Working in Sweden
WORKING IN SWEDEN
Working in Sweden at a Glance
SEK
is the local currency
13 public holidays
can be found in the calendar during year 2023
08:30 to 16:30
are the normal office hours
Full-time / Part-time
& permanent / fixed are the normal contract types
80% workers
belong to unions, which negotiate preferable working terms and conditions, i.e. collaborative agreements. Such unions are, f.e. the Swedish Association of Health Professionals and the Swedish Federation of Nurses and Midwives
7%
are the social contributions (social security & pension payments) which the employee pays on top of taxes.
June to August
is the summer vacation period.
Employees are entitled to 25 days of paid holiday per year. Besides paid holidays, another six half-days of leave should be allowed for personal needs.
Vacation pay in Sweden is calculated as an additional supplement of 0.43% of an employee’s monthly pay per day when they take vacation. Swedish law also mandates that 12% vacation pay is added on any bonuses, commissions or variable pay.
During summer months (June, July and August), employers are obligated to provide each worker with four consecutive vacation weeks
Sick leave
In Sweden, it’s up to the employer to decide whether or not to provide sick pay. If they do, for the first 14 days of sick leave, an employer pays sick pay instead of an employee’s regular salary. After that, employees can apply for sickness benefits from Försäkringskassan. If an employer does not pay sick pay, employees can apply for sickness benefits from Försäkringskassan for the full sick period.
Termination of a contract
Fixed term contracts cannot be terminated, unless severe misconduct can be proved. Permanent contracts can be terminated; however, the employer must give you a warning (verbal or written) followed by an opportunity to improve your performance before termination can be made. Vacation days that remain unused at the end of an employment relationship are compensated for the employee.
There is no statutory severance pay.
Swedish
is the official language
Monthly
is the normal payroll frequency. Additional payments (shift work, work during bank holidays) are normally paid together with the following months pay.
37,5 to 40 hrs
are normal weekly working hours
6 months
is the normal probationary period
32%
is the average tax percentage for gross income for all tax payers in Sweden
Health insurance
Work related health and accident insurance are mandatory in Sweden, and they are provided to you by your employer free of charge.
2 to 2,5 days / month
is the amount of vacation days you accrue between the 1st of April of the on-going year and the 31st of March of the following year. The maximum total number of paid vacation per year is between 24 and 30 days.
Maternity, paternity & parental leave
Both mothers and fathers are eligible to take up to 240 days of paid leave.
Employees in Sweden may be eligible for maternity, paternity, adoption, or carer’s leave.
Mothers receive 240 days of paid leave with the right to start 60 days before the expected birth. Fathers are also entitled to 240 days of paid leave.
Notice period
The notice period vary in accordance with the employee's length of service and range from one to six months.
Want to discover what else Sweden has to offer?
Visit the the links here below to learn more about Finland.
Open positions in Sweden
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