In total, almost 20,000 occupational diseases were reported to the Swedish Social Insurance Agency in 2020, an increase of 86 percent compared with the previous year and the highest figure in the next 20 years.
The dramatic increase can be explained by the corona pandemic.
Many reports are linked to covid-19 and apply to employees in women-dominated industries such as care, nursing and social services.
- Fighting the effects of the pandemic is an important gender equality issue.
I can not stress enough that employers must take full responsibility and do what is necessary to reduce the spread of infection, says Minister of Labor Eva Nordmark (S) during a press conference.
Hundreds of thousands of Swedes already work from home, but there is more to do, says the minister, who is concerned that the spread of infection in workplaces continues.
- I have received signals that there are employers who do not enable employees to work from home even though staff say they could do it.
"More people could work from home"
Everyone who works in the state must now work from home if they can, a decision that applies until 31 May.
The Minister of Labor will also invite the social partners to discuss the need for further action.
So far this year, close to 10,000 incidents have been received by the Swedish Work Environment Authority about suspected infection with the corona virus in workplaces in Sweden.
Due to this, the Swedish Work Environment Authority will implement targeted initiatives at 2,000 workplaces to see how employers behave.
This includes schools and major building projects.
- Many employers do very well, but there is potential to do even more, says the Swedish Work Environment Authority's director general Erna Zelmin-Ekenhem.
She believes, like the Minister, that more people could work from home than is happening today.