Working Time Rules: Sweden
Sweden: working hours, holiday calendars and annual leave rules for practical workforce planning.
This is a general overview, not legal advice. Limits, reference periods, exceptions, and record-keeping duties vary by sector and contract and change over time. Confirm the current rules with the official source and a qualified adviser.
Working week used in calculations40 hours per week8 hours a day over 5 days
Minimum annual leave25 daysThe Swedish Annual Leave Act generally gives 25 days of annual leave. The number of paid days depends on earned holiday pay; statutory time off and paid entitlement are not always the same in the first year. Collective agreements may improve the entitlement. Personal leave remains separate from the public-holiday calendar.Source
Statutory working time
Sweden’s Working Hours Act governs working time with exceptions, and collective agreements can replace parts of its rules. Confirm contractual weekly hours and the applicable agreement before using annual capacity for staffing. The tool’s five-day, eight-hour scenario does not decide overtime, rest entitlements or whether an agreed bridge day is free.
What to check before you rely on this
- The current statutory limits, reference periods, and any opt-outs.
- Sector or collective-agreement rules that may override the defaults.
- How overtime is authorised, recorded, and compensated.
- What working-time records you must keep and for how long.