European Foundation
for the Improvement of
Living and Working Conditions

The tripartite EU agency providing knowledge to assist
in the development of better social, employment and
work-related policies

EU PolicyWatch

Database of national-level policy measures

Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.

Factsheet for measure SE-2020-25/1151 – measures in Sweden

Social partners-run insurance funds research on how COVID-19 affects the work environment, health and leadership

Ny forskning om hur covid-19 påverkar arbetsmiljö, hälsa och ledarskap

Country Sweden , applies nationwide
Time period Temporary, 15 June 2020 – 01 October 2020
Context COVID-19
Type Other initiatives or policies
Category Protection of workers, adaptation of workplace
– Well-being of workers
Author Anna-Karin Gustafsson (Oxford Research) and Eurofound
Measure added 17 September 2020 (updated 22 September 2020)

Background information

AFA Insurance is owned by the social partners. The Confederation of Swedish Enterprise, Swedish Trade Union Confederation (LO) and the Council for Negotiation and Cooperation (PTK). AFA provides insurance for employees in the private sector as well as the public sector, i.e. municipalities and regions. The operations within AFA Insurance are run on a non-profit basis, which means that dividends are not paid to the owners. The AFA insurances are determined in collective agreements or other agreements between the social partners.

AFA has a large research and development unit which conducts research on issues work environment and health issues. Within the framework of AFA Insurance's research areas work environment and health, the social partners are now investing in research that will investigate how the ongoing spread of COVID-19 affects working life and health from different perspectives.

Content of measure

So far 18 projects have been granted research funding to find out more about the effects of COVID-19 on work environment and health. AFA Insurance accepts applications within the framework of the COVID-19 call until 1 October 2020.

Only academics conducting research on research institutes and universities are eligible for the grant. The projects accepted to this day have received between SEK 1 and 5 million in grant (€100,000-500,000).

An example of a project that have received funding is a project at the Swedish Road and Transport Research Institute. It is about how bus drivers' work environment and health have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The project has received about SEK 3.2 million (€320,000). The project includes regional public transport authorities and bus operators to provide a broader picture of drivers' work situation and experiences during the pandemic.

AFA Insurance invests approximately SEK 150 million (€15 million) annually in research and development aimed at preventing ill health and occupational injuries in both private business and municipalities and regions.

Use of measure

18 projects have been granted research funding to find out more about the effects of COVID-19 on work environment and health.

Target groups

Workers Businesses Citizens
Applies to all workers Applies to all businesses Applies to all citizens

Actors and funding

Actors Funding
Trade unions
Employers' organisations
Company / Companies
Employers organisation
Trade union

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

Trade unions Employers' organisations
Role Agreed (outcome) incl. social partner initiative Agreed (outcome) incl. social partner initiative
Form Consultation through tripartite or bipartite social dialogue bodies Consultation through tripartite or bipartite social dialogue bodies

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

  • Social partners jointly
  • Main level of involvement: Peak or cross-sectoral level

Involvement

Within the framework of AFA Insurance's research areas work environment and health, the social partners are now investing in research that will investigate how the ongoing spread of COVID-19 affects working life and health from different perspectives. 18 projects are now being granted research funding to find out more about the effects of COVID-19 in these areas.

Views and reactions

The social partner's views are supportive.

Sources

Citation

Eurofound (2020), Social partners-run insurance funds research on how COVID-19 affects the work environment, health and leadership, measure SE-2020-25/1151 (measures in Sweden), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/SE-2020-25_1151.html

Share

Eurofound publications based on EU PolicyWatch

30 January 2023

 

Measures to lessen the impact of the inflation and energy crisis on citizens

Governments across the EU continue to implement policies to support citizens and businesses in the face of rising food and energy prices caused by the COVID-19 crisis and intensified by the war in Ukraine. This article summarises the policy responses as reported in Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch database from January to September 2022.

Article

12 September 2022

 

First responses to cushion the impact of inflation on citizens

Although the worldwide pandemic situation had already disrupted supply chains and triggered increases in energy and food prices in 2021, the situation deteriorated in 2022 with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Article

12 September 2022

 

Policies to support EU companies affected by the war in Ukraine

This article summarises the first policy responses that governments across the EU have started to implement to support companies affected by the rising prices, and those with commercial ties to Ukraine, Russia or Belarus.

Article

5 July 2022

 

Policies to support refugees from Ukraine

This article summarises the first policy responses of EU Member States, including those of the social partners and other civil society actors, enabling refugees to exercise their rights under the Temporary Protection Directive.

Article

Disclaimer: This information has not been subject to the full Eurofound evaluation, editorial and publication process.