“There is no gratitude” • Starts collection • Samhall’s answer: We can’t afford it
Most, approximately 85 percent of Swedish workers, receive a health care allowance from their employer, according to a Sifo survey from last year.
But one company that does not offer its employees health care is the state-owned Samhall. This is despite the staff performing heavy and physically demanding work.
Veronica Dahlberg has worked as a cleaner at Samhall for nine years. She believes that Samhall employees do not receive the same benefits as other employees at state-owned companies.
– This group ends up a bit outside. There is no gratitude in return. And if there are people who already have problems, it becomes twice as difficult, she tells TV4 Nyheterna.
– There are many who are burnt out, and many are in pain. It is not easy to clean, it is actually very heavy and tiring, she continues.
Samhall, one of the Swedish state’s largest companies in terms of number of employees, has a total of approximately 24,000 employees around the whole country, and its main task is to create “developing jobs” for people with disabilities. The company has a turnover of approximately nine billion kroner annually, Samhall states on its website.
“Not a luxury”
The fact that Samhall does not offer its employees health care says something about how the company treats its employees, says Veronica.
– Most normal companies offer their employees health care. After all, they claim to work for people’s health and sustainable working life.
– Health care allowance is not a luxury, but a necessity for us who every day perform jobs that wear on our bodies.
Samhall: Too expensive
In a written response to TV4 Nyheterna, Samhall states that they cannot afford wellness benefits for their employees.
“We currently have no health care allowance for our almost 24,000 employees, simply because we cannot afford it. If we were to introduce a wellness allowance of SEK 1,500 per year, our fixed costs would increase by approximately SEK 36 million per year,” writes Sabina Rasiwala, vice president and HR and communications director at Samhall.
“Money we choose today to invest in, for example, improved working environment, employee development and training,” writes Rasiwala further.
– There is not a lot of money in this context. Especially not if you look after your employees and want healthy employees, says Veronica.
Samhall instead refers to employees being offered a “health hour” a week. This means they can exercise or go for a walk during working hours, the company explains. Something that Veronica believes employees do not have much use for.
– What should you use it for if you are on assignment in another location?, Veronica wonders.
Collection started
Veronica has now started a petition to get Samhall to change its mind on the issue, and so far approximately 1,000 people have signed the petition.
– I hope that Samhall finally listens to us.
Health care contribution is a tax-free benefit that many employers in Sweden offer their employees. Employers have no obligation to offer their employees health care. A compilation by the benefit portal Benify shows that the average sum for health care allowance is approximately SEK 3,600.