Working in Sweden: Employee Rights Every Expat Should Know

Sweden has some of the strongest worker protections in the world. Understanding your rights as an employee is essential—whether you're negotiating a job offer or already working here.

The Swedish Work Culture

Before diving into legal rights, understand Swedish workplace culture:

Aspect	Swedish Approach
Hierarchy	Very flat - everyone's opinion valued
Decision-making	Consensus-based (can feel slow)
Work-life balance	Sacred - respected by employers
Communication	Direct but diplomatic
Fika	Coffee breaks are a social institution
Vacation	Actually taken (all of it)

Your Basic Rights

Employment Contract (Anställningsavtal)

You're entitled to a written contract within one month of starting. It must include:

Item	Requirement
Employer and employee names	Identity details
Start date	When employment begins
Workplace	Where you'll work
Job duties	Brief description of role
Salary	Amount and payment frequency
Working hours	Weekly hours
Vacation	Days per year
Notice period	For both parties
Collective agreement	If applicable

Types of Employment

Type	Swedish	Job Security
Permanent	Tillsvidareanställning	Highest
Fixed-term	Visstidsanställning	Medium
Probationary	Provanställning	Lower (max 6 months)
Hourly	Timanställning	Lowest

Note: After 12 months of fixed-term work within a 5-year period, you typically convert to permanent.

Vacation (Semester)

Legal Minimum: 25 Days

Every employee in Sweden is entitled to minimum 25 paid vacation days per year.

Aspect	Details
Legal minimum	25 days
Common in practice	25-30 days
Tech/skilled positions	Often 30+ days
Earned	April 1 - March 31
Used	Following year (April - March)

How Vacation Works

Earning vacation:

• First year: You earn but may not have days to use
• "Förskottssemester" (advance vacation) often available
• 25 days = about 2 days per month worked

Summer vacation right:

• Entitled to 4 consecutive weeks off during June-August
• Employer must allow unless business prevents it
• Sweden essentially shuts down in July

Saving vacation:

• Can save up to 5 days per year
• Maximum 30 saved days total
• Saved days don't expire

Vacation Pay (Semesterlön)

Component	Amount
Regular salary	Continues during vacation
Vacation supplement (semestertillägg)	0.43% of monthly salary per day

Example: On 40,000 SEK salary, taking 20 vacation days:

• Regular pay: 40,000 SEK
• Supplement: 40,000 × 0.43% × 20 = 3,440 SEK
• Total: 43,440 SEK that month

Unused Vacation

If you leave a job with unused vacation:

• Paid out as semesterersättning (12% of monthly salary per day)
• Taxed as regular income

Parental Leave (Föräldraledighet)

Sweden has one of the world's most generous parental leave systems.

Overview

Benefit	Amount
Total days	480 days per child
Days per parent	240 days each (90 reserved, rest transferable)
Payment level (most days)	~80% of salary
Maximum daily benefit	~1,200 SEK/day
Duration available	Until child turns 12

Types of Parental Days

Day Type	Number	Payment
Sjukpenningnivå	390 days	80% of income (capped)
Lägstanivå	90 days	180 SEK/day flat

Employer Top-Up

Many Swedish employers provide extra pay (föräldralön):

Sector	Typical Top-Up
Private sector	10% for 6 months
Public sector	Often better
Tech companies	Sometimes 100% for 6 months

Check your collective agreement for your employer's specific rules.

How to Use Parental Leave

1. Notify employer - At least 2 months before
2. Apply at Försäkringskassan - Online via "Mina sidor"
3. Coordinate with partner - Decide how to split days
4. Take leave - Can be full-time, part-time, or hours
5. Return to same position - Guaranteed by law

Flexible Use

Parental leave can be used:

• Full days
• Half days
• Quarter days (2 hours)
• Eighth days (1 hour)
• Until child turns 12

Popular approach: Take 6-12 months full-time, then use remaining days for shorter workdays or extra vacation.

Sick Leave (Sjukfrånvaro)

How Sick Pay Works

Period	Who Pays	Amount
Day 1	Nobody	Karensdag (waiting day)
Days 2-14	Employer	80% of salary
Day 15+	Försäkringskassan	~80% of salary (capped)
Long-term	Försäkringskassan	Varies based on assessment

Reporting Sick

1. Notify employer - First day of illness
2. No doctor's note needed - First 7 days (usually)
3. Doctor's note (läkarintyg) - Required from day 8
4. Employer reports to FK - From day 15

Employer Top-Up

Many employers top up sick pay:

• 10% additional (making it 90% of salary)
• Check your collective agreement
• Often applies to first 90 days

VAB - Child Sick Leave

If your child is sick (up to age 12):

Aspect	Details
Days per child	120 days per year
Payment	~80% of salary from Försäkringskassan
Notification	Report to employer + Försäkringskassan
Age limit	Usually 12 (16 for some conditions)

No karensdag for VAB - you're compensated from day 1.

Working Hours (Arbetstid)

Legal Limits

Type	Maximum
Regular working time	40 hours/week
Including overtime	48 hours/week (averaged)
Per day	Usually 8 hours
Overtime per year	200 hours maximum

Overtime (Övertid)

Aspect	Requirement
Compensation	Either extra pay or time off
Notice	Should be reasonable advance notice
Refusal	Can refuse for valid reasons
Maximum	200 hours/year (can be extended to 300)

Overtime pay rates:

• Weekdays: Often 150% (1.5x) of hourly rate
• Weekends/nights: Often 200% (2x)
• Varies by collective agreement

Rest Periods

Break Type	Requirement
Daily rest	11 consecutive hours between shifts
Weekly rest	36 consecutive hours per 7-day period
Lunch break	Not included in working time
Fika breaks	Usually 15-30 min, included

Notice Period (Uppsägningstid)

If You Resign

Employment Duration	Notice Period
Under 2 years	1 month
2+ years	1 month (unless agreement says otherwise)

Check your contract - May specify longer periods.

If Employer Terminates

Swedish employment protection is strong. Employers need:

1. Objective grounds (saklig grund) for termination
2. Follow proper process - Warnings, documentation
3. Observe notice period - Based on your tenure

Years Employed	Notice Period
Under 2 years	1 month
2-4 years	2 months
4-6 years	3 months
6-8 years	4 months
8-10 years	5 months
10+ years	6 months

Probationary Period (Provanställning)

During probation (max 6 months):

• Either party can terminate with 2 weeks notice
• No objective grounds required
• After probation, converts to permanent

Termination Protections

The LAS (Employment Protection Act) provides:

Protection	What It Means
Objective grounds	Can't fire without valid reason
Seniority (turordning)	Last in, first out during layoffs
Reinstatement	Courts can order job back
Severance	Often negotiated in settlements

Wrongful termination can result in:

• Damages to the employee
• Reinstatement orders
• Typically handled by unions

Unions (Fackförbund)

Sweden has high union membership (~70% of workers). Unions are powerful and respected.

Major Unions

Union	Sector
Unionen	Private sector white collar
IF Metall	Manufacturing, industry
Kommunal	Municipal, healthcare
Vision	Public sector professionals
ST	Government employees
Akademikerförbundet SSR	Social scientists, HR
Sveriges Ingenjörer	Engineers
Ledarna	Managers

Benefits of Membership

Benefit	Details
Collective agreement	Better terms than law requires
Legal representation	Free help in disputes
Unemployment insurance	A-kassa access
Salary advice	Help with negotiations
Career support	Training, job search help
Member discounts	Insurance, banking, etc.

Collective Agreements (Kollektivavtal)

Most Swedish workplaces have collective agreements that provide:

Item	Often Better Than Law
Vacation	25-30 days vs. 25 legal
Pension	4.5-6% vs. 0 legal minimum
Sick pay	90% vs. 80%
Parental top-up	90% vs. 80%
Overtime rates	Higher than legal minimum
Notice period	Often longer

Even non-members benefit if employer has a collective agreement.

Cost

Union membership: typically 200-500 SEK/month

• Often tax-deductible
• A-kassa (unemployment) separate (~150 SEK/month)

Salary and Payment

Payment Frequency

• Monthly salary is standard in Sweden
• Usually paid on the 25th of the month
• Some sectors: end of month

What Your Salary Includes

Your agreed salary should be separate from:

Component	Typically Extra
Vacation supplement	0.43% per vacation day
Pension contributions	4.5-6% from employer
Overtime	Separate compensation
OB-tillägg	Unsocial hours extra

Salary Reviews

Most companies conduct annual salary reviews:

• Usually April or January
• Discuss with manager
• Union may negotiate collective increases
• Individual performance component

Payslip (Lönespecifikation)

Your payslip shows:

• Gross salary (bruttolön)
• Tax deducted (skatt)
• Net salary (nettolön)
• Accumulated figures
• Vacation days

Workplace Rights

Discrimination Protection

Protected characteristics:

• Gender
• Transgender identity
• Ethnicity
• Religion/belief
• Disability
• Sexual orientation
• Age

Discrimination is illegal in hiring, treatment, promotion, and termination.

Work Environment (Arbetsmiljö)

Employers must provide:

• Safe workplace
• Ergonomic equipment
• Mental health considerations
• Protection from harassment
• Risk assessments

Report issues to your manager, safety representative (skyddsombud), or Arbetsmiljöverket.

Privacy

Aspect	Your Rights
Personal email	Should not be monitored
Internet use	Some monitoring allowed if disclosed
Drug testing	Only in specific roles/situations
Surveillance	Must be disclosed and justified

Special Situations

Remote Work (Distansarbete)

No legal right to remote work, but:

• Many employers offer flexibility
• Post-pandemic, hybrid is common
• Check your contract/agreement
• Tax implications for home office

Part-Time Work

Rights as part-time:

• Same hourly rate as full-time
• Proportional benefits
• Right to increase hours if available
• Protected from discrimination

Fixed-Term Conversion

After working fixed-term for 12 months in 5 years:

• Right to permanent position
• Automatic conversion in most cases
• Check your collective agreement

If Things Go Wrong

Dispute Resolution Steps

1. Talk to manager - Often resolves issues
2. Contact HR - Formal discussion
3. Union representative - If you're a member
4. Mediation - Neutral third party
5. Labor court (Arbetsdomstolen) - Final resort

Who to Contact

Issue	Contact
Workplace safety	Arbetsmiljöverket
Discrimination	Diskrimineringsombudsmannen (DO)
Unpaid wages	Kronofogden (ultimately)
General employment	Your union

Summary

Key Swedish Employee Rights

Right	What You Get
Vacation	25 days minimum
Parental leave	480 days per child
Sick pay	80% from day 2
Notice period	1-6 months (depends on tenure)
Working hours	40 hours/week max
Protection	Strong against unfair termination

Action Items for New Employees

• Get written employment contract
• Understand your notice period
• Check if employer has collective agreement
• Consider joining a union
• Register for A-kassa (unemployment insurance)
• Know your vacation days and how they accrue
• Understand parental leave if planning family

---

Want to see how much you'll take home from your Swedish salary? Use our Salary After Tax Calculator to calculate your net pay.