Svenska kyrkans arbetsgivarorganisation, Skao

What Svenska kyrkans arbetsgivarorganisation, Skao does

Svenska kyrkans arbetsgivarorganisation (Skao) is the designated employer organization for the Church of Sweden (Svenska kyrkan), functioning as a nonprofit membership-based service body for the country's parishes, pastorates, and 13 dioceses. It holds exclusive authority to negotiate collective agreements (most recently Kollektivavtal 2025) covering Church employees and provides advisory services, training, and tools on labor law, work environment, salary, and church-specific regulations including the kyrkoordningen (Church Ordinance). Skao is led by CEO Birgitta Ödmark and is headquartered at Vattugatan 17 in Stockholm, with regionally placed advisors covering dioceses across Sweden.

Skao's core technology assets are web-based and content-driven rather than software-platform-centric. The flagship product is Arbetsgivarguiden Vera, a comprehensive web handbook covering labor law, work environment law, salaries, and collective agreements tailored to Church operations. Supporting tools include Akka, an annual employee survey instrument; Prästbanken, a clergy placement resource bank; Lönestatistik (BKSK 19), a salary statistics and benchmarking system; and Kyrkans trygghetsräd, a transition support council for laid-off employees. Additional products comprise recruitment guides (Rekryteringshandboken), forums (HR-Forum, Kyrkoherdeforum), salary conversation checklists, and dialogue materials such as Dialogmaterial Kyrkoherdens arbetsmiljö. Training delivery occurs through in-person sessions in Stockholm, regional venues, webinars via Zoom, and e-learning on the Skillboost platform.

Skao operates as a membership-funded nonprofit. Parishes, pastorates, and dioceses pay membership fees that cover advisory services, training, and access to collective agreement negotiations and most tools. Most training and forum programs are included in membership at no incremental cost, with selected e-learning courses priced individually (e.g., Skadligt bruk på arbetsplatsen at 1,000 SEK for members; Arbetstider och schemaläggning free). Marketing and distribution rely on the skao.se website, the quarterly Ducatus member magazine, email newsletters, LinkedIn, regional diocesan networks, and direct engagement through locally placed advisors and partner organizations including Feelgood, Idéburen Välfärd, labor unions, Nyckeltalsinstitutet, and Nicetobealive. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Svenska kyrkans arbetsgivarorganisation, Skao

Legal name

Svenska kyrkans arbetsgivarorganisation

Website

https://skao.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Skao is the designated nonprofit employer organization for the Church of Sweden, providing collective agreement negotiation, labor law advisory services, and training tools to all parishes, pastorates, and 13 dioceses across Sweden, funded through membership fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-based Employer Services

NAICS

Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Business Associations (813910), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Management Services (8741), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

HR Compliance & Policy Administration Outsourcing (incl. regulatory reporting) (BPACAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences) (BPAGAJAB)

Keywords

• Employer organization services
• Collective bargaining agreements
• Workplace health training
• Church HR advisory
• Labor law guidance

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockholm

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Skao operates as an employer and service organization for the Swedish Church. The organization is funded through membership fees from parishes, pastorates, and dioceses. Services are provided as part of membership including access to advisory services, training, tools, and collective agreement negotiations.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Skao is the employer and service organization for the Church of Sweden (Svenska kyrkan). It negotiates and administers collective agreements, advises member parishes, pastorates and dioceses on employment law and HR matters, and delivers training, digital tools, salary surveys and leadership development programs tailored to church employers across Sweden.

Product overview

Svenska kyrkans arbetsgivarorganisation (Skao) operates as a unified service platform offering employer support products centered around Arbetsgivarguiden Vera, their comprehensive web-based handbook for labor law and workplace issues. The core portfolio includes Akka (employee survey tool), Prästbanken (clergy recruitment bank), Lönestatistik (wage statistics), and Kyrkans trygghetsråd (transition support). Additional products include various forums (HR-Forum, Kyrkoherdeforum), recruitment and salary support tools, workplace health services (Alna/Feelgood), and collaboration with Idéburen Välfärd for educational operations. The organization provides training programs, e-learning courses, and member activities through multiple delivery formats (on-site, distance, blended, webinars).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vera Web Handbook Web-based handbook providing member employers with current employment law, collective agreement provisions, policies and HR guidance tailored to the Church of Sweden.
• Akka Employee Survey Employee survey tool designed to give church employers a clear leadership overview and structured feedback from staff across parishes, pastorates and dioceses.
• Skao Academy Training program offering courses in occupational health and safety (BAM), GDPR, leadership development and other HR topics, delivered in person at Skao's Stockholm facilities and via online platforms.
• Skillboost Online learning platform integrated with Skao Academy that enables members to take selected courses digitally, complementing in-person classroom sessions.
• Skao Magasin Member magazine publishing news, analysis and guidance relevant to church employers and their HR work.
• Salary Surveys Compensation benchmarking surveys delivered to member employers to inform salary setting and collective agreement work.
• Individual HR Advice Direct advisory service where members receive individual support from Skao's HR experts and regional employer advisors on specific employment matters.
• Collective Agreement Negotiation Central service where Skao negotiates collective agreements on behalf of member employers within the Church of Sweden and administers related employment terms.

Quantifiable outcome

• Lönestatistik shows that salaries in the Swedish Church are practically equal - women's average salary corresponds to 99% of men's, compared to 89% in the general labor market.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Idéburen Välfärd (IV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIdéburen Välfärd is a national industry and interest organization for ideologically driven organizations in healthcare, care, and education. Skao partners with IV to provide members running preschools/schools with free legal advice (one hour), access to selected lectures and training, and discounted prices on services. IV provides guidance through regulations for church-run preschools and schools.
• Feelgood (formerly Alna)coreTechnology or IntegrationFeelgood (previously Alna) is a partner specializing in harmful use in the workplace. They provide expertise and e-training on alcohol and other harmful substances affecting work environment. Skao members have access to free counseling and support from Feelgood for harmful use issues, as well as discounts on investigations, treatment, and education.
• Labor unions within Swedish ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSkao collaborates with employee organizations in the Swedish Church on joint training programs, such as the Basic Occupational Health Training (Grundläggande arbetsmiljöutbildning). This is a party-joint effort where both employer and employee representatives participate in developing and delivering training.
• NyckeltalsinstitutetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNyckeltalsinstitutet provides expertise on key metrics for promoting both work environment and business results. They contribute content to Ducatus magazine on sustainable governance topics.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Arbetsgivarverket: The Swedish central-government employer organization that negotiates collective agreements and provides HR policy support for state agencies. Operates an analogous employer-organization model in Sweden but for the public sector rather than the church.
• SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management): Large global HR professional membership association offering training, certification, and policy resources. Relevant as a broad incumbent offering HR advisory, benchmarking, and training comparable in spirit to Skao's employer services.

Direct peers

• Fremia: A Swedish cooperative employer organization for idea-driven and nonprofit organizations (including faith-based, healthcare, and social-service employers). Provides HR advisory, collective bargaining, and training — closely mirroring Skao's service stack for a broader ideella membership.
• Kirkens Arbeidsgiverorganisasjon (KA): The employer organization for the Church of Norway, providing labor law advisory, collective bargaining, and HR services to Norwegian parishes and church entities. Highly comparable in mandate, scope, and product mix to Skao.
• Folkekirkens Uddannelses- og Kursusvirksomhed: Danish folk church education and training body, providing HR-related training and advisory to parishes within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark. Comparable as a national-church employer support organization in a neighboring Scandinavian market.
• Idéburen Välfärd (IV): National industry and interest organization for ideologically driven organizations in healthcare, education, and care in Sweden. Already a Skao partner; comparable as an association-style HR/policy service provider for the ideella sector.

Others

• Svenska Kyrkan (the Church of Sweden): The national church organization that Skao serves as its designated employer body. Listed as an ecosystem participant since Skao's mandate derives directly from its relationship with the church.
• Lärarnas Riksförbund: Swedish teachers' union that provides training, advisory, and member services relevant to school-based employers. Comparable as a sector-specific professional service organization whose training and policy work intersects with Skao's school/pre-school support offerings.

Emerging players

• Suntarbetsliv: Swedish cross-industry initiative for sustainable work life, providing work-environment training and tools to employers. Comparable as a work-environment advisory/training provider, though operating as a cross-sector initiative rather than a church-specific organization.

Regional players

• Sveriges HR Förening: The Swedish national HR professional association. Comparable as a membership-based HR community, but serves a general corporate audience rather than a specialized vertical like Skao.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/svenska-kyrkans-arbetsgivarorganisation-skao

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Svenska kyrkans arbetsgivarorganisation, Skao