Sweden (SE)
Sweden is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy in Scandinavia, the largest Nordic country by area, renowned for its breathtaking archipelago and lake-dotted landscapes, groundbreaking design and innovation culture (IKEA, Spotify, Volvo, H&M), one of the world's most generous welfare states with 480 days of paid parental leave per child, world-leading gender equality, and a deeply held philosophy of lagom — the art of balance and moderation — that permeates every aspect of Swedish society.
Employment Rights
Sick leave, dismissal protection and red flags in Sweden.
Swedish employment law is one of the most comprehensive in the world, built around Lagen om Anställningsskydd (LAS — Employment Protection Act). Key features: strong dismissal protection, mandatory turordningsregler (LIFO last-in-first-out rules in redundancy), 25 days minimum paid leave, powerful trade unions (70%+ membership rate), and collective agreements (kollektivavtal) that supplement statutory minimums for most workers. Sweden has no statutory minimum wage — pay floors are set by collective agreements. MBL (Medbestämmandelagen — Co-Determination Act) gives unions and employees significant say in workplace decisions.
Sick leave
Rules: Karensdag: the first day of any sick leave period is unpaid (a deduction of approximately 20% of daily salary — "karensdrag"). From day 2–14: employer pays sjuklön (sick pay) of 80% of normal salary. From day 15+: Försäkringskassan pays sjukpenning (sickness benefit) of approximately 80% of qualifying income (up to a ceiling). After 180 days: Försäkringskassan may require a medical review. There is no limit to the total sick leave period, but rehabilitation and reintegration obligations kick in.
Doctor note: Day 8 — a läkarintyg (medical certificate) is required from day 8 of sick leave. Employers cannot demand a certificate for the first 7 days. Försäkringskassan requires medical certificates for longer absences.
Employer pay: 80% of salary from day 2 to day 14 (sjuklön). After day 14: Försäkringskassan sjukpenning takes over.
Long-term: Sjukpenning (80% of qualifying income) from Försäkringskassan from day 15 onwards. After 365 days: sjukersättning (disability benefit) or rehabilitation measures. After 180 days: Arbetsförmedlingen may be involved for reintegration.
Dismissal protection
Law: LAS (Lagen om Anställningsskydd) — very strong dismissal protection. Employers must have "saklig grund" (objective grounds) for dismissal: either "arbetsbrist" (shortage of work/redundancy) or "personliga skäl" (personal reasons). Dismissal for personal reasons requires documented performance management, warnings, and evidence. For redundancy: turordningsregler (seniority rules — last in, first out) apply. Employers with fewer than 10 employees can exempt 2 employees from the seniority order.
Deadline to sue: Employees must contest a dismissal they believe is unlawful within 2 weeks of receiving the dismissal notice (or within 1 month of the last day of employment). Claims go to Arbetsdomstolen (labour court) via the employee's union or directly.
Probation
Provanställning (probationary employment): maximum 6 months. Either party can terminate during this period with 2 weeks notice and without stating a reason. The probationary period cannot be extended and does not automatically convert — the employer must confirm conversion to permanent employment.
Notice periods
Statutory notice periods by length of employment: less than 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. These apply to employer notices. Employee notice: typically 1–3 months as agreed in employment contract or collective agreement.
Working time
Max hours: 40 hours/week is standard. The working time law (Arbetstidslagen) permits a maximum of 48 hours averaged over 4 months. Overtime (övertid): maximum 200 hours/year statutory; additional 150 hours agreed with union. Specific rules for shift workers and certain sectors under collective agreements.
Min rest: 11 consecutive hours between working periods. At least 36 consecutive hours off per 7-day period (weekend rest). Break of at least 30 minutes after 5 hours of continuous work.
Overtime: Overtime pay: not set by law but typically 50% (overtime) to 100% (emergency overtime) premium per hour under collective agreements. Some collective agreements allow flextime banking (flextid) instead of overtime pay. Time-off-in-lieu (TOIL / flexuttag) is very common in Swedish workplaces.
Vacation
Semesterlagen (Swedish Vacation Act): minimum 25 days paid annual leave (semester). The right to take 4 consecutive weeks in summer (June–August) is guaranteed by law. Vacation pay (semesterlön) includes at least 12% of the gross salary earned during the year, or 1/5 of regular weekly salary. Unused vacation days can be saved for up to 5 years. Semesterdagar (vacation days) are earned the previous year for the current year.
Anti-discrimination
Diskrimineringslagen (Discrimination Act) prohibits discrimination on 7 grounds: sex, transgender identity, ethnicity, religion/belief, disability, sexual orientation, and age. Employer obligations include active measures to promote equality (aktiva åtgärder) — annual equality plans required for employers with 25+ employees. DO (Diskrimineringsombudsmannen — Equality Ombudsman) investigates complaints. Labour court handles employment discrimination claims.
Contract red flags
- !Missing F-skatt attestation — if you are employed but the employer insists you invoice as freelancer (egenanställning), ensure you understand the tax and insurance implications.
- !No written employment contract — Swedish law requires that key employment terms be given in writing within 1 month of start.
- !Fixed-term contracts (vikariat, projektanställning) converted to permanent employment after 2 years at the same employer under LAS — employers may try to break the chain of employment to avoid this.
- !Contract specifying Swedish collective agreement but employer not paying full vacation entitlement — 25 days minimum is law.
- !Provanställning (probation) without a set end date — must be maximum 6 months.
- !No semesterlön (vacation pay) breakdown on payslip.
- !Being classified as egenföretagare (self-employed) when you work exclusively for one employer — potential skattefusk (tax fraud) risk and denial of worker protections.
- !Union busting — Swedish labour law strongly protects your right to join a union (fackförbund). Employers who obstruct union access violate MBL.
Employment Rights
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