Leave Policy in Sweden

Adoption Leave

• When a child under the age of ten is adopted, each adoptive parent is entitled to five days of compensated leave. They can mutually agree on an alternative distribution of the leave days.
• This 10-day adoption leave in Sweden must be utilized within 60 days after the child is placed in their custody. 

Earned Leave

• Individuals are entitled to 25 days of annual/earned leave in Sweden, starting from their first year of employment. 
• The annual leave year spans from April 1 to March 31 of the following year. The period immediately preceding the annual leave year is the qualifying year. 
• New employees who start after August 31 are entitled to five days of annual leave.
• While annual leave or earned leave in Sweden is available from the first year of employment, the annual leave pay is only accessible if the employee has worked during the qualifying year. 
• It is calculated as 12% of the income earned during the qualifying period. 
• Additionally, Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays are not counted as annual days, except in some cases.

Maternity Leave 

• Maternity leave in Sweden comprises a total of 14 weeks. 
• It is divided into a continuous period of at least seven weeks before the estimated delivery date and seven weeks after birth.
• Under the labor laws in Sweden, employers are not legally required to pay employees during maternity leave.
• Instead, during this period, an individual is entitled to use a portion of their parental benefit entitlement. 
• The same can be accessed starting from 60 days before the expected date of childbirth.

Parental Leave

• Employees are entitled to a total of 480 days of parental leave in Sweden.
• Each parent is granted 240 days; an extra 180 days are available for every additional child. 
• Among the 480 days allocated, 390 days are deemed as sickness benefit qualifying days, while the remaining 90 days are set at a minimum benefit level.
• During the child’s first year, both parents have the opportunity to use parental leave benefits simultaneously for a maximum of 30 days.
• Furthermore, 384 days of parental leave benefit must be utilized before the child reaches four years of age.
• The remaining 96 days can be availed until the child reaches 12 years of age or finishes fifth grade.

Paternity Leave

• Fathers are entitled to a maximum duration of 10 days of paid paternity leave in Sweden.
• The period is extended to 20 days for twins and 30 days for triplets.
• Additionally, paternity leave can be utilized at the employee’s discretion within the initial 60 days following childbirth.

Public Holidays

Mentioned below are the public holidays in Sweden to which every employee is entitled.

Sick Leave Policy

• Under the sick leave policy in Sweden, employees who are unable to work due to sickness are eligible for sick pay for the initial 14 days, excluding the first day, which is referred to as the ‘waiting day.’
• From day 2 to day 14, the employer bears the sick pay at 80% of the employee’s regular income.
• Employers might request a medical certificate from the eighth day of the employee’s absence. 
• If the illness persists beyond the initial 14 days, the National Insurance Office provides sickness cash benefits from the 15th day. 
• These benefits are set at 77.6% of the employee’s standard pay up to a certain limit.

Casual Leave

There are currently no provisions for casual leave in Sweden.

Unpaid Leave

• In Sweden, unpaid leave can be taken for various reasons, such as personal reasons, family responsibilities, or other circumstances that require time away from work. 
• However, the terms and conditions surrounding unpaid leave, including the duration and eligibility criteria, may vary depending on the employer’s policies and agreements with employees and labor unions. 

Other Leaves

Bereavement leave

• Employees in Sweden may be granted paid bereavement leave for a period of up to ten days to attend to matters related to the death of a family member or a loved one. 
• However, it is essential to note that this provision is usually bound by collective agreements, and the rules may vary depending on the specific collective agreement in place.

Sabbatical leave

• Under the labor laws of Sweden, employees are granted a sabbatical leave to initiate a business venture if they have maintained continuous employment with the same employer for a minimum of six consecutive months.
• The duration of this leave typically consists of six months and can be availed only once during the entire tenure with the same employer.

Educational leave

• Individuals employed with the same employer for at least six consecutive months or a minimum of 12 months within the preceding two years are eligible for educational leave.
• There are no restrictions on the duration of leave for educational purposes.

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FAQs

Q1: What is the annual leave policy in Sweden?

Ans: Under the annual leave policy, employees are entitled to 25 days of earned leave in Sweden. 

Q2: Can you take unpaid leave in Sweden?

Ans: Yes, unpaid leave can be availed in Sweden based on the employer’s policies, any collective agreements in place, and the specific circumstances of the employee’s requests.