Report 2009:31 R

Secondary Employment Among Lecturers — a Follow-up

In 2001, Högskoleverket (Swedish National Agency for Higher Education) published the report Högskolelärares bisysslor — hur fungerar högskolans information och kontroll? (2001:29 R). In the report, the National Agency for Higher Education established that some problems existed and also provided a number of recommendations to the higher education institutions.
 
In 2009, the Agency followed up the report from 2001. The aim of this follow-up is to provide a national overview of how higher education institutes comply with the regulations on secondary employment among lecturers.

The Agency has established that information, checks and follow-ups on lecturers' secondary employment were much better in 2009 than in 2001. However, there is great variation between the higher education institutions.

With just a few exceptions, higher education institutions have complete, up-to-date written information about secondary employment. In these cases, the information has a comprehensive approach to the concept of secondary employment and describes regulations and praxis. An absolute majority of the higher education institutions have a routine that, in different ways, regularly reminds the lecturer's and other staff of the rules pertaining to secondary employment. All higher education institutions have forms or systems for facilitating the lecturers' provision of information about secondary employment. Most higher education institutions ask that lecturers provide a statement even if they have not, or do not intend to, take secondary employment during the relevant period. Practically all higher education institutions state that the information submitted is saved in such a way that it is possible to track the lecturers' secondary employment over time and for the general public to find this information.

As regards the higher education institutions' own follow-ups, far from all higher education institutions have routines to ensure that there are central checks on the secondary employment of lecturers at the institution, nor have they ensured that all areas of the organization comply with the relevant regulations. The Agency has also established that some higher education institutions provide inadequate information to the lecturers. Some higher education institutions lack routines for providing regular information to lecturers about their obligations. Other problems involve information that is not updated or erroneous information, such as that lecturers in part-time employment do not need to account for their secondary employment.

By highlighting good examples, but also problems in the higher education institutions dealings with lecturers' secondary employment, the Agency wishes to contribute to higher education institutions continuing to work to improve their information, checks and follow-ups in accordance with the applicable regulations.

The Agency intends to follow-up the higher education institutions that still do not comply with the relevant rules regarding lecturers' secondary employment.