Sweden: government presents a ‘return-to-work’ program for people on long-term sick leave

Ambitious return-to-work program. The Swedish government wants to learn the lessons from the crisis of the 1990s and spare no effort to slow down an unemployment boom. With this program, the government wants to combine the efforts of all the professionals concerned (employers, employment agencies, health services, coaches…) so that people on long-term sick leave can enjoy continuous and individualized support in their process to return to work. It is provided that those whose labor contract was suspended will have to return to their initial job. Their employer will have to ensure that the working conditions and tasks required are compatible with their health status. For those who have no pending job, the national employment agency will step in. Within three months after being struck off social security, they will be entitled to a skills assessment to estimate their level of employability. Then, the employment agency will take care of them and they will be included into one of the many systems provided for by employment policies: ‘new start’ jobs, short-term practical internships, job with training included…. During that period, they will receive activity benefits ranging from SEK 223 (€21.8) to SEK 680 (€66.6) per day, whether or not they are entitled to unemployment benefits. As a last resort, the government doesn’t rule out the possibility to reactivate sickness benefits for those who cannot join any program. To carry out this accompanying program, the employment agency will receive SEK 1.5 billion (€147 million), out of the SEK 17 billion given by the government. It plans on recruiting 500-1,000 more employees.