People with disabilities

There are a number of different national labour market programmes and initiatives to promote the employment of people with disabilities. Primarily these involve subsidising the employer’s costs for wages or workplace adaptation. These programmes are administered by the Swedish Employment Service. 

The labour market authorities have adopted certain legal measures to promote the employment of people with disabilities or to make it more difficult to dismiss people with disabilities. 

Young people 
Minors may not enter into contracts of employment and start work until the calendar year in which they reach the age of 16. They must also have completed compulsory schooling. Minors from the age of 13 may, however, undertake light work that is not harmful to their health, development or education. A minor who has not yet reached the age of 13 may not be given work. There are special national labour market programmes to promote the employment of young people over the age of 18. These programmes are administered by municipalities in close cooperation with the Swedish Employment Service. 

Women 
There are no employment provisions applicable solely to women. Under the Swedish Parental Leave Act of 1995 (föräldraledighetslagen) the same parental leave rules apply to both women and men. A woman who has a physically demanding job, which she is unable to perform due to pregnancy, may ask to be reassigned. If that is not possible, or if there are risks in the working environment, she may be entitled to pregnancy cash benefit from 60 days prior to the expected date of giving birth. 

A mother is also always entitled to parental leave in connection with the birth of a child. This leave may commence up to seven weeks before the expected date of giving birth and end up to seven weeks after the birth. Female employees are also entitled to breastfeeding leave.

Text last edited on: 11/2009