Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

WORKING IN SWEDEN

What are your rights around working from home in Sweden?

As an employee in Sweden, you have the right to a safe working environment including when working from home. We've investigated what that means in the context of the coronavirus pandemic.

Published: 29 July 2020 11:47 CEST
Updated: 30 July 2020 14:13 CEST
What are your rights around working from home in Sweden?
Many more of us are working from home than normal, but can you keep it that way and do you know your rights? Photo: Stina Stjernkvist/TT

Should I still be working from home?

If you can. Sweden has never made home-working obligatory during the pandemic, but since March the recommendation has been that everyone who can work from home should do so. That's still in place, although the Public Health Agency is currently reviewing whether any changes should be made to its recommendations ahead of autumn.

Can my boss make me return to the workplace?

In most cases, yes. You don't have a right to work from home in Sweden, and the recommendations from the Public Health Agency leave the decision up to individual employers.

People working in public transport, the care and medical sector, and schools have mostly been continuing to work from their usual workplace throughout the pandemic, and while some offices have announced plans for long-term home-working, others may encourage a return to the workplace after summer.

If you have a strong reason to work from home – for example if you belong to a risk group for Covid-19, or if you have symptoms consistent with the virus – you should speak to your employer and get your union involved if needed. It might help to provide a note from a doctor explaining that it's important for you to stay at home.

For others who don't want to return to the workplace during the pandemic, you can still try asking your employer and explaining your concerns.

Be aware that refusing to work from the workplace could be seen as refusal to work which can have serious consequences, so try to approach the issue proactively, presenting your manager with your proposed solutions. It may be possible for you to continue working from home, or you might reach a solution such as only working from the office for a limited number of hours per day or days per week.


Photo: Vidar Ruud/NTB scanpix/TT

What should I think about if I'm returning to the office?

There are a lot of measures that workplaces can take to support returning employees, which are especially useful to think about if you're in a management or HR position, but also as an employee in case these are measures you can suggest.

Your employer has a duty to ensure a safe working environment, and that means they have to investigate the risk of infection, address this risk by taking protective measures where necessary, and inform employees about this. So don't be afraid to ask about the measures they're taking if they ask you to return.

These could include staggered working hours to help employees avoid the rush hour, a rota system to ensure your workplace is at lower capacity than usual, re-arranging furniture to promote social distancing, and of course facilities for regular hand-washing.

Don't forget mental health. Your workplace may consider offering a way to submit questions or concerns anonymously, or let you know if you have access to any counselling or therapy services through your workplace insurance.

I've tested positive for coronavirus antibodies, or have previously had and recovered from Covid-19. Can I act as normal back at the office?

No, you should not change your behaviour significantly based on an antibody test and should continue to follow the recommendations in place. That includes staying at home if you're unwell, practising good hygiene, and keeping distance from others as much as possible.

Remember that scientists still don't know if catching the coronavirus gives you immunity to re-infection, and if so, how long this would last. There's also a margin of error in the tests (especially those carried out privately) and even though it is small, that's worth bearing in mind.

However, your workplace might use antibody results to make overall planning decisions. For example, some companies in Sweden have collaborated with testing companies to offer testing to employees, and anonymised data allows them to see what proportion of workers had antibodies, which could be used as a guide to help decide how to start allowing people to return to work.

Be aware that your employer can never force you to undergo medical tests or to share your results, unless this is agreed as part of your contract with the employer.


Photo: Pontus Lundahl/TT 

My company is continuing to work from home. What are my rights?

There's a distinction here between companies that require you to work from home, and companies that allow it. 

If your company has made home-working mandatory, in Sweden this entitles you to a safe working environment, both physically and mentally. You should have already been made aware of this, but if not, it's not too late to raise it. 

Exactly what this means isn't defined by law. You might be entitled to borrow equipment from the office, given a budget to buy your own, or you may have to submit individual requests for things like an ergonomic chair, desk, lighting and keyboard. If you can't get the required level of ergonomic equipment at home, you might need more frequent breaks to avoid injury or eye strain, for example.

In terms of mental health, it could cover things like having defined working hours so that you can disconnect from work even if working from your home.

In other cases, your company might be allowing employees to return to the workplace but keeping home-working as an option. The best thing to do is to communicate clearly with your manager about what you think you need in order to carry out your work at home.

And don't forget to keep communications up around other topics too, so that you don't end up at a disadvantage due to working from home.

I have more questions. Who can I turn to?

Within your workplace, you could discuss any concerns with your line manager and/or HR department. If you aren't happy with the measures being put in place, talk to your colleagues – you may get better results if you raise concerns as a group.

If you're a member of a union, you should have access to support from them. The influence that your union has depends on whether your workplace officially recognises the union; if they do, then the union can raise these issues on behalf of employees, and if not, they can still give you advice about your rights and possible courses of action.

Even if your workplace doesn't have union recognition, check if you have a skyddsombud (work place environment representative). If you don't have one, the employees of the company can elect one.

This person will be responsible for representing employees on the subject of workplace safety and environment, including involvement in discussions and risk assessments about the work environment, requesting additional measures, and even asking for work to be paused if they judge there is a high risk to employee safety.

You can also read the recommendations of the Public Health Agency for private individuals and workplaces regarding reducing the spread of the coronavirus, and read the Swedish Work Environment Agency's website. Prevent has a checklist for employers carrying out risk assessments.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

READER INSIGHTS

How to find a job in Sweden: Five tips from those who’ve been there, done that

The Swedish job market poses unique challenges for newcomers. The Local's readers share their best tips for cracking the career code.

Published: 10 April 2024 11:32 CEST
Updated: 13 April 2024 15:50 CEST
How to find a job in Sweden: Five tips from those who've been there, done that

Network, network, network!

A statistic that often gets tossed around is that seven out of ten jobs in Sweden are obtained through personal connections, and there’s no doubt that a good network is crucial to your job hunt, making the labour market extra challenging for newcomers to the country.

In fact, networking was the main tip mentioned by The Local’s readers.

“The job market is quite hot in Sweden, and talent is in short supply. People hiring do not have a lot of time to find the right talent, and tips from friends, colleagues and former colleagues are the way to first, find out organisations are hiring, and secondly, get your CV on the short list,” said Kyle, a Canadian reader who works in innovation management in Gothenburg.

“If you are going for a major employer like Volvo, network gets you in the door, as HR does not have much to do with hiring… the hiring managers do all of it and have no time, due to the insane number of consensus meetings. If you are looking for smaller organisations, they have even less time to find people, and networking is their primary way to find talent,” he added.

NETWORKING IN SWEDEN:

Some of the networking tips readers mentioned were going to job fairs, getting an internship to help you establish connections in your preferred field, joining clubs (this could be anything from your local gardening association to meetups for coders, but focus on clubs that may be popular among people working in your chosen field), and drawing on your organic network of friends, neighbours and others.

Don’t neglect the groundwork

The saying “dress for the job you want, not the job you have” is getting worn out (and people may look at you funny if you turn up to interviews in a Batman suit), but there’s truth to the notion of making sure you know what you want – and preparing for it.

In other words, don’t wait for a job ad to appear before you start to customise your CV and figure out what skill set you need. Create your CV now so that you’re ready to tweak it to your dream job – you could even have a general look at job ads in your field to see what requirements are needed. And don’t forget to spruce up your LinkedIn profile so that it fits with your career goals.

“I believe that several factors contribute to successfully landing a desirable job in Sweden. It’s essential to prepare to meet the requirements beyond just having a university degree. Many individuals realise these requirements only after completing their studies when they start searching for a job, which can be too late,” said Adnan Aslam from Pakistan, who works as a food inspector.

“I recommend identifying the job advertisements for positions you aspire to hold in the future and then preparing for those requirements during your studies. For me, acquiring a basic level of proficiency in the Swedish language and obtaining a Swedish driving licence were crucial. I pursued these goals during my studies and was able to secure a desirable job before graduating,” he added.

READ ALSO:

Felipe Cabral even has a GPT assistant trained on his own CVs and old cover letters, and said the set-up only takes ten minutes if you already have your documents. “With that in place, you can give instructions like: Read this job description and create a tailored version of my CV and letter for it. (…) Remember to always review and ask it not to create data aside from your documents.”

Be flexible and ready to adapt

Moving to a new place inevitably means having to learn not just the practicalities such as how to write a CV or which websites to use to look for job openings, but also learning how to navigate a new culture with all its unspoken expectations.

Swedish workplaces are generally less hierarchical than many other countries, but that doesn’t mean you can say whatever you want whenever you want without anyone raising an eyebrow. Swedes are usually direct, but be careful of being too abrasive or boastful: raising your voice, even during a spirited argument, or banging your own drum to show off your skills may not go down well.

“Talk, deliberate, complain like a Swede and you’ll come across like you know what the job entails, so your trustworthiness increases,” said an Indian data analyst who preferred to remain anonymous.

“Office politics are just as strong in Sweden as anywhere else. The flat hierarchy is deceiving as social hierarchy is enforced quite a bit in that lack of formal hierarchy. Take your time in learning these dynamics wherever you work before revealing your talent and capabilities. Expect those internal politics to happen, and they won’t hurt so much when they do,” said Kyle, the Canadian reader in Gothenburg.

This article about Swedish office politics may be useful.

Stay true to yourself

Adapting to your surroundings is one thing. Completely changing who you are is another.

For one thing, your happiness is as important as your career progression, and for another, your foreignness need not be an impediment: it’s also a skill that sets you apart from the rest. It means you have unique experience, and also, in the right setting, provides an opportunity to sometimes violate those social rules we mentioned above, because people assume you will, anyway.

“Trust is key. Build trust in your network, work with integrity. It’s OK to violate jantelagen if you are maintaining integrity. Sometimes your outsider and more honest/open opinion will burn bridges, especially those that may feel threatened by talent. But it will build trust with other colleagues who see it as brave and more trustworthy to work with,” said Kyle from Canada.

Hunker down for the long haul

We don’t want to scare you, because there are plenty of examples of people who quickly find their dream job in Sweden and settle into their new workplace, enjoying perks such as long summer holidays, generous parental leave and the famous work-life balance.

But if you do find it tougher than you expected: know that you’re not alone.

Several readers who responded to the survey said they were still trying to find a job in Sweden.

“I found jobs all over Europe but not here. They say they have a lack of experienced senior engineers but the don’t seem to be doing much to solve this,” said a Brazilian in Gothenburg.

A reader from Bangladesh said she was “at a loss” as to how to make a career change from her current AI role in Stockholm, despite many years of experience as an IT project manager.

“Over the past 18 months, I’ve submitted over 600 applications to various organisations. Unfortunately, despite being overqualified for some positions, I’ve faced rejections at every turn, from both large and small companies. The job market here, especially for foreign-born women, feels overwhelmingly challenging,” she said, adding that the struggle had impacted her mental health.

The Local has on several occasions reported on foreign residents’ struggle to get a foot on the Swedish job ladder, with many facing hurdles such as employers’ unfamiliarity with international degrees, discrimination, or a lack of network that can provide paths into a company.

So during the job hunt, don’t forget to care for yourself. Share your concerns with fellow job-seekers, ask for help and join networking groups – this is good not just for creating new contacts, but also in terms of your social well-being and meeting people who are in a similar situation.

And finally, as one British reader in Stockholm advised, keep looking: “Be open-minded with the opportunities that present themselves. It isn’t an easy market to enter and doesn’t feel inclusive.” But he added, “don’t give up”.

SHOW COMMENTS