Added to your monthly or hourly pay, there are a few more details to be aware of when considering your compensation.
Kollektivavtal — Collective agreement
A collective agreement is an agreement between your employer and a trade union, governing things like salary levels, holidays, benefits, and pension schemes. Not all companies have a collective agreement, but it is generally considered to be safer and a guarantee of reasonable working conditions if they have one.
Tjänstepension — occupational pension.
Many employers, and particularly those who have signed collective agreements will pay a monthly fee that will contribute to your pension. As the Swedish tax system is progressive, this may be a wise way to pay an overall lower tax rate, distributed over a longer period of time.
OB-ersättning — compensation for unsociable hours
If you are working unsociable hours, such as evenings, nights, weekends, or public holidays, you may be compensated with additional pay. There are no national laws regulating this, but most collective agreements state the number of OB hours you have to work each month, or that these are compensated with an additional hourly rate.
Förmåner — Benefits
The most common benefit Swedish employees are entitled to is friskvårdsbidrag, which is basically that if you get a gym membership or similar, your employer will pay for it. There is, however, a trend for more benefits, including unconventional perks such as subsidized IVF treatment or skidpan driving.
Övertid, flextid — Overtime, flex time
Few Swedish collective agreements and employment contracts state you will be compensated for overtime. Instead, a system of komptid or flextid is employed, meaning that each employee makes sure they work their stated hours, but not necessarily the same every day. If you have worked five additional hours this week, you can work five fewer hours the next week.
Semester — Holidays
In Sweden, you are entitled to five weeks (25 days) holiday outside “red days” (public holidays) per year. Some employers give you more, which is normally stated in your collective agreement. Other employers are willing to negotiate this.
Sjuklön — Sick pay
If you need to stay at home from work due to health reasons, Your employer pays 80% of your salary for the first 14 days. After that, Försäkringskassan stands for the cost. There is no maximum number of days of sick leave, but if you have a chronic illness there are certain compensation programs funded by Försäkringskassan, for which you will need a doctor’s certificate.
Sjukförsäkring — Health insurance.
Some Swedish employers offer health insurance which may be beneficial in some respects, but please remember that as long as you are registered with Försäkringskassan, you already have health insurance, and a private one is not, arguably, necessary.
