Sweden is well known for its strict employment protection rules. However, this can lead to a tendency for Swedish employers to avoid offering permanent employment by keeping employees in renewable employment forms, such as allmän visstidsanställning (general fixed-term employment), säsongsanställning (seasonal employment) or as vikariat (substitute employment). Currently about 15% of Sweden’s total work force, and about 25% of women within blue collar professions, are working through such set-ups.

In an attempt to limit the use of these forms of temporary work the Swedish legislation has long since dictated that any such temporary employments which exceed a total of two years during a five-year period is automatically reclassified as a permanent employment.

 

In employment relationships entered after the 30th of April 2016 this automatic reclassification has now been extended to any employees who have achieved a total employment time of more than two years during a period longer than five years, as long as no more than 6 months have passed between each work assignment. Therefor even an employee who works just a few hours per week can gain the right to a permanent employment if they continue working for the same employer for a sufficient time. Such a reclassification would not increase the employees work hours, but would guarantee them a minimum number of work hours. The new rule is expected to mainly impact sectors with a high dependence on recurring workers with very short work assignments, such as many larger retail companies.