Sweden Reaches Agreement on Retroactive Compensation for Pregnant Employees Barred from Work

Sweden has recently taken significant steps to compensate pregnant employees who lost wages after being prohibited from working due to health risks during the COVID-19 pandemic. This follows a landmark ruling by the Arbetsdomstolen (Labor Court) that confirmed discrimination against two pregnant teachers who were barred from their work and received pregnancy benefits that were lower than their normal salaries (101661, 101643).

A coalition of trade unions representing municipal and regional employees reached an agreement with Sveriges Kommuner och Regioner (SKR) to grant retroactive compensation. This agreement entitles pregnant employees who were prohibited from working to reimbursement covering the difference between the pregnancy benefits and their regular wages, including fixed supplements, compensation for inconvenient hours, on-call duty, and accrued interest as per the interest law (101661).

Furthermore, employees affected between April 1, 2020, and August 19, 2025, may receive an additional one-time payment of 5,000 SEK. The agreement also advocates for legislative changes to align with the EU maternity care directive, aiming to establish better income protections for pregnant workers in the future (101661).

The background to this development stems from the Labor Court's decision, which ruled that prohibiting pregnant employees from work due to health risks without guaranteeing full pay constituted discrimination. Pregnant teachers involved in the case had received only pregnancy benefits instead of their full salary, prompting calls for fair compensation for thousands of affected workers over the past decade (101643, 101661).

According to Akademikerförbundet SSR, many pregnant workers suffered income loss under these circumstances, highlighting the broader significance of the agreement in addressing systemic inequalities faced during the pandemic (101661).

This proactive resolution marks an important legal and social milestone for pregnant employees in Sweden, ensuring that those impacted by pandemic-related work prohibitions are fairly compensated while prompting government action to prevent similar issues in the future (101643, 101661).