Sacked senior civil servants pull high salaries: report

Seven senior civil servants who left their positions prematurely are now working with various investigative assignments in government offices, pocketing monthly salaries of between 65,000 and 123,000 kronor ($9,500-18,000).

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Despite generous salaries, their tasks are unclear or non-existent, writes daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter (DN).

The newspaper has tried to contact the directors, most of whom were unwilling to comment on the situation, or did not return calls. Aud Sjökvist was the only former director general willing to speak to the newspaper. She confirmed that she was lacking work duties.

"I'm sitting at the ministry of social affairs, waiting to be given something to do. We're discussing it, I hope that some decision will be made soon," said Sjökvist, now employed by the ministry, to DN.

She was previously the head of the Medical Responsibility Board (Hälso- och sjukvårdens personalansvarsnämnd - HSAN), until a reorganisation rendered her position superfluous.

A director general forced to leave his or her position retains the same salary until the appointment, usually lasting six years, expires. This system has been criticised, and last autumn an investigation was initiated, expected to be finished later this year.

"It's strange that it should take such a long time," said the Riksdag's second vice speaker Ulf Holm to DN. Holm has been one of the system's harshest critics.

Stefan Attefall, minister of public administration, told DN that it's a "tricky" question.

"There are good sides and bad. There's a lack of employment security for authority heads that has to be handled, at the same time we can't be too generous. It has to seem reasonable from the tax payers' perspective," he said.
Seven senior civil servants who left their positions prematurely are now working with various investigative assignments in government offices, pocketing monthly salaries of between 65,000 and 123,000 kronor ($9,500-18,000).

Despite generous salaries, their tasks are unclear or non-existent, writes daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter (DN).

The newspaper has tried to contact the directors, most of whom were unwilling to comment on the situation, or did not return calls. Aud Sjökvist was the only former director general willing to speak to the newspaper. She confirmed that she was lacking work duties.

"I'm sitting at the ministry of social affairs, waiting to be given something to do. We're discussing it, I hope that some decision will be made soon," said Sjökvist, now employed by the ministry, to DN.

She was previously the head of the Medical Responsibility Board (Hälso- och sjukvårdens personalansvarsnämnd - HSAN), until a reorganisation rendered her position superfluous.

A director general forced to leave his or her position retains the same salary until the appointment, usually lasting six years, expires. This system has been criticised, and last autumn an investigation was initiated, expected to be finished later this year.

"It's strange that it should take such a long time," said the Riksdag's second vice speaker Ulf Holm to DN. Holm has been one of the system's harshest critics.

Stefan Attefall, minister of public administration, told DN that it's a "tricky" question.

"There are good sides and bad. There's a lack of employment security for authority heads that has to be handled, at the same time we can't be too generous. It has to seem reasonable from the tax payers' perspective," he said.