Case Study V – Sweden Erna Hellberg Arbetsförmedlingen The Swedish Public Employment Service

1. Creating InnovativeWorking Arrangementsthrough the support of PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT SERVICESfor a Better Work Life Reconciliation Case Study V – Sweden Erna Hellberg Arbetsförmedlingen The Swedish Public Employment Service

2. Employment levels for women and men in Sweden Women in the Swedish labour market: • 59% in 1970 • 82% in 1990 • 81% in 2007, of whom 66% were employed full-time while 34% worked part-time Men in the Swedish labour market: • 87% in 1970 • 87% in 1990 • 87% in 2007, of whom 90% were employed full-time while 10% worked part-time The figures for 1970 and 1990 concern ages 16-64 years. The figures for 2007 concern ages 20-64 years. (Statistics Sweden)

3. Employment rates Total employment rate in 2007 • Sweden 74.2% • EU-25 average 65.8% Employment rate for men • Sweden 76.5% • EU-25 average 73.0% Employment rate for women • Sweden 71.8% • EU-25 average 58.6% The EU target for the employment rate of women was set at 60% (Eurostat, 2008)

4. Unemployment rates Annual harmonized unemployment rate in 2007 • Sweden 6.1% • EU-27 average 7.1% (Eurostat, 2008) Unemployment rates in Sweden in 2009 • January: 7.3% of the labour force • Relative unemployment for men 7.5% • Relative unemployment for women 7.0% • March: 8.3% of the labour force • August: unemployment rate 8,0 % (Statistics Sweden)

5. Parental benefit measures in Swedish social security system • Maternity leave • Paternity leave • Full leave with or without parental benefit • Parental benefit covers 80 percent of income, up to a certain level, payable for 480 days for children born in 2002 or later • Partial leave with parental benefit • Partial leave without parental benefit • Pension-qualifying time first 4 years of child´s life, one child at a time • Special paternal benefit rules foradoptive parents (The Swedish Social Security Agency, http://www.forsakringskassan.se/) • Gender equality bonus • Child-raising allowance (The Government and the Government Offices of Sweden, http://www.sweden.gov.se/)

6. Research findings • No independent research was carried out • Gender segregation in working life affects possibility to integrate paid work and parenthood for both women and men • Women and men work just as much, but distribute their time differently between paid and unpaid work – women do nearly two-thirds of unpaid work • Men participate more in care of children while women have increased participation in employment • Differences have been reduced but old patterns of a gendered division of labour exist parallel to new, more equal, patterns • Deeply rooted ideas on equal sharing of responsibilities for child care and household work - as a principle - but actual division of labour between sexes is still largely gender determined

7. Views of Swedish Social Partners • Employer organisations and trade union confederations consider existing Swedish legislation measures adequate for reconciliation of professional and family life for both men and women • Flexible working arrangements for employees with small children are important issues for the social partners in Sweden • Their role is to help employees achieve a balance between work and family, while at the same time satisfying the requirements of businesses • Creating favourable workplaces for women and men is an important factor for recruitment (Swedish Social Partners, 2007: Joint response to questionnaire on measures for reconciliation of professional and family life )

8. Views of employers • Flexible working arrangements are important for reconciling work and family for employees but may present varying degrees of difficulties for employers • Business operations may require strict work schedules, shiftwork or inconvenient working hours • Employers´ possibilities to plan work in a way that satisfies business requirements is restricted by family requirements such as: • avoiding journeys or conferences with overnight stays, avoiding compulsory work late in the day or during weekends, avoiding overtime, and scheduling meetings at times that are suitable for parents with young children • Absence from work at short notice to care for a sick child often causes difficulties at the workplace

9. Views of employees Results of a trade union survey among members: • Almost 30% of parents find it very, or rather, difficult to combine work and parenthood • In job interviews 30% of the women had been asked if they planned to have children, compared to 11% of the men • A majority reported that the employer was very, or rather, positive to the employee becoming a parent - in spite of this, 14% of the women felt disadvantageously treated already during pregnancy and many employees experienced problems when they returned to work after parental leave • Employee requests for WLR measures: • routines for contacts with employees during parental leave, better planning for return to work after parental leave, flexible work-time arrangements, increased influence over work schedules, working from home, meetings scheduled at “child-friendly” times

10. Conclusion • Most employers describe their attitude to parenthood and to parental leave as positive or very positive – this is confirmed by a majority of employees • WLR measures offered by private employers coincide largely with measures requested by employees - in spite of this, many employees state that employers do not do enough to facilitate combining work and family • According to 50% of women and 25% of men, parental leave had a negative impact on pay development and career opportunities - many reported negative attitudes from employers • WLR measures, as put into practice, do not correspond fully with company policies for family-friendly workplaces • Employer attitudes to parenthood and parental leave are positive - in principle - but requirements of business operations take priority over parents´ needs for flexible work arrangements

11. WLR measures are handled by employers and employees – No role for PES in Sweden • Parental leave and parental benefit provisions in national legislation are supplemented through collective agreements between employers and trade unions • Work-life reconciliation measures in social security systemand collective agreements are handled by employers, employees and trade unions • The Swedish Public Employment Service does not have the task to support employers to implement work-life balance measures

12. A Working Life Suitable for Families Innovative Working Arrangements in Sweden The aim of this report is: • To describe efforts made in the 1950´s, 1960´s and 1970´s by Arbetsförmedlingen, other government agencies, employer organisations, trade unions and many other organisations to promote equal opportunities for women and men in the labour market • To present innovative working arrangements offered by some Swedish enterprises in 2009, namely: • Attana AB, The Nielsen Company Sweden, CSC Nordic Region and Skandia

13. Increasing shortage of male workers in Sweden after World War II • Increasing shortage of workers in male dominated sectors and occupations towards end of 1950´s • Lack of male workers and increasing demand for female workers had an impact on attitudes towards women in the labour market • During 1950´s, 1960´s and 1970´s many organisations and public agencies worked to facilitate women’s entry into workforce, advocating for better child care facilities, occupational training, equal wages and other measures to promote equal opportunities in labour market

14. Women in employment • Strong increase of married/formerly married women in employment between 1940 and 1950 - their number almost doubled to about 39 % of total number of employed women (excl. agricultural sector) • In 1960an average of 47% of all women were employed in cities and larger municipalities, in some places even amounting to 59,5% - national average for female employment was 38,2 % AMS proposed training programmes for women • In March 1957, 43 women had applied for training • 1,700 women participated in courses in 1961 • Their number had increased to 16,000 by 1964 • Training had been arranged in more than 40 different occupations, mostly in the health care sector or office work and with a growing interest for occupational training for work in the industrial sector

15. Campaigns for more women in the workforce • Several campaigns during 1960´s to promote women’s workforce participation and attract women into industrial jobs • The number of women in industrial work, especially in the mechanical and engineering industry, increased between 1960 and 1965 • Married women working at home constituted the largest remaining workforce reserve in Sweden in 1965 • To enable women to take jobs, an expansion of day nurseries and pre-schools was initiated. • Many women found work in the new child care institutions, and also in geriatric care and hospitals.

16. Campaigns for more women in the workforce • 1964: nation-wide advertisement campaign for female workers • 1965: nation-wide radio series Housewife changes job? in co-operation between AMS, public Radio School and daily papers - aired again in 1966 • 1966: Work Group for Labour market information to families -greater work force participation by women would necessitate changes and sharing of responsibilities in the family • 1966: mobile exhibition Family Reconsiders toured the country • 1967: AMS produced film about “The other alternative” - i.e. work outside the home – and about assistance available through labour market measures • 1967 and 1968: Fact and Future Conferences were held in various locations across Sweden

17. Success for campaigns • The campaigns were successful since large numbers of women entered the labour market • Married women entering the workforce accounted for the whole growth in the number of persons in the labour market during the later part of the 1960´s • The number of employed married women increased by 145,000 between 1965 and 1969 • The success of campaigns to interest women in male jobs inspired AMS to launch campaigns to increase the number of men working in sectors dominated by women

18. Gender segregation in Swedish labour market • The Swedish labour market was - and still is - characterized by strong gender segregation • Between 1985 and 1990 AMS was tasked to counteract gender segregation in the labour market through a systematic cooperation with employers´ organisations and trade unions • Between 1993 and 2006 AMS was tasked to carry out “pattern breaking” projects with the aim of exploring methods to counteract gender segregation in the labour market

19. Research report on gender segregation Conclusion of the 2004 research report on gender segregation in the Swedish labour market: • The Swedish Government should continue its policy to counteract gender segregation in the labour market • The final aim should not be that all occupations, positions and educational paths should become evenly distributed between the sexes • Instead, the aim should be: • To remove visible and invisible obstacles to a free occupational choice for women and men • and • To remove unfair working and wage conditions connected to gender patterns in different occupations

20. Innovative Working Arrangements in Sweden Some examples: • Flexibility measures: different work schedule models, flexitime, part-time work, compressed working week, teleworking part of the time • Meetings planned to suit the needs of parents • Online meetings and conferences, telephone meetings etc. • Technical equipment supplied for telework from the home • Minimizing travel and overnight stays in connection with work • Goals for the share of women in manager positions, specialist jobs, staff training programmes etc. and a recruitment policy to achieve it • Career development programmes aimed at women • “Return-to-work”-programme for employees on parental leave • Contact with employees during parental leave • Men encouraged to take parental leave • Supplementary parental pay • Subsidized household services