Wellness

At Linnaeus University, tax-free wellness activities are subsidized by up to SEK 3,000 per calendar year and person. In order for the tax exemption to apply, Linnaeus University follows the Swedish Tax Agency's regulations regarding which exercise or wellness activities of a simpler kind can be compensated. Taxable sports activities are not reimbursed.

Wellness allowance until 2024

The wellness offer applies to those who have a permanent employment or a fixed-term employment at Linnaeus University that covers at least 6 months or an employment in periods during a calendar year that together amount to at least 6 months during the calendar year (see example below). In order to receive the full annual subsidy of SEK 3,000 , you must be employed throughout the calendar year. If your employment is continuous for more than 6 months, you will be compensated for the number of months you are employed with SEK 250 per month, the same applies if you have employment in periods during a calendar year that together amount to at least 6 months during the calendar year. Wellness allowance applies during the period of employment and cannot apply retroactively.

Example of calculation of wellness reimbursement:

• An employee who is employed until further notice from 230801 can receive compensation corresponding to 5 months of the 12 months of the year, i.e. SEK 250 x 5 = SEK 1,250 , in 2023 since the employee is not employed for the entire year in 2023. After that, the employee will receive full wellness compensation from 2024.
• An employee who is employed continuously  between 230901 and 240430 can receive compensation corresponding to 4 months of the year's 12 months, i.e. SEK 250 x 4 = SEK 1,000 , for each year.
• If the employee has employment, for example 230101-230331 and 231101-240131, the employee is not entitled to wellness compensation because the employments are not continuous and do not amount to 6 months within the calendar year.

In order to receive full remuneration, the level of employment must be at least 20% of full-time. If the employment rate is less than 20%, you are not covered by the subsidy. If you are on partial leave of absence with a remaining extent corresponding to at least 20% of full-time, you are entitled to a wellness allowance.

In order for a single treatment or activity to be considered of a simpler nature and of minor value, the cost cannot exceed SEK 1,000 per occasion or activity, according to the Swedish Tax Agency's regulations. This means, for example, that a massage treatment that costs more than SEK 1,000 is not covered by tax-free wellness reimbursement and thus is not reimbursed at all

If you are receiving sickness or parental benefit, you are entitled to a wellness allowance during that time.

The wellness offer does not apply to you who are a scholarship holder or arvodist

Activities for which you can receive a wellness allowance
Linnaeus University reimburses wellness activities that are tax-free according to the Swedish Tax Agency's rules. The wellness allowance may be used for simpler exercise and wellness activities such as gym memberships, riding lessons, massage and smoking cessation.

Membership fees, health care, medical care, beauty care, rental or purchase of equipment are not covered by the wellness allowance.

See the list below for more examples of Wellness activities A-Z.

Apply for wellness allowance

You register a case in Primula under Compensation/time off in lieu and select Wellness subv max 3000/year in the drop-down menu Type of remuneration. You attach your receipt/documentation directly to the case under Message/Car. Since the compensation relates to a benefit, it is sufficient that we receive the receipt digitally.

The receipt that you attach to the case must always state your name, price, validity period and activity. If you have direct debit, it must state the amount you paid during the year, a copy of the bank statement and a dated receipt from the wellness company stating the name, price and the training period that refers to. If you have purchased training via an app, it needs to be supported with a receipt and bank statement for the purchase.

The wellness allowance cannot be paid retroactively, only the current year's allowance can be paid against a receipt. In order to take advantage of the wellness allowance, you must have registered and submitted a complete case no later than 5 December of the year to which the wellness activity relates. The same receipt can only be used once during the year in which it is paid. 

Linnaeus University sends out inquiries to various training facilities in Kalmar and Växjö at regular intervals. The training centres mentioned below have some form of discount for employees at Linnaeus University. Ask for this discount when you buy a training card. If your gym is not represented here, you can ask if they want to offer a special discount for employees at Linnaeus University. In this case, ask them to contact the HR department.

Wellness allowance from 2025

From 2025, employees at Linnaeus University will purchase their wellness via the wellness app Epassi. At the beginning of the year or when you are hired, you are allocated a wellness balance of up to SEK 3 000/year that you use to make your purchases. All employees at Linnaeus University with a monthly salary are covered by the allowance. If you are on full leave from your employment, you are not covered, however, if you are on parental leave or on sick leave you are covered.

The amount of the allowance is proportional to the length of your employment. The proportion of the year you are employed (and in service) also affects the amount of the allowance. For each month you are employed, you can receive one-twelfth of SEK 3 000.

The annual allocation of the wellness allowance is calculated according to the examples* below:

• For a full allowance of SEK 3 000/year, you must be employed 100 % for the whole year.
• If you have a 50 % employment and are employed for the whole year, you can receive an allowance of SEK 1 500 (i.e. 50 % of SEK 3 000).
• If you are employed at 100 % for six months of the year, you can receive an allowance of SEK 1 500 (i.e. 6 x SEK 250).
• If you have 50 % employment for six months of the year, you can receive an allowance of SEK 750 (i.e. 50 % of 6 x SEK 250).

* This assumes that you are not on full leave of absence.

Wellness activities for which you can get a wellness allowance

The wellness allowance may be used for simple exercise and wellness activities such as gym cards, riding lessons, smoking cessation and massage. In order for a single treatment or activity to be considered to be of a simpler nature and less value, the cost cannot exceed SEK 1 000 per occasion or activity, according to the Swedish Tax Agency's regulations. This means, for example, that a massage treatment costing more than SEK 1,000 is not covered by the tax-free wellness allowance and is therefore not reimbursed at all.

Membership fees, health care, medical care, beauty care, rental or purchase of equipment are not covered by the wellness allowance.

The Swedish Tax Agency's website contains information on what applies to wellness allowance. If you have any questions, contact Epassi or visit their FAQ.

How to get started

• Once you have been added to Epassi, you will receive an email from Epassi, containing a link to download the app.
• Download the Epassi app. Here you have access to all connected wellness providers and activities. If you are unable to download the app, you can go to epassi.se. Under “Find wellness” you can use the search function or map to find a provider or activity.
• Log in to your Epassi account in the Epassi app or on epassi.se.
  The easiest way to log in is to use your BankID, but an email address or cell phone number will also work if these details are entered in your Epassi account. Your lnu email address is specified when you get access to Epassi, but not your cell phone number, which you can to register yourself when you have logged in for the first time. When logging in via email address or cell phone number, you will be sent a login code that you enter to complete the login.

Search for connected wellness providers or desired activity

You can search for connected wellness providers or activities both in the Epassi app and on Epassi.se. Using the map function, you can see who is connected in the area you are interested in.

Pay with the Epassi app

For wellness providers connected to Epassi, you can pay via the Epassi app. When you click on a provider's profile and select a service, you can see what payment methods they offer, this may differ between providers. Please note that if you pay with the app on site, the receipt is only valid for 15 minutes, so make sure you are at the checkout when you confirm your purchase. For more information on the different payment options, see the User Guide below or epassi.se.

If you pay for wellness that exceeds your wellness balance, it is possible to enter your card details or Swish in the payment mode for the part that is not covered by the remaining balance.

Receipts for purchases from wellness providers not connected to Epassi

If a wellness provider is not connected to Epassi, you can still use your wellness allowance by paying for the wellness activity yourself and then requesting reimbursement from Epassi. You request reimbursement from Epassi by registering your case in logged-in mode at epassi.se, under “Register your receipt”.

Your receipt needs to have the following information:

• your name
• name of the activity you bought
• date of purchase
• the amount
• VAT (if it is a provider subject to VAT)
• name of the provider
• provider’s organization number.

For purchases made with a receipt

• you can’t get reimbursement for purchases made from wellness providers connected to Epassi. It is your responsibility to find out if the provider is connected; ask your provider if it is connected or search for the provider here to see if it is connected
• the receipt must contain all the necessary information to be accepted
• foreign receipts must contain the same information as above, be written in Swedish or English and you must have been charged in SEK
• the wellness activity must have been purchased during your employment and the current year
• registration for reimbursement must be made during your employment
• please note the deadlines set by Epassi for registering your claim.

Need help getting started or have questions?

For more information, please visit the Epassi website epassi.se where you will also find their FAQ. If you still have questions, you are welcome to contact Epassi via email or phone 031-57 26 00.