Wellness promotion
It is important to us to promote the health of our staff. Uppsala University offers benefits including a weekly wellness hour and a wellness subsidy.
As of May 20, Uppsala University uses the wellness service Epassi. All purchases of wellness activities are now handled in Epassi. This means that you, as an employee, do not have to make your own expenses.
In Epassi, you can easily find different wellness activities, make payments directly from your wellness allowance, see purchase history and keep track of your remaining balance.
For questions about wellness and purchasing, please contact Epassi customer service.
Epassi - FAQ (under construction)
We will add questions and answers.
Questions | Answers |
|---|---|
When do I need to register expenditure already made? | It is important that you register already made expenses for wellness for 2025 in Primula by 5 May. |
What about expenses after 5 May? | Avoid, as far as possible, making expenses for health care after the deadline. If it cannot be avoided, this is self-reported as usual in Primula until May 16 at 13:00 (when Primula closes for payroll) for special handling by the Payroll Unit. From May 20, all purchases must be made via Epassi. |
What applies to direct debit payments (autogiro)? | Report already made expenses via Primula, deadline is 5 May. After joining Epassi from 20 May, you need to check with your gym/equivalent what applies. Mainly two options below: Option 1 - The provider stops your future direct debits as long as the contribution covers the amounts. After that, your direct debit will continue as usual. |
I work part of the year, what applies to me? | The balance at Epassi will be updated continuously with the employment period in Primula. You will be able to use the part of the wellness allowance you are entitled to. The balance is then updated if the employment is extended. |
What applies to me as a PhD (doctoral student) whose employment is extended at different intervals? | This depends on whether the provider is affiliated to Epassi or not. If the wellness purchase has been made with a non-affiliated provider (e.g. a gym outside Epassi), it is possible to resubmit the same receipt after an employment extension. The condition is that the employee clearly indicates in Epassi the period to which the reimbursement should apply. |
What if my healthcare provider is not affiliated to Epassi? | It is possible to make your own purchase and then register your receipt (receipt date no earlier than May 20). This only applies if the merchant/supplier is not connected to Epassi. Read more about this in the user guide (page 8). Please note that the last date to register any receipt for the year is November 14. |
Can I use previous receipts for purchased wellness allowance when my employment is extended? | Yes, if the wellness purchase has been made with a non-affiliated provider (e.g. a gym outside Epassi), it is possible to resubmit the same receipt after an employment extension. The prerequisite is that the employee clearly indicates in Epassi the period to which the reimbursement should apply. The receipt cannot be older than May 20 (2025). |
How do I log in to Epassi? | Emails will be sent to all employees on May 20 with information about login etc. |
As an hourly employee, can I get a wellness subsidy? | Yes, you can receive 1/12 for each month you worked at least one shift. You can receive a total wellness subsidy of up to SEK 2000 per calendar year. Your working hours must be registered in Primula and paid out. |
Wellness subsidy
The wellness subsidy is a tax-free benefit intended to encourage physical activities. The activity should be relatively simple and inexpensive, and for this reason there are restrictions in the type of exercise, sport or other wellness activity covered by the wellness subsidy (see links in the column on the right).
The wellness subsidy is available to employees at Uppsala University who
- Are permanently employed.
- Have a fixed-term contract.
- Are on parental leave or sick leave.
You do not qualify for the wellness subsidy if you are on a full-time leave of absence other than sick leave or parental leave. You also do not qualify for the wellness subsidy if you are wholly supported by a scholarship or supplementary funding for doctoral students.
You can receive a total subsidy of up to SEK 2000 per calendar year. If you are employed for part of the year you receive 1/12 of the wellness subsidy per started month of employment. If you would like to see how much wellness subsidy you have received during the current year, you can do so in Primula Web under My page/15. Personal information. If you have not claimed any wellness subsidy, there is no information on this page.
Wellness hour
As an employee of Uppsala University, you are entitled to a ‘wellness hour’ – one working hour per week that you can spend on wellness activities. The wellness hour cannot be saved and taken out later and is outside the flexitime system. The wellness hour can be used when employed activities allow and the time chosen must be approved by your line manager. It may be used at the beginning or end of the working day, but must fall within the normal eight-hour working day.
For part-time employees, the wellness hour is in proportion to the percentage of full-time employment. In other words, if you work 50 per cent of full time, you can take 30 minutes per week.