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Rehabilitation process

The rehabilitation process facilitates rehabilitation efforts for you as manager with personnel responsibility and help you ensure that your employees are given conditions to prevent ill health as well as to regain capacity for work as quickly as possible.

The rehabilitation process describes what must be done, when an activity should take place and who it is that should act. Below you can read more about the different parts of the process and what you as a manager need to do.

The toolbox contains all documents in the rehabilitation process.

The rehabilitation process at Stockholm University consists of various steps.

Rehabilitation process at Stockholm University

Preventative rehabilitation

As manager, it is important that you pay attention to early signals of ill health amongst your employees. The earlier a problem is identified, the greater will be the possibility of a positive outcome from your preventative rehabilitation efforts. If there is reason to suspect that an employee is not feeling well, it is very important to find the cause of the problem at an early stage and put in place appropriate support measures so as to prevent the risk that the employee should eventually find themselves on long-term sick leave.

Some examples of early signals in employees:

repeated short-term sick leave (6 times off sick in the last 12 months)
behavioural changes, such as isolating themselves from colleague or becoming quiet and introverted
irritation, aggression, anxiety, restlessness, 'everything is too hard'
works over-ambitiously
decrease in performance
difficulty being on time
often suffering from various ailments
cooperation difficulties.

Investigate sick leave record

Investigate the employee's sick leave record. It is often necessary to look back a year to get an idea of any pattern or to see when a change first began to appear.

Long-term sick leave often starts as repeated short-term sick leave; it often escalates to more frequent and longer periods of absence. Noticing this in time may prevent an employee from going on long-term sick leave. The reasons for a person taking sick leave may be medical, but can also be due to an employee's work and/or personal situation. By mapping the situation, we as employers can more easily take measures for preventing future ill health and incapacity for work.

As manager, you must therefore work systematically with cases of repeated short-term sick leave as follows:

once a month, take out a short-term sick leave report in Primula for your staff group.
The guide for producing a report on sickness absence in the last 12 months Pdf, 187.4 kB.
call employees who have six or more cases of sickness in the last twelve months to a preventative rehabilitation meeting.
Preventive rehabilitation meeting guide Word, 156.7 kB.
based on the preventative rehabilitation meeting, formulate and follow up on an action plan.

One of the measures could be to require a medical certificate from the first day of sickness. Contact your HR specialist/advisor at the HR Office for advice and support.

Preventative rehabilitation meeting

Preventative rehabilitation meetings should be held with an employee:

who has repeatedly been on sick leave – that is, six cases of sickness in the last twelve months
when you assess that there is reason to conduct such a conversation because something appears to be amiss, or
when an employee initiates the meeting.

As manager, by having a conversation with the employee, you can identify the reason for the problem and see what possibilities exist for giving support, or what measures need to be taken. The purpose of the conversation is to prevent possible sick leave and to catch early signals that your employee is not feeling well, as well as taking measures to prevent ill health and incapacity for work in the future. Dialogs are the best way of identifying the need for action. Dare to ask!

By formulating a concrete action plan, the potential for finding the appropriate measures and support for the employee improves, meaning that the employee will receive the help they need to be able to function at work.

Based on systematic work environment management, it is important that you also take care of the organisational and social aspects that emerge from the conversation, such as work load, working hours, resources, authority etc.

Managers who need support before a preventative rehabilitation meeting can contact their HR specialist/advisor at the HR Office.

Toolbox for preventative rehabilitation

Sick, day 1–7

This is what you as manager need to do when one of your employees is on sick leave for between one and seven days, regardless of whether the sick leave is part-time or full-time.

Notification of sickness

Sick leave begins with an employee reporting sickness to you as their immediate manager. The notification of sickness should come directly from the employee via telephone, text message or email.

Initiate and keep in contact with the employee

If you have not spoken with the employee personally, assess up with a phone call no later than day three to reconcile the situation and establish a dialogue early on about when the employee may be able to return to work.

Early and regular communication with a sick employee has a large impact on how successful and rapid a return to work will be.

If it is already clear that the sick leave may be long term, it is important that you as manager book regular status checks (perhaps once a week) with your employee to keep abreast of how the employee is feeling and what the prognosis is for a return to work.

Assessment, day 1–7

Entitlement to sick pay

According to the Swedish Sick Pay Act (lagen om sjuklön – 1991:1047), it is you as manager who should assess entitlement to sick pay. To be entitled to sick pay, the employee's work capacity must be reduced due to sickness, in relation to the employee's regular work. Sick pay is variable – that is, it can be paid at any percentage.

For the first seven says of a period of sick leave, no medical certificate is usually required, but if there are special grounds (chapter 3, section 3 of the general agreement on salaries and benefits – Villkorsavtalet), you as manager may require an employee to submit a medical certificate earlier than day eight. This could apply, for example, if there is suspicion that someone is fraudulently claiming to be sick, such as when an employee 'threatens' to be sick if they are not permitted to be free from work. This should not be confused with a day one medical certificate. This is applicable only on isolated occasions and not during an agreed period.

If you need advice and support in making the assessment, please contact your HR specialist/advisor at the HR Office.

Repeated short-term sick leave

Take out the report in Primula on the number of times the employee haves been on sick leave; see the guide.

Guide for producing sick leave report in Primula Pdf, 187.4 kB.

If the employee's short-term sick leave exceeds six occasions over a twelve-month period, follow the procedures according to preventative rehabilitation efforts.

Preventative rehabilitation

Day one medical certificate

According to chapter 7, section 3 of the Villkorsavtalet agreement, the employer is permitted to require that an employee verify their absence with a medical certificate from the first day off sick. This is a measure that may be taken only occasionally and is determined by the HR manager. If you are considering using this measure, contact your HR specialist/advisor at the HR Office.

Adjustments or work travel allowance

Already at this stage, in consultation with the employee, you can investigate whether temporary adjustments would make it possible for the employee to be able to work in spite of sickness.

Examples of this could involve adjustments to regular work assignments, adapting working hours, different work assignments or work from home.

If the sickness prevents the employee from getting to and from work by regular means, you have the possibility of paying compensation for additional costs for travel to and from work instead of sick pay. This compensation is taxable and can only be paid if the employee is on full-time sick leave.

Plan and document

If you assess that the employee will be off sick for a long period of time, make a preliminary plan as soon as possible for what you need to do during different parts of the sick leave period. The rehabilitation calendar can help you with this.

Rehabilitation calendar – important dates Excel, 37.7 kB.

Remember to document all important events relating to the case. Feel free to use the Notes template.

Notes template – rehabilitation Word, 165.6 kB.

Toolbox, day 1–7

Sick, day 8–14

Medical certificate from day 8

From the eighth day of sick leave, the employee must submit a medical certificate to their manager. The medical certificate must be submitted in full – only the diagnosis may be concealed. The employee has the right to choose their own doctor, except in cases where you as manager have requested a medical certificate earlier than the eighth day (such as for a day one medical certificate), in which case the employee should go through occupational health care.

The medical certificate must be submitted in as quickly as possible. If there are problems getting in contact with the doctor, or if the appointment is booked after day eight, the employee must consult you as manager so that you know why the medical certificate is delayed. However, it is important that the medical certificate applies from day eight and onwards, which may mean that the doctor will need to issue the certificate retroactively.

The part of the medical certificate that includes information on the extent of sick leave (%), the period of sickness, the employee's name and Swedish personal identity number should then be forwarded to the payroll section at the HR Office.

Keep all medical certificates and other documentation relating to a case organised and secure.

Handling incomplete medical certificates

It is the employee's responsibility to prove that their work capacity has been reduced through a medical certificate. The employee must also submit other details that are needed in order to identify their need of rehabilitation, such as decisions from Försäkringskassan. If a medical certificate does not contain sufficient information for you as manager to be able to make that assessment, the employee should contact their doctor to have their certificate completed.

Keep in contact

Keep a continual dialogue with the employee. It is good to follow up on information contained in the medical certificate and ask questions about the prognosis for a return to work. You need to continue investigating possible occupational rehabilitation measures to increase the likelihood of a return to work. If the employee does not have any capacity for work at all, you can discuss whether there is any other way to maintain good contact with the workplace, such as by participating in group activities and visits.

For more information, see contact call (guide). Pdf, 150.3 kB.

If it appears that the employee will be off sick for a long period of time, you can send them Rehabilitation – Information sheet for employees. You may print the information sheet and post it to the employee's home address. You could mention this to the employee during your contact call.

Rehabilitation – Information sheet for employees Pdf, 382.5 kB.

Assessment, day 8–14

Entitlement to sick pay

Based on the details contained in the medical certificate, you as manager must assess the employee's entitlement to sick pay. Just as previously, an employee's entitlement to sick pay depends on their capacity for work being reduced due to sickness, in relation to regular work. The employee can choose to work more than what is stated in the medical certificate, but never less.

Entitlement to sick leave

If you as manager have assessed that the employee is entitled to sick pay, they may also be absent from work.

Occupational measures

It may be clear from the medical certificate or elsewhere that it would be relevant to put occupational measures in place in the form of temporary adjustments, work training, adjusted travel to work etc., in which case it is important that you book a meeting together with the employee and start planning for a return to work.

Occupational health care

If, as manager, you see the need for it, it can be good to involve occupational health care at an early stage. For example, it may be appropriate in cases involving suspected substance abuse, work-related ill health, stress issues etc. It is also possible to call occupational health care for advice on your case.

Occupational health care are experts on the connection between medical conditions and work, and they can provide you as manager with support and advice during the rehabilitation process. Occupational health care have skills available in the form of case managers (rehabilitation coordinators), occupational doctors, psychologists, physiotherapists and more. As manager, you can call in occupational health care even if the employee has retained their own doctor from the regular healthcare system. However, occupational health care may never offer any medical treatment.

In case of work injuries or occupational disease

If it appears from the medical certificate or elsewhere that the sick leave is due to work or occupational injury, a report must be filled in IA System. Note that stress-related complaints that are linked with work can be classified as an occupational disease and should therefore also be reported in IA System.

Follow the procedures found in work injuries and incidents.
IA System

Documentation

Remember to document all important events, assessments and decisions relating to the case.

Feel free to use the notes template. Word, 165.6 kB.

Toolbox, day 8–14

Contact call, guide Pdf, 150.3 kB.

Information sheet for employees Pdf, 382.5 kB.

Map for managers – occupational rehabilitation (picture) Pdf, 199.3 kB.

Notes template – rehabilitation Word, 165.6 kB.

Rehabilitation calendar – important dates Excel, 37.7 kB.

Sick, day 15–90

Assessing entitlement to sick leave

Starting from day 15 of a period of sick leave, Försäkringskassan pays compensation to your employee in the form of sickness benefit. The employee still needs to submit a medical certificate to you as manager, so that, amongst other things, you can assess their entitlement to sick leave. Note that, even if Försäkringskassan does not grant sickness benefit, the employee may still be entitled to be absent from work due to sickness.

Keep in contact

Continue to keep in contact with the employee through regular status checks as you have previously agreed upon. The focus should be on assessing when the employee is ready to start occupational rehabilitation.

For more information, see contact call (guide). Pdf, 150.3 kB.

Remember to document each time you contact the employee, your assessments and your decisions.

Feel free to use the notes template. Word, 165.6 kB.

Contact your HR specialist/advisor – no later than day 20

Contact your HR specialist/advisor at the HR Office no later than day 20 of the employee's period of sickness. Then, at an early stage, you can receive help and support in handling the case.

Request a reference number – day 30

When the employee's sick leave period exceeds day 30, you as the manager must request a reference number from the Registrator (registration). The case is given a case name: Rehabiliteringsärende; sekretessbelagt (Rehabilitation case; classified). The case in the registration record follows Stockholm University's routines for handling cases with secrecy and shall not contain any documents. There must be a reference in the registration that the documents are stored in the rehabilitation case file at the department/equivalent. Update the registration if there is a change in where the documents are stored; for example, if the employee quits or changes workplace within Stockholm University.

Return to work plan – no later than day 30

No later than on day 30 of the period of sick leave, you and your employee should together draw up a plan for returning to work, whether the sick leave is part time or full time.

Use Stockholm University's Return to work plan template. Word, 173.9 kB.

If you and your employee will plan for part-time work:

Use also the list of work assignments, planning part-time work template. Word, 166.4 kB.

If you assess that occupational rehabilitation measures are not relevant at this time, the Return to work plan should still be set up. Make a note in the plan that no measures have been taken, and explain why.

An employee's motivation to return to work is strongest at the beginning of their period of sick leave, so it is important to get started with active rehabilitation efforts within the first three months.

The Return to work plan is a living document and should be kept up to date by following up activities and making a new plan if you feel it is needed.

The Return to work plan may be requested by Försäkringskassan, but it is mainly there for you as manager and for your employee.

Measures in the Return to work plan

If there are no medical obstacles to commencing occupational rehabilitation, plans should be made for a return to either part-time or full-time work.

The employee should actively participate in this planning. Listen to your employee, ask him/her to describe his/her capacity for work, and make your own suggestions as to what can be done. If the employee does not participate in their rehabilitation or cuts it short, without acceptable reason, contact your HR specialist/advisor at the HR Office for further handling the case.

Take into consideration what the doctor writes in the medical certificate about the employee's limitations regarding their capacity for work and what you need to keep in mind regarding a return to work.

Consider, too, what is realistic for your operation. As an employer, we have a far-reaching rehabilitation responsibility. We are not, however, obligated to adapt the work if it:

results in a worse work environment for other employees
means expanding operations (new positions or work assignments being created that are not justified from an operational point of view)
entails significant organisational difficulties, or if the adaptations are not financially justifiable.

Example measures

Measures that prepare the employee for a return to work

When an employee is on full-time sick leave, these measures can help strengthen and fortify their capacity for work.

This could, for example, involve encouraging physical activity, support for issues relating to substance abuse, support sessions at occupational health care, workplace visits, having lunch/coffee with colleagues, and work trial together with Försäkringskassan.

Adapting regular work

Before you begin making adjustments to an employee's regular work, you and your employee should list their work assignments and duties.

Use the List of work assignments, planning part-time work template. Word, 166.4 kB.

Adaptation measures may include:

adjusting the number, content and variation of regular work assignments
adapting work methods or organisation (e.g., working differently from previously, being included in a different team etc.).

Adjusted working hours

For example, arriving later or finishing earlier.

Adjusting the location where work is carried out

You can agree that the employee can work from home part of the workweek for a limited period of time. Sometimes, it may instead be preferable from a rehabilitation point of view that the employee works from the office all days of the week.

Work training

During work training, an employee can gradually build up their capacity for work without any demands on performance. This may be suitable if the employee has been off sick full time for an extended period of time.

In some cases, an employee can train at work whilst receiving rehabilitation compensation from Försäkringskassan. In such cases, Försäkringskassan makes the decision and is responsible for planning and evaluating the work training.

Part time work

The employee works part time on their regular or adjusted work assignments.

Temporary transfer

Sometimes, there is reason to temporarily transfer an employee to another place of work within Stockholm University, such as for work training. In such cases, contact your HR specialist/advisor at the HR Office for further planning.

Mentor/support

As manager, you can assign one of the employee's colleagues to give extra support for a period of time in order to help the employee with various questions or to help them learn new procedures etc. As manager, you still retain your rehabilitation responsibility.

Adaptation of the workplace

These measures involve making physical changes in the work environment, such as acquiring assistive devices (see Försäkringskassan) or adapting the premises.

Försäkringskassan

Work travel allowance

If sickness prevents the employee from getting to and from work by regular means, Försäkringskassan can exchange sickness benefit for work travel allowance. It is the employee who applies to Försäkringskassan for work travel allowance.

Follow-up

Continuous follow ups of the Return to work plan aim at evaluating measures that have been previously taken and, as needed, deciding on new measures. In that case, make a new Return to work plan containing updated information. The follow-up should take place during a meeting, but can sometimes also work over the telephone.

Throughout occupational rehabilitation, brief but regular status checks are an important instrument for succeeding with the measures that have been taken. A half-hour status check once a week (such as on Monday morning or Friday afternoon) is recommended. Physical meetings are preferable, but the status check can also be done over the phone or electronically (e.g., via Zoom). We do not recommend making status checks via email, since a dialogue is important for following up.

Support in planning

Vid planeringen av åtgärder för återgång i arbete kan du ta hjälp av

Your HR specialist/advisor from the HR Office
The HR specialist/advisor can serve as a sounding board and can help with things such as work training in other parts of the organisation, transfers, counselling, and labour law issues etc.
Occupational health care
You can hire a case manager from occupational health care who will help coordinating the case and can provide good support when you plan various measures. Other help from occupational health care may be relevant, such as making assessments by occupational doctors, investigating ergonomics at the workplace, counselling, conflict management, crisis management etc.

Documentation

Remember to document all important events, assessments and decisions relating to the case. Please use the notes template.

The notes template Word, 165.6 kB.

Försäkringskassan

Compensation

Starting from day 15 of sick leave, Försäkringskassan makes decisions regarding compensation for the employee. Compensation takes the form of sickness benefit. On day 15, the payroll officer reports the first sick day to Försäkringskassan. The employee is personally responsible for managing their case with Försäkringskassan; that is, they apply for sickness benefit, submit medical certificates, and inform Försäkringskassan of their income. If Försäkringskassan would like to have the employee's income verified, the employee can contact the Payroll Section at the HR Office. Whilst the employee receives sickness benefit, we as the employer pay a sickness benefit supplement. The sickness benefit supplement no longer applies if Försäkringskassan decides to no longer grant sickness benefit.

In order to be able to assess a person's entitlement to sickness benefit, Försäkringskassan may need to contact the employer (via mail or by telephone) to investigate whether there is any possibility of temporarily offering the employee other work assignments, or whether it is possible to adapt the workplace or working conditions so that the employee can work in spite of the sickness. Försäkringskassan can also request your Return to work plan. If they do, send them a copy of the latest plan that you and your employee have agreed on.

Entitlement to sickness benefit

Försäkringskassan assesses entitlement to sickness benefit according to the so-called rehabilitation chain (in Swedish). Between days 15 and 90 of the period of sickness, the employee is entitled to sickness benefit if their capacity for work is reduced in relation to their regular work or other applicable work that the employer is able to offer temporarily.

The so-called rehabilitation chain

If Försäkringskassan decides not to pay sickness benefit to the employee, contact your HR specialist/advisor at the HR Office for advice on how to proceed.

Reconciliation meeting

In line with its responsibility for coordination, Försäkringskassan may call you as manager and your employee to a reconciliation meeting. Other parties may also participate, such as the attending physician, the Swedish Public Employment Service, occupational health care, union representatives etc. The purpose of the reconciliation meeting is to clarify what work assignments the employee is able to perform in spite of their sickness, and to determine what measures are needed for the employee to be able to return to work. Försäkringskassan leads and documents the reconciliation meeting.

See Försäkringskassan's website to read information they provide for employers regarding days 1–90.

Toolbox, day 15–90

Sick, day 91–180

Continue with the previous plan

This part of the rehabilitation process involves following the plan that you made during the previous period of the rehabilitation process – that is, during Sick, day 15–90.

What differs here from the previous period is the way in which Försäkringskassan assesses the employee's case and how their decision can affect the way we handle the case. For more information, see the Försäkringskassan heading below.

The most important is that you as manager regularly stay in contact with your employee.

The employee should submit a complete medical certificate (only the diagnosis may be concealed) to you as manager, so that you can assess their entitlement to sick leave and plan a return to work. Keep your Return to work plan up to date and adapt efforts as new information comes in and assessments and events occur that affect the employee's capacity for work.

Remember that you can receive support in planning. If you have not previously done so, you should contact your HR specialist/advisor at the HR Office for help with planning and putting other measures in place as needed, such as getting occupational health care involved.

Remember to keep documenting the case.

Transfer

During this period, the goal of occupational rehabilitation is still primarily to return your employee to their regular position. In some cases, though, a temporary transfer may be necessary in order to test the employee's capacity for work in another position at Stockholm University.

When all possibilities of returning to their regular position have been exhausted, a permanent transfer may be in order.

Always contact your HR specialist/advisor at the HR Office if you assess that transfer may be needed.

Försäkringskassan

Entitlement to sickness benefit

From day 91 of the sickness period and onwards, Försäkringskassan tightens their requirements and an employee's capacity for work is assessed in relation to other work at Stockholm University. The employee is only entitled to sickness benefit to the extent that they are not able to perform any work at Stockholm University.

If Försäkringskassan decides not to pay sickness benefit to the employee, he or she is obligated to inform you as manager. Contact your HR specialist/advisor at the HR Office for advice on how to proceed. Also inform the payroll section at HR Office that the employee is no longer entitled to sickness benefit, along with the date from which the decision applies.

Note that an employee may continue to be entitled to sick leave and that your rehabilitation responsibility remains as long at the employee is off sick and employed at Stockholm University, even if their entitlement to sickness benefit has ended. The employee must therefore continue to submit medical certificates to you as manager.

Contact with Försäkringskassan

In order to be able to assess entitlement to sickness benefit, Försäkringskassan may need to contact the employer to investigate whether an employee is able to carry out other work at Stockholm University. This can be done via letter of telephone.

Försäkringskassan can also request your Return to work plan. If they do, send them a copy of the latest plan that you and your employee have agreed on.

For coordination purposes, Försäkringskassan may call a reconciliation meeting, which you as manager and employer representative are obligated to attend.

Work training with Försäkringskassan

In some cases, Försäkringskassan can help an employee to gradually increase their capacity for work through work training. If you believe that work training would help your employee to return to work, you can contact their administrator at Försäkringskassan. If Försäkringskassan assesses that this would be an effective rehabilitation measure for your employee to take, they will develop a plan together with you as employer, the employee and their doctor.

During work training, Försäkringskassan pays rehabilitation benefits to the employee. The employee should train at work for at least a quarter of their regular working hours for a maximum of three months. Work training often needs to be combined with other efforts, such as adaptation of the workplace, adjusting working hours, or various kinds of assistive devices.

See Försäkringskassan's website to read information they provide for employers regarding days 91 and onwards.

Toolbox, days 91–180

Sick, day 181–365

Continue with the previous plan

Your employee has now been sick for more than half a year and it is of great importance that you work actively with the case to move it forward.

Follow the plan that you made earlier for the case. For a detailed information, please read about the rehabilitation process under the heading for Sick, day 15–90.

What differs here from the previous period is the way in which Försäkringskassan assesses the employee's case and how their decision can affect the way we handle the matter. For more information, see the Försäkringskassan heading below.

The most important thing is that you as manager regularly stay in contact with your employee.

It may be relevant to decide on a temporary or permanent transfer. In that case, contact your HR specialist/advisor at the HR Office.

Remember that you can receive a support in your planning. If you have not previously done so, you should contact your HR specialist/advisor at the HR Office for help with planning and putting other measures in place as needed.

And remember to keep documenting the case.

Försäkringskassan

Entitlement to sickness benefit

From day 181 of the sickness period and onwards, Försäkringskassan assesses an employee's capacity for work based on all regular work available on the labour market; that is, the employee is only entitled to sickness benefit to the extent that they are not able to perform any work on the regular labour market. This could mean that Försäkringskassan will not pay sickness benefit even though an employee has no capacity to perform their regular work.

There are four exceptions:

If Försäkringskassan assesses that it is highly likely for the employee to return to work at Stockholm University within before day 366 from the first day of sickness. That means that there is more to than against the employee being able to return to work at Stockholm University. In order for Försäkringskassan to be able to assess this, both the diagnosis made and the prognosis for return to work must be well-documented in the medical investigation.
If it can be considered unreasonable to determine the employee's capacity for work in relation to work on the regular labour market, such as if they are seriously sick.
Försäkringskassan considers that special reasons indicate a return to work with SU no later than day 550. The prognosis for return to work must be clear and there must be a high probability that the person can return no later than day 550.
The employee is 62 years of age or more.

If Försäkringskassan decides not to pay sickness benefit to an employee, that employee is obligated to inform you as their manager. In that case, contact your HR specialist/advisor at the HR Office for advice on how to proceed. Also inform the payroll section at HR Office that the employee is no longer entitled to sickness benefit, along with the date from which the decision applies.

Note that an employee may continue to be entitled to sick leave and that your rehabilitation responsibility remains as long at the employee is on sick leave and employed at Stockholm University, even if their entitlement to sickness benefit has ended. The employee must therefore continue to submit medical certificates to you as manager.

Contact with Försäkringskassan

In line with their responsibility for coordination, Försäkringskassan may contact you as manager. They may, for example, request your copy of the Return to work plan or call a reconciliation meeting, which you as manager and employer representative are obligated to attend. Försäkringskassan can also decide upon work training as an appropriate measure for the employee.

See Försäkringskassan's website to read information they provide for employers regarding day 181 and onwards..

Toolbox, day 181–365

Sick, day 366 and onwards

Continue with the previous plan

Your employee has now been sick for over a year, and you certainly have an ongoing plan that you follow up. Please read about the rehabilitation process under the heading for Sick, day 15–90.

What differs here from the previous period is the way in which Försäkringskassan assesses the employee's case and how their decision can affect the way we handle the matter. See below under the Försäkringskassan heading.

The most important is that you as manager regularly stay in contact with your employee.

It may be relevant to decide on a temporary or permanent transfer. In that case, contact your HR specialist/advisor at the HR Office.

Most cases of long-term sickness are complicated and difficult to manage. You can get support in planning. If you have not previously done so, you should contact your HR specialist/advisor at the HR Office for help with planning and putting other measures in place as needed.

And remember to keep documenting the case.

Försäkringskassan

Entitlement to sickness benefit

Before day 365 of the period of sickness, Försäkringskassan will investigate whether the employee is able to carry out other work on the labour market. If the analysis shows that the employee is able to cope with another job, the individual's entitlement to sickness benefit ends after 365 days.

Försäkringskassan can make exceptions in these cases:

If it can be considered unreasonable to determine the employee's capacity for work in relation to work on the regular labour market, such as if they are seriously sick.
Försäkringskassan considers that special reasons indicate a return to work at Stockholm University no later than day 550. The prognosis for return to work must be clear and there must be a high probability that the person can return no later than day 550.
The employee is 62 years of age or more.

If Försäkringskassan decides not to pay sickness benefit to the employee, contact your HR specialist/advisor at the HR Office for advice on how to proceed. Also inform the payroll section at HR Office that the employee is no longer entitled to sickness benefit, along with the date from which the decision applies.

Contact with Försäkringskassan

See Försäkringskassan's website to read information they provide for employers regarding day 366 and onwards.

Toolbox, day 366 and onwards

Completed occupational rehabilitation

When the employee has reached his or her capacity to work and is no longer on sick leave, the occupational rehabilitation must be formally completed.

The most common reasons for completing occupational rehabilitation are that:

the employee is back at their regular work or other work at Stockholm University
the employee has received sickness compensation full-time or part-time
we as employers have fulfilled our rehabilitation responsibility.

Closing meeting

Invite the employee to a meeting where you formally end the occupational rehabilitation. If other parties have participated in a longer rehabilitation, it may be appropriate that they are also invited to the meeting.

The purpose of this meeting is to summarize the occupational rehabilitation and discuss the support that the employee may need during a transition period. Both you and the employee should sign that the occupational rehabilitation has now been completed.

Use the Conversation template at the end of rehabilitation. Word, 161.7 kB.

Transition period

It is important that you as a manager observe the employee's condition and work performance for some time, even when the employee is back at work in full-time. You can book short status check meetings once a week where you as a manager can follow up and create a forum for a dialogue.

Feel free to use the guide for Status check meeting. Word, 158.9 kB.

If during your closing meeting you have agreed on some support measures during a transition period, follow up on them and update these if necessary.

Toolbox – end of rehabilitation

Contact

When you, as a manager, need support on rehabilitation issues, contact your HR advisor.

Kamila Jonsson

kamila.jonsson@su.se