Clarification in the Working Environment Act

The plan requires regulations and structures that secure serious occupational health work at all workplaces and establishes that legislation must provide sufficient protection. It also describes how insecure employees refrain from combating sexual harassment and discrimination, which is precisely the problem that a clarification in the occupational health law is intended to address. Guidance and information are therefore not a sufficient answer according to the plan.

• sharp occupational health rulesdecisive»Det behövs regelverk och strukturer som säkrar ett seriöst arbetsmiljöarbete på alla arbetsplatser« (party programme ↗)“There is a need for regulations and structures that secure serious occupational health work at all workplaces”
• protection against harassment in working life»Du tar inte strid mot sexuella trakasserier eller diskriminering om det kan kosta dig nästa jobbpass.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“You do not take action against sexual harassment or discrimination if it could cost you the next work shift.”
• legislation must provide protection»Ingen ska behöva dö på jobbet för att lagstiftningen inte ger ett tillräckligt skydd.« (party programme ↗)“No one should have to die at work because legislation does not provide sufficient protection.”
• workplace free from violations»Ingen av oss ska behöva utstå rasism på arbetsplatsen eller vara beroende av arbetsgivaren för att få stanna i Sverige.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“None of us should have to experience racism at the workplace or be dependent on the employer to stay in Sweden.”

The plan explicitly commits to combating crime, violence and threats in workplaces and to ensuring that Swedish employment law is strong, with a safe working environment as the goal. A clarification in the working environment act that the work environment shall be free from violence and harassment is a direct expression of that commitment and strengthens the employer's preventive responsibility. The plan does not take a position on legislative technique, so the assessment is derived.

• stop for violence in the workplacedecisive»Motverkande av kriminalitet, våld och hot på arbetsplatserna.« (party programme ↗)“Combating crime, violence and threats in workplaces.”
• safe working environment»Säker och hållbar arbetsmiljö med stopp för dödsolyckor på eller till följd av jobbet.« (party programme ↗)“Safe and sustainable working environment with an end to fatal accidents at or resulting from work.”
• strong employment law»Stark arbetsrättslig lagstiftning.« (party programme ↗)“Strong employment law legislation.”
• employer's responsibility for safe working environment»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 must never be profitable to commit crimes or gain competitive advantages by neglecting employees' right to a secure working environment.”

The party programme wants to strengthen workers' rights and set clearer requirements on employers to counteract unhealthy working conditions, and establishes that no one shall need to become ill or risk their life to work. A clarification in the Working Environment Act that the working environment shall be free from violence and harassment is precisely such a clearer requirement. The plan's forceful action against violence and oppression points in the same direction.

• clearer requirements on employersdecisive»Miljöpartiet vill stärka arbetstagarnas rättigheter och ställa tydligare krav på arbetsgivare« (party programme ↗)“The Greens want to strengthen workers' rights and set clearer requirements on employers”
• safe and secure working environment»Ingen ska behöva bli sjuk, än mindre riskera sitt liv« (party programme ↗)“No one shall need to become ill, let alone risk their life”
• forceful action against violence and oppression»Miljöpartiet vill se krafttag för att mäns våld mot kvinnor« (party programme ↗)“The Greens want to see forceful action against male violence against women”

The plan says that more must be done against discrimination and that structures such as discrimination in the workplace must be taken seriously and counteracted, which aligns with being written into the Work Environment Act that the work environment shall be free from violence and harassment. The plan also wants to improve working conditions in the female-dominated public sector. At the same time, the plan advocates regulatory simplification and the corporatist model over legislation, which is why the position is derived and uncertain.

• toughened work against discriminationdecisive»Mer måste göras mot diskriminering. Vi vill stärka myndigheternas arbete mot diskriminering och höja ersättningen till dem som utsatts, samt lägga till kön och funktionsnedsättning som hatbrottsgrunder.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“More must be done against discrimination. We want to strengthen authorities' work against discrimination and increase compensation for those subjected to it, and add gender and disability as hate crime grounds.”
• counteract discrimination at work»vare sig det handlar om hederskultur i familjen, särbehandling i skolan eller diskriminering på arbetsplatsen. Sådana strukturer och normer måste tas på allvar och motarbetas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Whether it is a matter of honour culture in the family, differential treatment in school or discrimination in the workplace. Such structures and norms must be taken seriously and counteracted.”
• better working conditions for women»Vi vill uppvärdera statusen för kvinnodominerande yrken och förbättra arbetsvillkoren inom offentlig sektor, bland annat genom karriärtjänster och rätt till kompetensutveckling.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to upgrade the status of female-dominated occupations and improve working conditions in the public sector, among other things through career positions and the right to skills development.”

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 wants to modernise discrimination law and conduct purposeful work against discrimination precisely in the labour market, and establishes that all forms of gender-related violence shall be prevented. A clarification in the Work Environment Act that the work environment shall be free from violence and harassment is in line with this and with the principle that the individual's dignity shall not be violated. The plan does not, however, address the Work Environment Act as such, whereby the position is derived.

• modernised discrimination lawdecisive»Vi vill modernisera diskrimineringslagen, prioritera polisens hatbrottsverksamhet och säkerställa att alla skolor står upp för alla människors lika värde.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to modernise discrimination law, prioritise the police's hate crime activities and ensure that all schools stand up for all people's equal value.”
• counter discrimination in working life»Det behövs ett målmedvetet arbete för att motverka diskriminering inom samhällsområden såsom arbetsmarknad, utbildning och hälso- och sjukvård.« (party programme ↗)“There needs to be purposeful work to counter discrimination in areas of society such as labour market, education and healthcare.”
• prevent gender-related violence»Alla former av våld i relationer och könsrelaterat våld ska förebyggas.« (party programme ↗)“All forms of violence in relationships and gender-related violence shall be prevented.”
• dignity shall not be violated»Den enskildes värdighet och integritet får inte kränkas.« (party programme ↗)“The individual's dignity and integrity shall not be violated.”

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 party programme establishes that a high level of ambition shall characterize laws and work for good working conditions and that bullying at the workplace must be actively combated. The counter-proposal's requirement that the working environment act explicitly states that the work environment shall be free from violence and harassment lies within this ambition. That worker protection shall also include mental health strengthens the conclusion.

• combat bullying in working lifedecisive»Mobbning på arbetsplatsen måste aktivt bekämpas.« (party programme ↗)“Bullying at the workplace must be actively combated.”
• high ambition in occupational health laws»En hög ambitionsnivå ska prägla lagar och arbetet för bra arbetsmiljöer.« (party programme ↗)“A high level of ambition shall characterize laws and work for good working conditions.”
• protection for mental health»Ett väl fungerande arbetarskydd och god arbetsmiljö ska ta hänsyn till såväl fysisk som psykisk hälsa hos arbetstagarna.« (party programme ↗)“A well-functioning worker protection and good working conditions shall take into account both physical and mental health of employees.”
• laws against discrimination»Väl fungerande lagar mot all diskriminering i arbetslivet ska finnas.« (party programme ↗)“Well-functioning laws against all discrimination in working life shall exist.”

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 meets violence and threats in working life with criminal law and police tools, for example a new criminal offense for violence against school staff and the full force of the rule of law when entrepreneurs are subjected to crime, not with new demands in employment law. Meanwhile, a core commitment is to greatly reduce regulatory red tape and companies' administrative costs. A clarification that places new employer obligations in employment law therefore does not align with the plan.

• criminal law response to workplace violencedecisive»Införa våld mot skolpersonal som ny brottsrubricering« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Introduce violence against school staff as a new criminal offense”
• rule of law protects against violence»Det är ett grundläggande politiskt ansvar att rättsstaten finns där med sin fulla kraft när företagare blir utsatta för brott.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is a fundamental political responsibility that the rule of law is there with its full force when entrepreneurs are subjected to crime.”
• reduced regulatory red tape»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 red tape”

The plan establishes that every Swedish workplace should have adequate occupational health work and that safety and security in working life should increase, with particular emphasis on threats and violence against staff. A clarification in the Work Environment Act that the work environment should be free from violence and harassment, including from third parties, aligns with that commitment. The plan does not take a position on the wording of the law, which is why the conclusion is derived.

• safety in working lifedecisive»Öka tryggheten och säkerheten i arbetslivet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Increase safety and security in working life”
• adequate occupational health work»Varje svensk arbetsplats ska ha ett fullgott arbetsmiljöarbete som skapar trygghet för medarbetarna.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Every Swedish workplace should have adequate occupational health work that creates safety for employees.”
• protection against threats and violence»Öka tryggheten för vårdpersonal och på akutmottagningar« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Increase safety for healthcare staff and at emergency departments”
• monitoring of work environment law»arbetsmiljölagarna måste kontrolleras noggrant och grova överträdelser måste ge« (party programme ↗)“the work environment laws must be carefully monitored and gross violations must give”

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.