Employment Contracts in Sweden: What Expats Need to Know

Employment Contracts in Sweden: Your Rights and What to Check

Swedish employment law strongly favours employees. The law (LAS — Lagen om anställningsskydd) sets minimum standards that cannot be contracted away. Here is what to look for and what your rights are from day one.

Types of Employment Contract

Tillsvidareanställning (Permanent / open-ended): The default and strongest form of employment in Sweden. Your employment continues indefinitely until formally terminated with proper notice. An employer can only terminate a permanent employee for "saklig grund" (just cause) — either personal reasons (misconduct, performance) or redundancy (arbetsbrist). If terminated without just cause, you can challenge this and claim reinstatement or compensation through your union or the Labour Court (Arbetsdomstolen).

Provanställning (Probationary): Maximum 6 months. Either party can end it with 2 weeks' notice during the probationary period without giving a reason. After probation, the contract automatically becomes permanent (unless explicitly terminated before probation ends). Your employer must actively tell you if they do not want to convert you to permanent employment.

Visstidsanställning (Fixed-term): Allowed only in specific circumstances under LAS. Important rule: if you work for the same employer on fixed-term contracts totalling more than 2 years within any 5-year period, your contract automatically converts to permanent employment. Employers cannot avoid this rule by using different legal entities.

Behovsanställning (On-call / zero-hours): Less common in Sweden than in the UK. Requires careful reading — you should understand under what circumstances you are expected to work and whether minimum hours are guaranteed.

What Your Contract Must Include

Swedish law requires your employer to provide written notification of the key employment terms within one month of starting. Your contract should specify:

• Full name and address of employer
• Your job title and main duties
• Workplace address
• Start date
• Whether the employment is permanent or fixed-term (and if fixed-term, the end date or circumstances of termination)
• Salary and any additional benefits (pensionspremie, car allowance, etc.)
• Working hours per week
• Holiday entitlement (minimum 25 days)
• Notice period (both sides)
• Reference to any applicable kollektivavtal

Notice Periods Under LAS

If your employer terminates you (for redundancy or just cause), the statutory minimum notice under LAS is:

For you to resign (säga upp), you must give the notice period stated in your contract (typically 1–3 months for white-collar roles). During your notice period, you are entitled to your full salary and must continue working unless your employer gives you "garden leave" (friställd med lön).

Collective Agreements (Kollektivavtal)

About 90% of Swedish employees are covered by a kollektivavtal negotiated between unions and employer associations. These agreements typically provide:

• Higher notice periods than LAS minimums
• Better redundancy pay
• Additional vacation days beyond 25
• Specific rules on overtime, on-call pay, and working hours
• Pension contributions (tjänstepension) above the statutory minimum

Ask your employer which kollektivavtal applies to your role. If they are a member of an employer's association (like Almega, Teknikföretagen, or Byggföretagen), a kollektivavtal will cover you automatically.

Unions: Free to Join, Practical to Consider

Swedish unions (fackförbund) are independent from both government and employers. Key ones for expats:

• Unionen — largest Swedish union, covers white-collar private sector workers (tech, admin, finance)
• IF Metall — manufacturing and engineering workers
• Kommunal — municipal and welfare sector
• Sveriges Ingenjörer — engineers and technical professionals

Union membership (~150–300 SEK/month) buys you legal advice on your contract, support in disputes with your employer, and access to an unemployment fund (a-kassa). If you have a contract dispute, contact your union's legal advisors before taking any action.

Redundancy Rules

Swedish redundancy is governed by strict rules:

• "Last in, first out" principle (turordningsreglerna) — in a redundancy situation, employees with the shortest tenure are typically let go first
• The employer must try to find alternative roles for you within their organisation before making you redundant
• You are entitled to negotiate with your employer about the order of redundancy

These rules make dismissal more complex for Swedish employers than in many countries — which generally provides strong job security.