning, stöd och kontroll aktivt verka för en förbättrad« (party programme ↗)“The state shall among other things through advice, support and inspection actively work for improved”
- physical and mental working conditions are equated»arbetsmiljö ska ta hänsyn till såväl fysisk som psykisk« (party programme ↗)“working conditions shall take into account both physical and mental”
- counter workplace bullying»Mobbning på arbetsplatsen måste aktivt bekämpas.« (party programme ↗)“Bullying in the workplace must be actively combated.”
- small business perspective on new rules»Tillkommande lagar bör prövas ur ett småföretagarperspektiv.« (party programme ↗)“Incoming laws should be tested from a small business perspective.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The counter-proposal requires significantly expanded and strengthened penalty fees, linked to turnover and to more regulations, as well as new sanctions possibilities against employers.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The counter-proposal requires significantly expanded and strengthened penalty fees, linked to turnover and to more regulations, as well as new sanctions possibilities against employers. The plan's core commitment toward companies is the opposite: one-third of regulatory complexity and administrative costs should be removed, because bureaucracy hampers growth. The party programme warns that a state with far-reaching ambitions in all areas gives a weaker society.
Original (Swedish)
Motförslaget kräver kraftigt utvidgade och skärpta sanktionsavgifter, kopplade till omsättning och till fler föreskrifter, samt nya sanktionsmöjligheter mot arbetsgivare. Planens bärande åtagande gentemot företag är det motsatta: en tredjedel av regelkrånglet och administrationskostnaderna ska bort, eftersom byråkrati sätter käppar i hjulet för tillväxt. Partiprogrammet varnar för att en stat med långtgående ambitioner på alla områden ger ett svagare samhälle.
- reduced regulatory burden for companiesdecisive»Ta bort en tredjedel av företagens administrationskostnader och en tredjedel av regelkrånglet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Remove one-third of companies' administrative costs and one-third of regulatory complexity”
- bureaucracy hampers growth»Sveriges välstånd bygger på ett dynamiskt och livskraftigt näringsliv. Men höga skatter, krångliga tillståndsprocesser och byråkrati sätter käppar i hjulet för innovation och tillväxt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden's prosperity is built on a dynamic and vigorous business sector. But high taxes, complicated licensing processes, and bureaucracy hamper innovation and growth.”
- limited state apparatus»En stor stat leder till ett svagare samhälle.« (party programme ↗)“A large state leads to a weaker society.”
The party programme requires that compliance with workplace environment laws be carefully controlled and that serious violations result in noticeable consequences, which is precisely what the counter-proposal aims to achieve with sufficiently noticeable and escalating penalty fees.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme requires that compliance with workplace environment laws be carefully controlled and that serious violations result in noticeable consequences, which is precisely what the counter-proposal aims to achieve with sufficiently noticeable and escalating penalty fees. The election manifesto promises that no one should be seriously injured or killed at work and that every workplace should have adequate workplace environment work, and the party programme explicitly includes mental health. The commitment to reducing red tape for small businesses applies to administrative burden, not to penalties for those who break the rules, and therefore weighs less here.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet kräver att efterlevnaden av arbetsmiljölagarna kontrolleras noggrant och att grova överträdelser ger kännbara konsekvenser, vilket är just vad motförslaget vill uppnå med tillräckligt kännbara och stegrande sanktionsavgifter. Valmanifestet lovar att ingen ska skadas allvarligt på jobbet och att varje arbetsplats ska ha ett fullgott arbetsmiljöarbete, och partiprogrammet räknar uttryckligen in den psykiska hälsan. Åtagandet om regelförenkling för småföretag gäller administrativ börda, inte påföljder mot den som bryter mot reglerna, och väger därför lättare här.
- noticeable penalties for workplace violationsdecisive»Efterlevnaden av arbetsmiljölagarna måste kontrolleras noggrant och grova överträdelser måste ge kännbara konsekvenser.« (party programme ↗)“Compliance with workplace environment laws must be carefully controlled and serious violations must result in noticeable consequences.”
- adequate workplace environment work everywhere»Ingen ska behöva avlida eller skadas allvarligt på jobbet. Varje svensk arbetsplats ska ha ett fullgott arbetsmiljöarbete som skapar trygghet för medarbetarna.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“No one should need to die or be seriously injured at work. Every Swedish workplace should have adequate workplace environment work that creates safety for employees.”
- mental work environment matters»Arbetsmiljön har stor betydelse för arbetstagarnas psykiska och fysiska hälsa.« (party programme ↗)“The work environment is of great importance for employees' mental and physical health.”
- reducing red tape for small businesses»Verka för regelförenkling och avlasta småföretagens administrativa börda« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Work for reducing red tape and ease the administrative burden on small businesses”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2024/25:AU8)
- Committee report full text (HC01AU8)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2024/25:1403 — En human sjukförsäkring med individen i centrum av Clara Aranda m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1412 — Jämställdhet och diskriminering av Michael Rubbestad m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1579 — Stressrelaterade sjukdomar och sjukskrivningar för yrkesverksamma inom vård- och omsorgsyrken av Anna Vikström m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:1624 — Arbetsvillkor för minderåriga av Anna Lasses (C)
- Motion 2024/25:1705 — Bättre arbetsmiljö av Carina Ödebrink och Azra Muranovic (båda S)
- Motion 2024/25:1791 — Betalda arbetsskor för vård-, omsorgs- och förskolepersonal av Linnéa Wickman m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:1906 — En fungerande sjukförsäkring av Isabell Mixter m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2024/25:2188 — Ordning och reda på svenska byggen av Kristoffer Lindberg m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:2347 — Sanktionsavgifter vid arbetsmiljöbrott av Johan Andersson m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:2352 — Arbetsmiljöutbildning av Johan Andersson m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:2386 — Arbetsmarknad och arbetsliv av Magnus Persson m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:2487 — En hållbar arbetsmiljö av Mirja Räihä m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:2501 — Företagshälsovård av Mirja Räihä m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:2512 — Skyddsombudens tillträde till alla arbetsplatser av Mirja Räihä m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:2613 — En grön klimathandlingsplan för Sverige 2025 av Elin Söderberg m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2024/25:2628 — Förstärkta insatser för kompetensutveckling av Leila Ali Elmi m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2024/25:2948 — Arbetsmarknad av Jonny Cato m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2024/25:2955 — Livskraft och framtidstro på Sveriges landsbygder av Muharrem Demirok m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2024/25:3022 — Utgiftsområde 9 Hälsovård, sjukvård och social omsorg av Fredrik Lundh Sammeli m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:3055 — Främjande av hälsa - förebyggande av sjukdom och ohälsa av Ulrika Westerlund m.fl. (MP)
Source: The Swedish Parliament