Swedish Care Workers Fired Over Facebook Comments
Three Swedish care workers were fired over Facebook comments but got their jobs back after the municipality admitted procedural errors. The case shows tensions between employee rights and social media policies in Sweden's public sector.
Three Swedish home care workers lost their jobs after commenting on a Facebook post this summer. The employees worked for Kinda municipality's home care service. They commented on a post where a client's relative accused the care service of theft.
The municipality suspended the workers immediately. Officials then fired them for violating confidentiality laws. The municipality has now reversed its decision. They discovered they failed to hold proper union negotiations during the process.
A municipal representative acknowledged their procedural error. "We from the municipality's side made a formal error in the process," the official said in a statement. "We will review our routines to ensure this cannot happen again."
All three care workers have now returned to their positions. The case highlights how Swedish employers sometimes overreach in social media disputes. Public sector employers face particular scrutiny when handling staff disciplinary matters.
Sweden has strong worker protection laws requiring union consultation. The quick reinstatement shows the municipality recognized its legal misstep. This case demonstrates the balance between employee speech rights and professional confidentiality requirements.