The first half of 2020 was, to say the least, dark for the Swedish Ice Hockey Association.

It all culminated in the prosecution in May against a person with connections to the union.

The person is charged with sexual harassment against a person who is employed by the union, and will be brought before a court in Södertörn district court tomorrow.

Examined the work environment

The incident also led to the Swedish Ice Hockey Association reporting itself to the Swedish Work Environment Authority.

After an inspection, they demanded that the union appoint an external investigation that would examine the work environment.

It has now been implemented, and led to an action plan which was today approved by the union's newly appointed general secretary Johan Stark.

- There are actually two perspectives that are included there.

On the one hand, it is important for us to create clear routines, to do things right all the time.

Then there is also the soft perspective: What kind of workplace should we be?

What climate should we have?

It must be a safe workplace.

And it is a race that must be done with everyone involved, says Stark to SVT Sport.

What has emerged in the external investigation?

- These are the classic things, which I think everyone who has worked in a sports office can relate to: You work with your sport, and it is very passionate and can be a lot of emotions, and so on.

Many times I think you forget that it should also be a workplace.

- It's a lot about relationships, and about emotional expressions that are not always perceived so well.

But then there are also things that are linked to employer responsibility, such as that we must work more with employee councils, employee interviews, salary interviews and so on.

But it also shows that many people really love their work, so there is a good soil to continue working with.

But we have some breaches of trust that we need to close, and that will take some time.

Do you mean trust between different employees?

- Yes, there was a lot of writing this spring, and it affected the staff a lot.

"A lot of writing"

Johan Stark took office less than three weeks ago, but is fully aware that what has happened has damaged the Swedish Ice Hockey Association.

- It was a period with a lot of writing, and it is clear that it was not good for the Swedish Ice Hockey Association.

But it was nice for me when I came in to see that “this is doable!

We can handle this ”.

But it is not a hundred-meter race, and it is about structures: What workplace do we want to be, he says rhetorically, and continues:

- Had I felt last week at the chancellery meeting that it was a group sitting with their arms crossed, I would have been worried.

But that was not the case.

Everyone is probably tired of reading these headlines about the Swedish Hockey Association, but feels that "Now we sort this out and get things in order!"