All employees are entitled to at least 25 days’ paid leave (i.e. five weeks’ holiday) per year. Under certain collective agreements employees may even be entitled to more days of paid leave. New employees who have not yet earned full holiday entitlement may be granted paid leave in advance.

Employees are entitled to at least four weeks’ continuous leave in the period from June to August, unless otherwise stipulated in collective agreements. A certain proportion of holiday entitlement can be saved for five years or longer. Employees on certain kinds of leave, in particular sick leave and parental leave, continue to be entitled to paid holiday leave. 

Temporary replacement staff, short-term employees and employees on probation who have worked for more than 60 hours for an employer are also entitled to holiday pay at 12% of salary. Certain collective agreements provide entitlement to additional holiday allowances. 
Anyone who leaves a job without having used up his or her holiday entitlement is entitled to receive holiday pay in cash = 12%. 

Women are always entitled to parental leave in connection with childbirth. This leave may commence up to seven weeks before the expected date of giving birth and end up to seven weeks after the birth. Until the child has reached the age of 18 months, parents are entitled to full-time leave from work. Female employees are also entitled to breastfeeding leave. 

Parents with children below the age of eight are entitled to reduce their working hours by up to 25%. 
A new father may take ten days’ paid leave in connection with the birth of a child. Parents who stay at home to look after a sick child receive a parental allowance to cover that leave until the child reaches the age of 12. 

Other leave 
It is possible within the framework of applicable collective agreements to take leave in connection with termination/notice, studies, starting your own business and family matters (death, moving home, etc.). 

Public holidays 
New Year’s Day, Epiphany (6 January), Good Friday, Easter Monday, 1 May, Ascension Day, Sweden’s National Day (6 June), Midsummer’s Day, All Saints’ Day, Christmas Day, Boxing Day. 

Text last edited on: 11/2009