Secondary employment is a vital element of staff involvement in society, but it is also important that it not compromise your impartiality and objectivity as an employee of a public authority. This is why it is particularly important to clearly separate secondary employment from your regular duties at the University.
Your responsibility as an employee
- Once a year, teaching staff and employees covered by the Manager agreement are to submit a report on their secondary employment.
- You may not perform work for secondary employment during your university working hours, and any secondary employment must be kept clearly separate from your work at the University.
- You may not use the University's resources in the form of staff, premises, equipment, etc. when performing work for secondary employment, unless you have an agreement for this.
- You are to apply for a leave of absence as soon as the secondary employment can be assumed to have a negative impact on your ability to perform your normal duties. In assessing this, also consider your need for daily rest. Your employer has no obligation to grant a leave and may, instead, decide that you must end your secondary employment.
- Secondary employment may not result in business transactions between the University and you or your company. All work that you do for the University must be done within the scope of your employment, and you may only receive compensation from the University in the form of salary or overtime pay.
Frequently asked questions
Below are answers to some frequently asked questions about secondary employment. If you have other questions, contact the Legal Affairs Office.
Who is required to submit a report on their secondary employment?
At least once a year, teaching staff and employees covered by the Manager Agreement are to submit a report on their secondary employment.
Professional categories considered teaching staff at Umeå University are stipulated in the Appointments procedure for teachers at Umeå University.
These are:
- professors, adjunct professors and visiting professors
- associate professors, adjunct associate professors and visiting associate professors
- assistant professors
- lecturers and adjunct lecturers
- research fellows
- employed postdoctoral fellows.
Postdoctoral fellows who finance their position with the support from scholarships do not need to report secondary employment.
Employees covered by the Manager agreement are specified in the Local Manager Agreement, "Employees covered by the Manager Agreement" (in Swedish).
These are:
- pro-vice-chancellor
- deputy vice-chancellors
- deans
- director for the Umeå School of Education
- dean of the Umeå School of Business, Economics and Statistics
- library director
- university director
- assistant university director
- human resources director
- audit director
What is secondary employment?
Secondary employment is basically all employment university staff have alongside their university employment and which is not considered part of their private lives. This may mean working extra in another job, carrying out contracted assignments or running your own business. It does not matter if the secondary employment provides financial compensation or not, it is still considered secondary employment.
What is not secondary employment?
Activities typically belonging to private life are not to be considered secondary employment. For example, it is not secondary employment to pursue a hobby or to look after one's and the family's property and private affairs. Nor is it secondary employment to hold a board position in your local housing association or take on responsibilities in your children's sports club.
For university teachers, academic assignments where compensation is paid, such as external reviewer and external expert, serving as a member of examining committees, and less extensive assignments for research councils and scientific journals, are also not considered secondary employment because this is work within the framework of employment at the University. Clinical practice associated with joint and combined positions at a healthcare unit are also not considered secondary employment.
How and where do teaching staff and employees covered by the Manager agreement report their secondary employment?
From 2024, secondary employment is reported online in Pass, assuming that the home faculty has not decided to continue using manual reporting on printed forms.
In Pass, choose the menu to the left under Secondary employment. There are four forms, two for teaching staff and two for those covered by the Manager agreement. Select the relevant form for your position.
For teaching staff reporting in Pass, use one of the following forms:
- Secondary employment – Teaching staff
- No secondary employment – Teaching staff
To report in Pass for staff covered by the Manager agreement, use one of the following forms:
- Secondary employment – Manager agreement
- No secondary employment - Manager agreement
Employees at faculties that have chosen to continue using manual report on printed forms should print out a form instead.
• Reporting for teaching staff.
The report is submitted to the head of department or director.
When should secondary employment be reported?
Teaching staff – secondary employment is to be reported no later than 28 February, unless another date has been specified by the home faculty.
Reporting is done in Pass, unless the faculty has decided to continue reporting secondary employment manually on a printed form. The report is submitted to the head of department or director.
Staff covered by the Manager agreement – secondary employment must be reported in Pass no later than 31 March.
What applies to employees without secondary employment?
You must still submit a report on secondary employment even if you do not have secondary employment.
If you are teaching staff and do not have secondary employment, report this in Pass, under "Secondary employment". Then select the form "No secondary employment – Teacher"
If your faculty has chosen to continue using manual report on printed forms, you will instead print out the form Reporting for teaching staff.
If you are covered by the Manager agreement and do not have secondary employment, report this in Pass under "Secondary employment". Then select the form "No secondary employment – Manager agreement".
Which secondary employment is to be reported?
You must report any secondary employment you have at the time of reporting and any secondary employment you may plan to take on in the coming year. The secondary employment you must report depends on whether you are teaching staff or whether you are covered by the Manager agreement.
Teaching staff are to report the secondary employment related to their employment's subject area and that is external to their employment at Umeå University. This means secondary employment related to the subject area that takes place at another employer or contractor or is part of your own company.
For example, "related to their employment's subject area" means that a teacher who owns forest or agricultural property must report their holding as secondary employment if the teacher works at the University with a subject area related to forestry or agriculture. The opposite applies when there is no connection to the main employment's subject area. In that case, ownership of forest or agricultural property is not reported as secondary employment.
Company involvement, such as board appointments, related to the subject area of the main employment must be reported as secondary employment, even if the company is dormant or if no business is conducted in the company.
Employees who are covered by the Manager agreement are required to report all secondary employment, both subject-related and non-subject-related.
Company involvement, such as board appointments, are to be reported as a secondary employment even if the company is dormant or if no business is conducted in the company.
What applies to adjunct teaching staff and visiting lecturers?
If you are an adjunct teaching staff or guest teacher, you only report the secondary employment that is outside your main employment. This means that you neither report your main employment nor your employment at Umeå University.
Adjunct teaching staff and guest teachers have their main employment with an employer other than Umeå University.
What income is to be reported?
In the report, state the estimated financial return in the form of salary or remuneration. This means that you must report estimated compensation that you receive in exchange for the work from the secondary employment.
If you have your own business, you report the estimated compensation or income received by the company in exchange for work done for the company and not the profit in the company or your salary from the company.
Can Umeå University as employer require reporting of secondary employment for staff categories other than teaching staff and those covered by the Manager agreement?
Yes, Umeå University can also require reporting and review secondary employment for staff categories other than teaching staff and employees covered by the Manager agreement if there is reason to do so.
Can Umeå University as employer also require a report of secondary employment outside of the subject area of the teacher?
Yes, Umeå University can also require reporting and review secondary employment which teaching staff are not required to report annual if there is reason to do so.
Does the University provide support and assistance with commercialising ideas?
When handled correctly, Umeå University views secondary employment positively and offers support and assistance in commercialising ideas. Read more about available support in protecting and commercialising your findings.
May I use the University's infrastructure for work with secondary employment?
You have the option of signing an agreement that allows you to use certain parts of the University's infrastructure for your secondary employment.
Signing an agreement allows you to reimburse the University for the limited use of your university office space and your university computer within the framework of your secondary employment and subject to availability. Similar conditions also apply when you purchase access to the University's premises and equipment.
Contact the Legal Affairs Office to draw up an agreement on the use of the University's infrastructure within the framework of your secondary employment.
What secondary employment is not permitted?
There are multiple types of secondary employments that are not permitted.
These are:
- secondary employment detrimental to your main employer. This would be secondary employment that can cause a loss of confidence in your own or a colleague's objectivity or in other way hurt the reputation of the University.
- secondary employment that becomes an obstacle to your main employment. This would be secondary employment that is so extensive or of such a nature that it interferes with the regular duties.
- competitive secondary employment. This is secondary employment that competes with the University's contract education and similar.
Would you like more information?
More information on the University's rules on secondary employment can be found under "Related information" in the document "Rules on reporting secondary employment for teaching staff and employees covered by the Manager agreement".
See also the memorandum "Secondary employment at Umeå University – information in accordance with Chapter 4, Section 14 Higher Education Ordinance". This specifies the rules and accepted practices for secondary employment and provides more detailed explanations.
The page about conflicts of interest, bribery and corruption provides more information about how employees should act in different situations to be perceived as maintaining objectivity and impartiality in your work.