A number of trade unions with municipal and regional employees as members have reached an agreement with SKR. It means that pregnant women who have been prohibited from working in municipal and regional activities due to risks in the work environment are now entitled to retroactive compensation, writes the Swedish Association of Health Professionals in a press release.
The background is a ruling in the Labor Court recently. It established that two pregnant teachers were discriminated against when they were prohibited from working during the pandemic. During that time, they received pregnancy benefits. However, these were lower than their regular salary.
Thousands affected
The Labor Court referred to EU rules that establish that pregnant employees who are prohibited from working due to risk to the mother's or child's health should be guaranteed maintained rights. The court also found that Sweden has implemented the EU's maternity protection directive in an incorrect manner.
According to the Swedish Association of Academic Specialists, thousands of pregnant women may have lost income over the past ten years. They will now receive retroactive compensation through the trade unions' agreement with the employer side SKR.
The compensation corresponds to the difference between the pregnancy benefits and the regular salary, including fixed supplements and compensation for inconvenient working hours, on-call and standby time, as well as interest according to the Interest Act.
Change the law
Those who were prohibited from working between April 1, 2020 and August 19, 2025 may also be entitled to a one-time amount of 5,000 kronor.
SKR and the trade unions are also urging the government to change the legislation based on the EU's maternity protection directive.
"The state should, until satisfactory legislation is in place, compensate employers for the costs that arise to ensure that pregnant women receive the income protection they are entitled to under the maternity protection directive," writes SKR in a press release.
