Sweden Employment Guide

Sweden Employment Guide

Sweden is in Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea (east), Norway (west) and Finland (north). It has ~10.5 million people; Swedish is official, and Stockholm is the capital. Its highly developed economy is service-led, with globally competitive manufacturing, IT, auto and clean energy sectors. Labor laws (per Working Hours Act) plus collective agreements protect wages, hours, leave and social security. Standard workweek: 40 hours (overtime needs extra pay or time off). Salaries are usually monthly (avg. SEK 37,000 pre-tax). Laws cover paid leave, encourage flexible work and employee participation in corporate decisions, balancing interests for a fair, sustainable labor market.

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Currency

Swedish Krona (SEK, kr)

Capital

Stockholm

Official language

Swedish

Salary Cycle

Monthly

Our Employment Guide in Sweden

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Essential Components of International Employment Contracts

Employment agreements must be executed in English, with bilingual versions being acceptable. All contracts require written documentation and mutual signatures to be legally binding.

Mandatory information includes employee details, commencement date, contract duration, leave entitlements, and other statutory requirements.

Understanding Probation Periods in Global Hiring

SailGlobal implements a standard 90-day probation period for new hires, extendable up to 180 days based on performance evaluation. Since January 2022, SailGlobal has mandated probation clauses in all employment contracts to ensure proper assessment periods.

Legal regulations prohibit probation periods in fixed-term employment agreements, making this applicable only to permanent positions.

The maximum allowable probation period for indefinite contracts remains 180 days (6 months) under current legislation.

Practical Implementation Examples

For instance, when SailGlobal hired a marketing team in Southeast Asia last quarter, the 90-day probation allowed both parties to assess cultural fit and performance expectations before committing long-term.

Another case involved a European tech startup using SailGlobal's services, where the extended 180-day probation helped navigate complex skill verification requirements.

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