TV4 Nyheterna has spoken to almost all twelve experts at the National Center against honor-related violence and oppression.
They testify to a deep dissatisfaction with a failed leadership and describe an organization in chaos.
– We must be good quiet employees who just shut up, says an anonymous employee.
The center exists as a national expert body to which social services, police and schools and other stakeholders can turn when they have questions about honor problems. There is also a helpline where those in need of honor can turn to get help.
The unit works on a government assignment and has twelve employed experts. These experts are found all over the country, from Umeå in the north to Malmö in the south.
TV4 Nyheterna has seen a large number of documents and reports that show serious work environment problems at the unit. When we spoke to the experts, a unified picture emerged: they are dissatisfied with the managers.
Serious work environment problems
The solution that the managers have come up with has surprised many of the experts. At a digital meeting on May 3, the management informed that they had decided to change their employment agreement.
From audio recordings that TV4 Nyheterna has seen, it appears that the managers have unilaterally chosen to terminate the so-called distance contracts. The consequence is that all twelve experts are thus faced with the choice: move to Linköping or resign.
The new conditions announced by the employer come into effect on 1 September. Several of the experts TV4 news spoke to have considered moving to Linköping, but all have decided not to do so. They will resign.
“Have no possibility to move”
One of them is a woman we call “Sofia”.
– This is what has been the strength of our work, we have the whole of Sweden as our field of work. I have colleagues from north to south who can talk based on regional conditions in this matter. We will not be able to do that based on the same method if we are in Linköping. We were hired to be able to start from our hometowns, suddenly they want to force us to move. Many of us have families and do not have the opportunity to move there.
The consequence may therefore be that the National Center against honor-related violence and oppression will be without its experts in September.
TV4 Nyheterna has, against the promise of anonymity, spoken to almost all twelve experts. Everyone testifies that for several years there has been great dissatisfaction with the management within the unit.
“They want to get rid of critics. We are disappearing, but who will do our job now?”, asks an expert.
The boss’s defense
The responsible manager at the head office in Linköping is Sandra Petersson, who is also the person the employees point to as the main cause of the chaotic work environment. But instead of her choosing to quit herself, she and the management have therefore decided to terminate the distance contracts.
– We see that working remotely does not enable working closely and creating relationships. So we have identified one of the parts that is needed to deal with the work environment problem.
Would it have been easier if you had quit instead. Is it you they are unhappy with?
– I cannot speculate about, and not comment on, individual criticism directed at me. This decision is not about me, it is about the best interests of the business, says head of department Sandra Petersson.
All the experts TV4 Nyheterna has been in contact with are worried about what will happen to the unit in the fall. Above all, they are worried about how it will affect the young people who are vulnerable to honor.
– I will find another job. But those who lose are those who do not have a voice and for whom we have been a voice for all these years, says “Sara”.
In a written comment to TV4 Nyheterna, responsible minister Paulina Brandberg says that it is the authority that is responsible for the working environment and that she otherwise does not want to comment on questions regarding personnel and forms of employment