What are my rights as a consultant and parent?

employers should try to organize work in a way that facilitates parenting and paid work. Working hours and scheduling are factors that can help, for example

• flexible working hours
• the possibility of teleworking
• limited overtime, etc.

Right to refuse an assignment
Regarding whether you have the right to refuse an assignment that involves long travel times, there is no absolute right to refuse an assignment under the law. The law requires employers to review the possibilities for reconciling work and private life. This means that the employer must examine what possibilities exist and take the employee's wishes into account as far as the business allows.
You can ask your employer to explore what measures are possible based on your personal preferences. As long as there is no significant impact on the business or other employees, the employer should agree to your wishes.

If you have made it clear to your employer that you want to prioritize your family and your employer wants to increase your workload, you can talk to your employer about increasing someone else's responsibilities in the first instance.
Income during parental leave
If you receive parental pay, it is your employer, i.e. the consultancy firm, that pays you this allowance during your parental leave. Parental pay is a benefit specified in any collective agreement at the workplace or via your employment contract. The Swedish Social Insurance Agency pays parental allowance and will contact your employer (the consultancy firm) if they have questions about your income.
It is important that you inform both your employer and the client company about the upcoming leave.