Secondary employment
This page provides information about secondary employment and how secondary employment is to be reported.
Content on this page:
- New guidelines for secondary employment and special rules for reporting secondary employment in 2026
- General information about secondary employment (secondary employnent that impairs conficence, prevents works or competes with the university´s commissioned activities)
- Secondary employment is always separate from your main employment
- Applies specifically to teaching staff
- Random checks
- Obligation to cease secondary emplyment if prohibited
- Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about secondary employment
- Course in Kompetensportalen: Learn more about secondary employment
New guidelines for secondary employment (side line) and special rules for 2026
The university has decided on new guidelines for secondary employment that will apply from 1 January 2027. In short these means:
- Teachers must report all secondary employment related to research or development work within the subject area of their employment (R&D secondary employment) in accordance with upcoming procedures.
- All employees must report secondary employment when requested by their manager and when the manager assesses that there is a risk the secondary employment may damage public trust, hinder work, or create competition.
- Employees covered by the local management group agreement must report all secondary employment without being asked.
During the transition period in 2026, the following applies:
- Teachers who did not report secondary employment during 2025 must report their research and development (R&D) secondary employment as soon as possible; newly hired staff must do so no later than one month after the start of their employment.
- All employees must submit a report of secondary employment when required by their manager and when the manager assesses that there is a risk that the secondary employment may damage public trust, hinder work, or create competition.
- Employees covered by the local management group agreement must report all secondary employment not already reported in 2025.
Important dates
- Reporting for 2026 must be completed during the first quarter of the year, no later than 31 March.
- New or changed secondary employment, or reporting after a manager’s request, must be done on continuous basis throughout the year.
Report secondary employment in Primula
When reporting a secondary occupation, you should describe it in such a way that your manager can decide whether or not it can be considered permissible. See the quick guide for more information.
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.
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.
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.
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.
All planning, development and implementation of contract education at Lund University shall take place within the framework of the respective employment.
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
Random checks
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.
Who are the regulations regarding secondary employment intended for?
The regulations apply to all staff, some of whom are specifically required to report secondary employment.
I am not teaching staff. Do I need to report secondary employment?
As a general rule, no, unless your manager has asked you to do so. If you have secondary employment and are unsure whether it could be seen to undermine confidence, you are to seek advice from your manager and report the secondary employment.
I am not teaching staff or management covered by the specific requirement to report. Can I report my secondary employment anyway?
All employees can report secondary employment, and if you are a manager with budgetary responsibility or responsible for, for example, admissions or procurement, you should report it even if you are not obliged to do so.
My secondary employment is equivalent to just five (5) hours per year. Do I need to report this secondary employment?
Yes, if you are teaching staff. Even a very minor secondary employment may be considered to undermine confidence, impede work or constitute competition.
I have a combined post at the Faculty of Medicine and Region Skåne. Do I need to report the employment with Region Skåne as secondary employment?
Employment which is combined with employment at Region Skåne does not need to be reported, since it is a prerequisite for the position at the University. You are, however, required to report that you have familiarised yourself with the information about your obligation to report, and to report any other secondary employment you may have.
I am employed part-time at another university. Is that considered to constitute competition?
No, but it is secondary employment that may be considered to impede work and is therefore to be reported.
I have been offered a role with an educational organisation. Is that considered to constitute competition?
Yes, if the University offers or intends to offer contract education in the same or related areas, the secondary employment may be considered to constitute competition.
I have a post at Lund University and a post at Region Skåne. Could the assessment made by the two organisations differ? Is there any coordination between these two organisations?
The assessments can certainly differ. Each manager assesses secondary employment with regards to organisation, responsibility, position/role and work duties etc. For that reason, coordination is not possible.
Are visiting professors and adjunct teaching staff to report their primary employment away from the University as secondary employment?
The nature of the role means that visiting professors or adjunct teaching staff have another employment since it is a prerequisite for employment as a visiting professor or adjunct teaching staff member. Before employment at Lund University is agreed, it is important that the organisation ensures that the other employment does not entail a risk of undermining confidence in Lund University. When this assessment has been made, the employment does not need to be reported as secondary employment. Otherwise, Lund University’s regulations on the obligation to annually report other/secondary employment or declare that you do not have any other/secondary employment apply.
I am employed at 20 per cent of full-time, and my main employment is away from the University. Do I need to report secondary employment?
Yes, if you are teaching staff. If you are not teaching staff, you only need to report if specifically asked to do so by your manager.
I have been elected to a position which will to some extent be conducted within the framework of my employment. Do I need to report this?
If your manager is not aware that you hold the post or if it is not in your staff plan, you should report the secondary employment.
I occasionally act as an external expert, opponent, or member of an examining committee. Is that secondary employment? If I receive a fee, does that change the assessment?
Duties that can be said to be within the framework of your employment, regardless of whether or not a small fee is paid, are not considered secondary employment.
I am on the board of a housing cooperative (bostadsrättsförening). Do I need to report this?
No, on condition that it does not require a lot of your time or affect your work at the University.
I wonder whether a secondary employment that has been adjudged prohibited can become permitted?
A manager could allow what is otherwise a secondary employment that impedes work if it is deemed to be of importance to Lund University and that you plan together when the secondary employment is to be carried out, so that work at the University does not suffer.
I own shares in a development company that has some ties to operations at Lund University. I do not consider it a secondary employment. Is this to be reported in some other way?
There is no general bar on civil servants owning shares or other parts of commercial companies or having ownership interests in business in other ways. Share ownership can, however, risk a conflict of interest, and in combination with a post on the board or duties in the company, it may be adjudged to be secondary employment that undermines confidence.
Conflict of interest
Note that as an employee, you are always obliged to report if you could be considered to have a conflict of interest in each case or statement of position, and you must not participate at all in processing or decision-making in such cases.
Contact
Contact your line manager or the HR function at your organisational unit if you have any questions concerning employment or your organisational unit’s procedures for HR matters.
Learn more about reporting secondary employment
What should you do when a secondary employment is to be reported, and what types of secondary employments are permitted and not?
The course Reporting secondary employment - what should I do? takes about 15 minutes to complete.
Link to the course Reporting secondary employment - what should I do? (Kompetensportalen)
Primula support
In Primula Web you can carry out many tasks relating to your employment, including applying for annual leave, viewing your salary statements, reporting secondary employment and submitting a declaration of illness.
SSC Portal
In the SSC Portal you can find information about operational disruptions and planned interruptions to services for upgrades, in Primula.
Call ext. 29 000, press 3. You need to identify yourself with BankID to receive answers to personal information that, for example, concerns your payslip. If you do not identify yourself, you will receive the answers to your questions in a case in the SSC Portal.
External call, from a personal telephone +46 (0)46 222 90 00, press 3)