Cleaners in the private cleaning industry: Sick leave and return to work in a changing welfare state

This research project examines sick leave and rehabilitation processes in the private cleaning industry, focusing on the perspectives and experiences of cleaners, employers, and trade union representatives. Particular attention is paid to how responsibility, support, and collaboration are managed and negotiated when cleaners are on sick leave, as well as to the conditions, challenges, and opportunities that shape return-to-work processes in the private cleaning sector.

The project consists of three sub-studies focusing on:

• Cleaners’ experiences of sick leave and rehabilitation, including their interactions with employers, healthcare services, welfare organisations, and trade unions, and the barriers and opportunities that arise in these processes.
• Employers’ responsibilities and practices, with a focus on how rehabilitation responsibilities are interpreted and implemented in private cleaning companies of different sizes, and how organisational conditions and collaboration with external actors affect the provision of support.
• The role of trade union representatives, their mandates and practical conditions in supporting members on sick leave and collaborating with employers and other relevant actors.

Sick leave and rehabilitation in a changing welfare state

The project is situated in a welfare policy context where the conditions for people on sick leave have changed. The Swedish sickness insurance system has become more restrictive, with an increased emphasis on activation and early return to work, placing greater demands on both individuals and employers. At the same time, working life is characterised by high work intensity, more temporary employment, and changing conditions for trade union work – particularly in low-paid occupations such as cleaning.

By analysing how sick leave and rehabilitation processes are organised and experienced in this context, the project contributes new knowledge about the lived experiences of people on sick leave, as well as about the roles and conditions of employers and trade union actors.

The project is expected to highlight both challenges and success factors in sick leave and rehabilitation practices. The findings may inspire the development of more effective and appropriate support measures, as well as improvements in work environment and rehabilitation practices, both within the cleaning industry and in other occupations with similar working conditions.

The project is funded by Afa Försäkring and runs from 2026 to early 2029.