In 16 of the 19 regions that have responded to the questions from the interest organization SKR (Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions), overtime has decreased by 16 percent between the first quarter of 2023 and the same period in 2024.
There are several factors behind this. One is the work to reduce temporary staffing and the fact that they have hired more of their own personnel, says SKR's chief negotiator Jeanette Hedberg.
More even distribution of overtime
She also points to more preventive work environment efforts to, among other things, get schedules to fit together better.
They are distributing overtime more evenly, says Hedberg.
It didn't sound quite as positive from the healthcare union last spring when nurses went on strike to reduce working hours.
Therefore, such signals become even more important, according to Hedberg.
Competence supply is one of the biggest challenges we have. And in light of that, this is a very positive trend, she says.
But the 16 percent decrease in overtime is a total figure. In some regions, overtime has increased, which applies to nurses in Norrbotten, Uppsala, and Västerbotten. And in some operations, the pressure on staff to work a lot of overtime may still exist.
Temporary staffing costs plummet
The figures also show that the regions' work to reduce the high costs of temporary staffing has borne fruit. During the first half of the year, temporary staffing costs fell by 28 percent or 1.3 billion kronor compared to the same period last year, according to SKR. A temporary nurse or doctor is usually significantly more expensive than having one's own personnel.
This is a work that has intensified and that all regions stand behind. The regions are striving to reduce their dependence on temporary staff, says Jeanette Hedberg.
How many more employees the regions now have in total as a result of fewer temporary staff, SKR does not know. But some regions have stated the number. In Region Stockholm, it's about 600 more employed nurses. In Region Skåne, it's about 460 more employed nurses in a year.
