The work environment of teachers in compulsory schools during the Covid-19 pandemic

The appropriation directions presented to the Swedish Agency for Work Environment Expertise in 2022 tasked the Agency with analysing the short and long-term consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic on work environments in Sweden. To complete this major government assignment, the agency conducted five projects, each focusing on a professional group or groups particularly affected by the pandemic. These projects were also a way of highlighting general changes to the work environment, such as remote working and working in hybrid organisations. The results of these studies provide insight into how society can address similar crises and social disruptions in the future. The report, The Covid-19 pandemic on work environments in Sweden A2021/02355, A2021/02331 (partial)) presents a summary of the results from all of the projects included in the assignment. The following report describes how the Covid-19 pandemic affected the work environments of teachers in compulsory schools. Unlike many other countries, compulsory schools (up to grade 9) in Sweden remained open during the pandemic and classroom-based teaching continued for both teachers and pupils. Changes to working methods in schools were implemented in order to prevent the spread of infection and keep activities running. The results of this report
show that many teachers felt that their work environments deteriorated and their workloads increased during the pandemic. The results also demonstrate that in schools where systematic work environment management was regularly conducted before the pandemic, the adaptations introduced proved more successful.

Docent Robert Ljung was the process leader at the Swedish Agency for Work Environment Expertise.