This paper is about the perspective of street-level bureaucrats (SLB)' ethics in their work with clients, their discretion and role, and how that influences their actions. It is a qualitative study at Försäkringskassan (the Swedish Social Insurance Agency) using interviews with eight officials that investigates eligible for sickness benefit. The study uses the perspective of Bornemark (2018) about ethics of control and internal principles, which are explained with the logic of the bureaucrats and professionals. Because SLB both shall implement a general law (bureaucrats’ logic) and meet the unique needs of individuals (professional logic) they may experience ethical stress.

Our result shows that both ethical perspectives (ethics of control of bureaucrats and professional internal principles) exist inside the SLB and therefor there are some ethical stress for the individual. Also, our result shows that they are handling it in Lipskys (2010) three different strategies. Some try to show more compassion by giving clients more time, service and information. Others hide more behind the law or in the worst case resign. Should the rules be as controlled as they are today? Or should it do society good to lose the control a little and give the SLB some room for discretion in unique situations?