Sideline activities

All work that university staff carry out for their employer must be done within the scope of the employment. Compensation is paid in the form of salary or overtime payment. It is not permitted to charge for regular work in the form of consultation fees to your own company.  

If you have a sideline activity, it must be kept clearly separate from your activity at the university, and you may not use the university's resources for your sideline activity.

It is not permitted for a sideline activity to lead to business transactions between the university and an employee of the university or their company. If exceptional grounds are found, the principal may grant exemptions from this provision. Exceptional grounds would involve such that satisfy a significant interest for the university.

Permissible sideline activities

In principle, sideline activities are allowed as long as they are not detrimental to trust, impair the work or are in competition to it. Government employees are personally responsible for ensuring that they do not perform impermissible sideline activities.

The sideline activities mentioned below are normally allowed.

• For university teachers, fees paid for academic activities and assignments such as appointments as an opponent or expert examiner, being a member of an examination board, or less extensive assignments, such as for research councils, scientific journals etc. are not counted as compulsory notifiable sideline activities because they involve work that lies within the scope of the position.
• Holding a position of trust in a non-profit organisation or association unrelated to the employment.
• Teachers who work in research and development in their own subject area.
• Teaching at other universities and higher-education institutions is generally acceptable.
• Teaching at the upper secondary school level.
• Holding a politically elected office or carrying out other governmental or municipal tasks.
• Assignments within scientific associations.
• Assignments within trade unions.
• Temporary involvement with the press, radio or television.

Impermissible sideline activities

There are three categories of sideline activities that are not permitted:

1. Sideline activities detrimental to trust (statutory)

The purpose of the prohibition against government employees conducting sideline activities that are detrimental to trust is to maintain public trust for the public administration. An employee may therefore not engage in sideline activities that risk giving rise to a conflict of interest when performing official duties.

2. Sideline activities that impair the work (contractual)

Employees may not engage in sideline activities that risk interfering with the primary performance of duties.

3. Competing sideline activities (contractual)

Employees may not engage in sideline activities that compete with those of the university.

Mid Sweden University conducts assignments in the form of contract research services and commissioned education. In principle, education that could be part of the university's commissioned work – that is, higher education – Is not allowed as a sideline activity. Nor is research that could be conducted as contract research at Mid Sweden University permitted.

Special rules for teachers

Since it is of public interest that the skills of teachers should be made available outside the university world, the law provides for extended opportunities for teachers and researchers to engage in subject-specific research and development work as a sideline activity. The provision can be found in Chapter 3, Section 7 of The Swedish Higher Education Act (1992:1434) and applies to research or development work within the teacher's own subject area. The provisions do not include teaching work in what is intended by research and development work as a sideline activity.

In order for research and development work to be acceptable as a sideline activity, it may not be detrimental to trust, impair the work or compete.

Information about sideline activities

In an appropriate manner, the employer should inform employees about what sort of situations could make a sideline activity detrimental to trust, and therefore impermissible.

Universities are expected to provide guidance to their teachers when assessing whether a certain sideline activity is consistent with the provisions for research and development work as a sideline activity and provide written confirmation of such upon a teacher's request.

The HR department is responsible for ensuring that university employees receive the information needed in order to be able to manage their sideline activities in accordance with the regulations.  

Reporting sideline activities

All personnel who are employed for a longer duration than on an hourly basis at Mid Sweden University must report their sideline activities to the employer.  

Note that even employees who do not have any sideline activities must confirm that they have been informed of the rules on sideline activities.

Keeping the university notified means that a new report must be promptly submitted on the initiative of the employee when additional information is available that is not included on a previously submitted report.

All sideline activities must be reported to the employer. This also applies to sideline activities that will undoubtedly be approved. It is especially important to report sideline activities in connection with one's own subject area or employment. 

Once a year, Mid Sweden University reminds its employees that they should report their sideline activities. Reporting is done with the self-reporting system (Primula). Reports must be submitted before the end of March each year.

Assessment

Each sideline activity is assessed separately. A sideline activity may be allowed for one person but not for another. However, some general guidelines have been provided for various sideline activities. Individual assessments may result in a different decision.

Those responsible for assessing sideline activities: 

• Sideline activities carried out by teachers and T/A staff are assessed by the head of the HR department or an individual designated by them
• Sideline activities carried out by prorectors, deans, university directors and principal librarians are assessed by the principal
• Sideline activities carried out by the head of HR are assessed by the university director

Decisions and penalties

The employer decides whether a sideline activity is permitted or not. Decisions that a sideline activity is not permitted must be given in writing and contain the rationale.

The University is obligated to prohibit sideline activities that harm public trust, and may also require an employee to cease sideline activities that impair the work or are of a competing nature.

Correcting violations of the regulations should primarily be achieved through discussions and counselling with the employee.

Information is provided by the Division of HR.

For more information, see Rules regarding sideline activities for employees at Mid Sweden University (in Swedish).