Existing user? Sign in
Share your needs with us, get contacted by law firms.
Free. Takes 2 min.
Hiring and firing in Vaxjo operate under national Swedish labor law and collective bargaining agreements. Sweden does not have at-will employment. Ending employment generally requires objective reasons and structured procedures. Unions have a central role, and many workplaces are covered by collective agreements that add rights and obligations on top of statutes. Employers must also respect data protection, anti-discrimination, and work environment rules during recruitment and termination. Although the rules are national, disputes arising in Vaxjo follow the same framework, with union involvement, local negotiations, and court or Labor Court processes where needed.
Employment lawyers help both employees and employers prevent problems and resolve disputes efficiently. Common situations include drafting compliant job offers and policies, planning and running redundancies, handling performance or misconduct cases, managing probationary or fixed-term contracts, negotiating settlements, reviewing non-compete and confidentiality clauses, responding to discrimination complaints, implementing GDPR-compliant recruitment processes, supporting work permit applications for non-EU hires, dealing with long-term sickness cases and rehabilitation duties, navigating union consultations and collective bargaining issues, and litigating wrongful termination or damages claims. Early legal advice typically reduces cost and risk.
Sources of law and agreements. The key statutes are the Employment Protection Act LAS, the Co-Determination in the Workplace Act MBL, the Discrimination Act, the Working Hours Act, the Annual Leave Act, the Parental Leave Act, the Work Environment Act, the Trade Secrets Act, the Whistleblower Protection Act, and GDPR with the Swedish Data Protection Authority guidance. Collective bargaining agreements are highly influential in Sweden and may adjust notice, severance-like benefits, redundancy order, travel and overtime rules, and dispute procedures.
Hiring essentials. Recruitment must be non-discriminatory. Protected characteristics include sex, transgender identity or expression, ethnicity, religion or other belief, disability, sexual orientation, and age. Job ads, selection criteria, and interview questions must be relevant and neutral. Background checks must be lawful, necessary, and proportionate. Criminal record extracts are generally only appropriate when clearly justified and usually provided by the candidate. Under GDPR, employers need a lawful basis for processing applicant data, must inform candidates about processing, and should retain recruitment data only as long as necessary. Many employers keep it for up to two years to defend against discrimination claims.
Contract types. Permanent employment is the default. Probationary employment is allowed for up to six months. Special fixed-term employment is permitted, but conversion to permanent now occurs after 12 months of such employment within a five-year period. Breaks of less than six months between contracts may count toward conversion. Part-time employees often have a preferential right to increased hours before external hiring, subject to qualifications and operational needs.
Termination framework. Termination requires objective reasons. Since 2022, the test is sakliga skal. There are two main grounds: redundancy based on business needs, and personal reasons such as persistent underperformance or misconduct. For personal reasons, employers must typically give clear warnings, provide support, and consider reassignment before termination. Redundancy does not relate to the individual employee but to organizational needs, yet the employer must still follow the selection rules and consider reassignment to vacant suitable roles.
Redundancy selection. The general principle is last-in-first-out within each redundancy unit, often shaped by collective agreements. Employers may exempt up to three employees they deem of particular importance from the order of selection per redundancy occasion. Employers must consult with any relevant union under MBL before deciding on significant changes, including redundancies. For larger layoffs, the employer must notify the Swedish Public Employment Service Arbetsformedlingen in advance and observe statutory lead times.
Reassignment and reemployment rights. Before ending employment, the employer must consider reasonable reassignment to vacant suitable positions. Employees terminated due to redundancy can gain a preferential right to reemployment if they meet service length thresholds and are sufficiently qualified. Following the 2022 reforms, this right can arise after more than nine months of employment in the last three years in many cases. The right applies for a defined period after termination, commonly nine months, subject to statutory and collective agreement rules.
Notice and pay. Employer notice periods under LAS depend on length of service from one month up to six months after ten years of service. Employees usually have one month unless the contract or collective agreement states longer. Severance pay is not statutory in Sweden, but many collective agreements and negotiated settlements provide redundancy or transition support and monetary packages. Employees are often released from duties during notice while receiving salary and benefits.
Probation and fixed-term endings. Probation can be ended by either party, but the employer must notify the employee at least two weeks in advance and inform the union if applicable. Objective reasons are not required for ending a probationary period, but the decision may not be discriminatory or retaliatory. Fixed-term contracts end on the agreed date, but repeated or long fixed terms can convert to permanent under the new 12-month rule.
Protected situations. Employees are protected from discrimination and retaliation, including during recruitment, probation, and termination. Illness alone is not a lawful reason for termination, but if an employee has a lasting work incapacity and reassignment is not possible, termination may be lawful. Employees are protected during parental leave, and adverse actions linked to such leave are generally unlawful.
Post-employment restrictions. Non-compete and non-solicit clauses are assessed for reasonableness. Swedish practice generally expects a narrow scope, short duration, and compensation to the employee during the restricted period. Sector guidelines often reference a typical maximum of nine months and compensation around 60 percent of salary, but the exact enforceability depends on the facts and any applicable collective agreement.
Immigration. Hiring a non-EU national normally requires a work permit. Employers must offer terms in line with Swedish collective agreements or industry practice, often consult a relevant union on the offer, and meet advertising and documentation requirements. Mistakes in this process can lead to liability and may jeopardize the permit.
Whistleblowing and work environment. Employers with 50 or more employees must maintain internal whistleblowing channels and protect whistleblowers from retaliation. Employers are responsible for a safe work environment, including for remote work, and must consult safety representatives where applicable.
No. Sweden does not have at-will employment. Termination must be based on objective reasons that are either redundancy or personal reasons. The employer must also follow consultation and procedural rules and consider reassignment before giving notice.
Redundancy arises from business needs such as reorganization, cost reductions, or closing a function. Personal reasons include persistent underperformance, repeated misconduct, or serious breach of duty. Isolated minor mistakes are usually not enough. For personal reasons, the employer should warn, support improvement, document issues, and assess reassignment options.
Selection follows last-in-first-out within the relevant unit, taking into account qualifications. Employers may exempt up to three key employees per redundancy occasion. Collective agreements can adjust the selection rules. Employers must consult the union before deciding. Employees terminated for redundancy may have a preferential right to reemployment for a period after termination.
If the employer gives notice, the statutory notice is one month for employment under two years, then increases by one month at two, four, six, eight, and ten years of service, up to six months. An employee who resigns usually has one month unless the contract or collective agreement provides a longer period.
There is no general statutory severance in Sweden. Many employees are covered by collective agreements that provide transition support and sometimes financial benefits. Employers and employees often negotiate settlement packages that include compensation, release from duties, and references.
You cannot be terminated for being ill or for taking parental leave. However, if there is a genuine redundancy unrelated to the leave, termination can occur, but the employer must follow all procedures and apply neutral selection criteria. For long-term illness, termination may be possible only after rehabilitation efforts and when no reasonable reassignment exists.
Probation can last up to six months. Employers may end probation with at least two weeks notice and must inform the union if the employee is a member. The decision cannot be discriminatory or retaliatory. If probation continues without action, the employment converts to permanent.
Yes, but they are restricted. Clauses must protect a legitimate business interest, be proportionate in time, geography, and scope, and usually include compensation for the restricted period. Overbroad clauses can be invalid or reduced. Many sectors follow guidelines that cap duration around nine months with compensation near 60 percent of salary.
Set clear expectations, provide feedback and a written warning, offer reasonable support and training, allow time to improve, evaluate results objectively, document each step, and assess reassignment options. Skipping these steps makes termination vulnerable to challenge.
Only when necessary and lawful. Employers must have a GDPR-compliant basis, inform the candidate, minimize data, and avoid sensitive data unless justified by law. Criminal record extracts are generally requested by the candidate and shown to the employer when relevant. Keep recruitment data only as long as necessary, often no more than two years.
Swedish Public Employment Service Arbetsformedlingen - information on redundancies, notifications, and labor market support.
Arbetsdomstolen the Swedish Labor Court - case law guidance on employment disputes.
Local trade unions in Vaxjo, such as Unionen, IF Metall, Kommunal, Vision, and Sveriges Ingenjorer - support for members in negotiations and disputes.
Employer associations, including Svenskt Naringsliv and Almega - guidance for member companies on collective agreements and HR policies.
Trygghetsradet TRR and Trygghetsfonden TSL - transition and outplacement support for eligible employees after redundancy.
Diskrimineringsombudsmannen DO - authority overseeing discrimination issues in recruitment and employment.
Integritetsskyddsmyndigheten IMY - Swedish Data Protection Authority with guidance on GDPR in recruitment.
Vaxjo Tingsratt District Court - first instance for certain employment disputes when the case is not handled directly by the Labor Court.
Assess your situation. Clarify whether the issue concerns hiring, contract terms, performance, misconduct, redundancy, discrimination, data privacy, or immigration. Identify any applicable collective agreement.
Act quickly on deadlines. Challenges to termination have short time limits. If you seek to contest a termination or summary dismissal, contact your union or a lawyer immediately. Some objections must be raised within days.
Gather documents. Collect your employment contract, any collective agreement details, job ads and interview notes, warnings, performance reviews, emails, meeting minutes, policies, medical notes relevant to work accommodation, and payroll records.
Engage with the union. If you are a member, contact your local union club or regional office in Vaxjo. Employers should initiate mandatory consultations with unions before major changes or redundancies.
Plan your approach. Employers should map business reasons, selection criteria, reassignment options, timelines, and communication plans. Employees should write a brief chronology of events and desired outcomes.
Seek legal advice. Consult an employment lawyer familiar with Swedish law and collective agreements active in Vaxjo and Kronoberg County. Early advice can resolve issues through negotiation, mediation, or compliant procedures.
Consider settlement. Many disputes end with a negotiated agreement covering termination date, compensation, references, release from duties, confidentiality, and waiver of claims. Ensure the agreement complies with law and any collective agreement.
Follow up on transitions. If made redundant, register with Arbetsformedlingen promptly and contact TRR or TSL if eligible. Employers should meet notification obligations and offer transition support where applicable.
Review compliance. Employers should update templates and policies for recruitment, data privacy, probation, performance management, whistleblowing, and redundancies to reflect current rules, especially the 2022 LAS reforms.
Keep records. Documentation is crucial in Swedish employment law. Maintain accurate, contemporaneous notes of meetings, decisions, and consultations.
