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Wrongful termination in Sweden refers to an employer ending an employment relationship without objective grounds or in breach of statutory protections, collective agreements, or anti-discrimination rules. Swedish employment law is national, so the rules that apply in Växjö are the same as across Sweden. The key law is the Employment Protection Act, often called LAS. Terminations must be based on objective grounds, which are typically redundancy due to business reasons or personal reasons related to the employee. The employer must follow specific procedures, consult unions when required, and respect notice periods and selection rules in redundancies. If a termination violates these rules, the employee may have claims for invalidity, compensation, or both.
Most workplaces in Växjö are covered by collective bargaining agreements that add rights on top of statutory protections. Trade unions have a central role in pre-termination consultations and in disputes. Since reforms that took effect in 2022, rules around objective grounds, redeployment obligations, and litigation while a dispute is pending have been updated to increase predictability for both parties.
You may need a lawyer if you have been given notice of termination and are unsure whether the employer had objective grounds. A lawyer can assess whether the employer followed the correct process, respected your rights to consultation and redeployment, and applied the proper selection order during redundancies.
Legal help is particularly important if you suspect discrimination or retaliation, for example if you were dismissed shortly after reporting wrongdoing, taking parental leave, joining a union, requesting accommodations for a disability, or raising health and safety concerns. These situations involve overlapping laws with strict proof and short deadlines.
If you received a settlement agreement to sign, a lawyer can review waivers, confidentiality clauses, non-compete terms, and the tax treatment of any ex gratia payments, and negotiate improvements. Legal advice is also helpful if you are on a probationary or fixed-term contract and want to know what notice, information, or conversion rights you have. Finally, if there is a dispute about whether your role was truly redundant or whether you could have been reassigned, a lawyer can obtain and analyze the employer’s documentation and represent you in negotiations or court.
Employment Protection Act - LAS. This is the core statute. Termination must be based on objective grounds. There are two main categories: redundancy due to business or organizational reasons, and personal reasons related to the employee. Summary dismissal requires a serious breach of obligations. Employers must consider redeployment to other available roles before terminating for personal reasons. After reforms effective 2022, the employer’s redeployment duty is clearer and tied to the relevant business and corporate group unit.
Redundancy and selection order. If redundancies occur, the employer must apply a last-in-first-out principle within each redundancy unit and occupational category, subject to exceptions in collective agreements. Smaller employers may exempt a limited number of key employees from the selection list. The redundancy must be real and not a pretext to dismiss a particular person for personal reasons.
Notice periods and forms of employment. Statutory notice for employer-initiated terminations ranges with length of service, typically from one to six months. Probationary employment can last up to six months and can be ended early with at least two weeks notice of termination of the trial. Fixed-term rules were updated in 2022 with the introduction of special fixed-term employment, which converts to indefinite employment faster than before when certain thresholds are met.
Collective bargaining and consultations - MBL. The Co-determination Act requires employers to negotiate with unions before significant organizational changes, including redundancies. Many workplaces in Växjö are covered by collective agreements that set additional notice rules, severance-like arrangements, and dispute procedures. Union involvement usually happens early and is a frequent path to resolution.
Anti-discrimination and parental protections. The Discrimination Act bans terminations connected to protected characteristics such as sex, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and age. The Parental Leave Act prohibits disadvantage or dismissal connected to pregnancy or parental leave. The Work Environment Act imposes obligations around rehabilitation and adjustments, especially when illness affects work capacity. The Whistleblower Protection Act prohibits reprisals for protected reporting of wrongdoing.
Procedural time limits. Deadlines in termination disputes are short. To contest a termination as invalid, employees often must notify the employer very quickly, commonly within one to two weeks from receiving notice, with additional deadlines for bringing claims after any union negotiations. Damages claims also have short limitation periods. Because the timelines are technical and strict, it is important to contact a union or lawyer immediately after receiving notice.
Litigation path. Many disputes are negotiated under MBL. If unresolved, cases typically go to a district court in the first instance unless a union brings the case, in which case the Labour Court is usually the first and final instance. Since 2022, employment does not automatically continue during litigation, which affects wage rights during the dispute. Remedies include economic damages for lost pay and benefits, and general damages for the violation. Reinstatement is possible in certain cases but is less common in practice after the reforms.
A termination is considered wrongful if it lacks objective grounds, if the employer failed to meet procedural duties like redeployment, union consultation, and proper notice, or if it was discriminatory or retaliatory. Using redundancy as a pretext to remove a specific employee for personal reasons is also wrongful.
Redundancy is based on organizational or economic needs and does not relate to the employee’s conduct. Personal reasons relate to the employee, such as performance or cooperation problems. For personal reasons, the employer must typically show documented issues, warnings, support efforts, and consider redeployment. Redundancies require a genuine need and adherence to the selection order and consultation duties.
Do not resign or sign anything immediately. Note the date you received the notice. Contact your union or a lawyer at once because deadlines to contest can be as short as one to two weeks. Collect documents such as your contract, policy manuals, warnings, performance reviews, emails, and the notice letter. Write your own timeline of events while details are fresh.
Courts can declare a termination invalid and order reinstatement in some situations, particularly when objective grounds were lacking. However, since 2022, employment does not automatically continue during a dispute, and many cases resolve through negotiated compensation rather than reinstatement. Your prospects depend on the facts and whether a union supports the case.
There is no general statutory severance pay in Sweden. You are entitled to your salary and benefits during the notice period. Many collective agreements and individual settlements include additional termination pay or transition support. A lawyer can check your collective agreement and negotiate enhancements.
Probationary employment can be ended with short notice, but the employer must inform you in time and cannot end it for unlawful reasons like discrimination or retaliation. Fixed-term contracts normally end when the term ends, but misuse of fixed terms or early termination without legal basis can be challenged. Special fixed-term employment converts to indefinite employment after reaching statutory thresholds.
It is unlawful to dismiss someone wholly or partly because of a protected characteristic or because they are pregnant, on parental leave, or planning to take leave. The employer must be able to show that the decision was unrelated to these factors. If discrimination is suspected, you may have claims for compensation under the Discrimination Act in addition to employment law remedies.
Time limits are strict and short. Notifying the employer that you dispute a termination often must be done within one to two weeks of receiving the notice, and there are additional deadlines to file claims after any required negotiations. Claims for damages also have short limitation periods. Always seek advice immediately because missing a deadline can end your case.
If you are a member, contact your union quickly. Unions can demand negotiations, represent you, and may take the case directly to the Labour Court. If you are not a member, you can still hire a lawyer. Employers must consult unions before redundancies even when the affected employee is not unionized if the workplace is covered by a collective agreement.
Compensation can include economic damages for lost salary and benefits, and general damages for the violation of your rights. The amounts depend on your losses, how the termination breached the law, and case law. Many disputes end with a negotiated package that balances risk, tax, and timing considerations.
Arbetsdomstolen - the Swedish Labour Court, the specialist court for labour disputes.
Växjö tingsrätt - the Växjö District Court, which hears many employment cases in the first instance when a union is not the claimant.
Diskrimineringsombudsmannen - the Equality Ombudsman, which handles discrimination matters and can guide on discrimination claims.
Arbetsmiljöverket - the Swedish Work Environment Authority, for issues related to work environment, rehabilitation, and employer obligations.
Arbetsförmedlingen - the Swedish Public Employment Service in Växjö, for support during job transitions and information on redundancy notices affecting groups.
Local trade unions and confederations in Kronoberg County, including Unionen, LO, and TCO affiliates, which provide member representation and advice.
Rättshjälpsmyndigheten - the Legal Aid Authority, for information on eligibility for legal aid if you are not covered by a union or insurance.
Trygghetsråd and other transition organizations linked to your collective agreement, which can offer career support and sometimes financial benefits after redundancy.
Act quickly. Note the date on your notice and any stated deadlines. Contact your union or a lawyer immediately to preserve your rights. Early advice is crucial because negotiation steps may be required before filing a claim.
Gather evidence. Compile your contract, job description, handbooks, performance reviews, emails, warnings, medical certificates, and the termination notice. Prepare a timeline of key events and identify witnesses who can corroborate what happened.
Do not sign without advice. Settlement agreements often include waivers, confidentiality, and non-compete clauses. A lawyer can explain tax and benefits implications and negotiate better terms.
Mind your income and benefits. Check entitlement to notice pay, holiday pay, unpaid bonuses, and benefits during notice. Contact your unemployment insurance fund, A-kassa, promptly to avoid gaps.
Consider outcomes. Be clear about your goals, whether reinstatement, a negotiated exit, or litigation. Your adviser can evaluate the strengths of your case under LAS, MBL, and any collective agreement, and design a strategy suited to Växjö’s local practices and the Swedish courts.
If you decide to proceed, your representative will initiate negotiations, ensure statutory time limits are met, and file claims in the appropriate forum, whether the district court or the Labour Court. Throughout, keep records of all communications and follow legal advice closely.
