Man gets sick benefits for heavy metal addiction

[tsorl]

http://www.thelocal.se/7650/

A Swedish heavy metal fan has had his musical preferences officially classified as a disability. The results of a psychological analysis enable the metal lover to supplement his income with state benefits.

Roger Tullgren, 42, from Hässleholm in southern Sweden has just started working part time as a dishwasher at a local restaurant.

Because heavy metal dominates so many aspects of his life, the Employment Service has agreed to pay part of Tullgren's salary. His new boss meanwhile has given him a special dispensation to play loud music at work.

"I have been trying for ten years to get this classified as a handicap," Tullgren told The Local.

"I spoke to three psychologists and they finally agreed that I needed this to avoid being discriminated against."

Roger Tullgren first developed an interest in heavy metal when his older brother came home with a Black Sabbath album in 1971.

Since then little else has mattered for the 42-year-old, who has long black hair, a collection of tattoos and wears skull and crossbones jewelry.

The ageing rocker claims to have attended almost three hundred shows last year, often skipping work in the process.

Eventually his last employer tired of his absences and Tullgren was left jobless and reliant on welfare handouts.

But his sessions with the occupational psychologists led to a solution of sorts: Tullgren signed a piece of paper on which his heavy metal lifestyle was classified as a disability, an assessment that entitles him to a wage supplement from the job centre.

"I signed a form saying: 'Roger feels compelled to show his heavy metal style. This puts him in a difficult situation on the labour market. Therefore he needs extra financial help'. So now I can turn up at a job interview dressed in my normal clothes and just hand the interviewers this piece of paper," he said.

The manager at his new workplace allows him to go to concerts as long as he makes up for lost time at a later point. He is also allowed to dress as he likes and listen to heavy metal while washing up.

"But not too loud when there are guests," he said.

The Local spoke to an occupational psychologist in Stockolm, who admitted to being baffled by the decision.

"I think it's extremely strange. Unless there is an underlying diagnosis it is absolutely unbelievable that the job centre would pay pay out.

"If somebody has a gambling addiction, we don't send them down to the racetrack. We try to cure the addiction, not encourage it," he said.

Henrietta Stein, deputy employment director for the Skåne region, is also puzzled by the move; "an interest in music" is not usually sufficient to qualify for wage benefits.

"Certain cases are confidential but in general there is always a medical reason that is well-documented," she said.

Tullgren currently plays bass and guitar in two rock bands and says that he tends to get a lot of positive reactions for daring to be himself.

"Some might say that I should grow up and learn to listen to other types of music but I can't. Heavy metal is my lifestyle," he said.

Is this a good or bad thing? Or just totally screwed up and hilarious?

 

[zeppelin]

You go Tullgren, you poor Swedish bastard!
If someone presents this to me as a disibilaty I'd tell him to fuck right off, got to give the guy credit for succeeding though... and it is kind of funny.

 

[Wyvern]

It's somewhere between dangerous and moronic

 

[wdiv]

Sounds like an article from The Onion.

 

[poundingmetal74]

As insanely cool as that is, it's just flat out wrong. That's a double standard to every one of his coworkers who would want to play their own music loud.

This reminds me of a story recently where a Sikh cop wanted to wear a turbin instead of a police hat. He was granted that because of his religion. Now, if I wanted to say, wear a Queensryche hat, the boss would say "Wear you're uniform right or you're fired".

 

[The Ozzman]

I already posted this in GMD yesterday.

 

[tsorl]

I already posted this in GMD yesterday.

You want royalties?

 

[QMII]

As insanely cool as that is, it's just flat out wrong. That's a double standard to every one of his coworkers who would want to play their own music loud.

This reminds me of a story recently where a Sikh cop wanted to wear a turbin instead of a police hat. He was granted that because of his religion. Now, if I wanted to say, wear a Queensryche hat, the boss would say "Wear you're uniform right or you're fired".

Have you not caught the current trends? What you need is a Maiden - Killers hat!

 

[SickBoy]

He deserves a decent kick in the lazy butt, that's all...
Screw him and his spoiled brat demands!
If he was living in my country everybody would be laughing at him and deservedly so! "Waaaaaa, mommy, they don't let me see shows, listen to the music bleedingly loud at work and spend lotsa money on my 'metal' jewelry"

What a dork...

 

[Wyvern]

As insanely cool as that is, it's just flat out wrong. That's a double standard to every one of his coworkers who would want to play their own music loud.

This reminds me of a story recently where a Sikh cop wanted to wear a turbin instead of a police hat. He was granted that because of his religion. Now, if I wanted to say, wear a Queensryche hat, the boss would say "Wear you're uniform right or you're fired".

ZING! Right on the spot. I agree with your observation 110%, we always complaint to be discriminated, but reverse discrimination won't buy votes or sympathy for us.

NP: Megadeth - 'United Abominations'

 

[Ophidian]

Socialism will eventually lead to the downfall of civilization and over 2,000 years of human progress.

The compensation he is recieving is nothing more than resources produced by productive people wihtin his society. He is a parasite and must die.
Hopefully someone in Sweden realizes that and takes him out.

 

[SickBoy]

Socialism will eventually lead to the downfall of civilization and over 2,000 years of human progress.

I don't think socialism is to blame...
It's the absence of sane judgement and maybe some kind of irrational fear of protest. I think that if this lazy bastard protested he'd be soon slapped across his mouth, as no one normal would buy his story.

He should be grateful anyone employed him at all, he didn't deserve even that much and many people in my country are barely making it cause they CAN'T FIND A JOB AND ARE WILLING TO WORK!

Now I'm really pissed off...

 

[Bryant]

I think this is rediculous. It is funny in a way, but obviously this guy has a problem with prioritizing his life. I think he needs some counseling, but I think his issues go beyond any type of music he listens to.

Bryant

 

[carnut]

I got the impression Swedish health care/unemplayment system is kinda lame. I got a friend there who already is "depressed" for 5 years now and still gets almost full unemployment money. He just has to go to regular check ups and "play" depressed. Sweden has about the best health care system in the world I think, but I guess alot of people are misusing that system and probably control is also very lame.

 

[buzzardbutt]

Damn! that would never work out here.