Secondary employment

Content on this page: 

• General information about secondary employment 
• Secondary employment that impair confidence 
• Competing secondary employment 
• Secondary employment is always separate from your main employment 
• Applies specifically to teaching staff
• Reporting secondary employment  
  • Managers 
  • Other employees
• Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about secondary employment

General information about secondary employment

The general rule is that as an employee, you decide over your own free time, and secondary employment is allowed. Secondary employment may not, however, undermine confidence as defined by the Public Employment Act (Swedish acronym LOA), nor may it be considered competition or to impede work according to central collective agreements.

Secondary employment that impair confidence

According to the Public Employment Act (Lagen om offentlig anställning LOA), an employee may not have any employment, any assignment or engagement in any activity that may undermine confidence in his or any other employee's impartiality at work or that may damage the authority's reputation. There must not be any conflict of interest.

An example of where a breach of trust can occur is if one of the teaching staff has a secondary employment that is closely related to the research performed at the department where he or she is employed. This could be, for example, if he or she sells laboratory equipment used at the department. 

It can also be the same kind of research that is performed both within the employment and in the secondary employment activities and which thus risks public confidence in Lund University. Even if this is a so-called R&D (research and development) secondary employment it may damage confidence in Lund University. 

Secondary employment that prevents work

A secondary employment that prevents you from working is a secondary employment that has a negative impact on your work. You may not be able to keep up with your work because of the secondary employment, you may not be able to attend certain meetings that are scheduled during regular working hours, or you may be so tired that you do not do a satisfactory job.

Competing secondary employment

A competing secondary employment is a secondary employment that competes with the university's commissioned activities. It may be that your secondary employment is in an area where the university conducts contract education or contract research or will do so in the near future.

Secondary employment is always separate from your main employment

A permitted secondary employment must always be kept clearly separate from your employment at Lund University. This means that you may not perform any work within your secondary employment during working hours and you may not use the university's work tools or consumables (such as the university's telephone number, graphic profile, printer, laboratory equipment or materials) for your secondary employment.

Applies specifically to teaching staff

Teachers have an extended opportunitiy to take on R&D secondary employment and thus an extended obligation tosecondary employment 

In order for the knowledge and expertise present in the University to benefit society, teaching staff members at the University have a greater opportunity to hold certain forms of secondary employment than other employees.

These secondary employment roles are to be concerned with research or development within the teaching staff member’s subject area, and are referred to as research and development (R&D) secondary employment. This opportunity applies only to teaching staff, not to other research staff at the University. These rights bring with them an enhanced obligation to report secondary employment.

Examples of permitted R&D secondary employment:

• Providing advice on a scientific issue or limited consultancy work. 
  Activities based on the teaching staff member’s inventions in the subject area or methods of production that the teaching staff member has developed. 
• Being on the board of a company whose operations are connected with the teaching staff member’s subject area.

Regardless of this opportunity, as with all kinds of secondary employment, R&D secondary employment may not impede work, compete with, or undermine confidence in the University and the research conducted at Lund University. 

The grant conditions from the innovation agency Vinnova state that Vinnova does not reimburse but rather deducts costs from  otherwise eligible expenses for work that is carried out in violation of the rules on secondary employment.

Teaching staff refers to the following categories, as defined in the Lund University Appointment Rules:

• Professors and visiting professors
• Adjunct professors
• Senior lecturers
• Adjunct senior lecturers
• Associate senior lecturers (Assistant professors)
• Postdocs
• Lecturers
• Adjunct lecturers

Reporting secondary employment

All teaching staff must submit an annual declaration of secondary employment during the first quarter of the year, no later than 31 March. Even teaching staff who do not hold secondary employment are required to file a report. 

If you are a new employee, you are to report without delay, and not later than one month into your employment.

Managers

A few managers at Lund University are covered by the local agreement on key management positions. If you are covered by this agreement, you also have an extended reporting obligation and must submit an annual report of secondary employment regardless of whether you have a secondary employment or not.

Other employees

Other employees are only obliged to report secondary employment when asked to do so by your manager, if you are unsure whether the secondary employment is permitted, or if you want your employer to assess it. 

Remember that you are also to report changes to existing secondary employment (such as changes its the scope or nature), or if you take on another post at Lund University than could affect this assessment. A new report is to be submitted as soon as you intend to undertake/are undertaking new secondary employment.

Reporting of secondary employment is done in Primula.

When reporting secondary employment, you must describe it in a way that enables your manager to make an assessment of whether it is permitted or not. See the quick reference guide for further information.

• Report your secondary employment in Primula.
• Quick guide to reporting secondary employment (PDF 145 kB, new window)

Obligation to cease secondary employment if it is prohibited

If your secondary employment is deemed to undermine confidence, you must cease immediately. If you think that the University has made an error in its assessment, you can appeal the decision. You will be informed how to make an appeal in the University’s decision that you are required to cease your secondary employment.

If your secondary employment is adjudged to constitute competition, the secondary employment is to be terminated after the employer’s decision.

Failure to disclose your secondary employment, providing incorrect information, or not ceasing the secondary employment after an assessment/decision that it is considered to undermine confidence, impede work or constitute competition may be assessed under labour law and, in more serious cases, may risk ending your employment at Lund University.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about secondary employment

If you are wondering about something or have any questions, contact your line manager.