Managing leave of absence

Contents:

• Legislation, regulations or collective agreements
• Inform the local employee organisation
• Leave provisions within the public sector
• Paid leave

Legislation, regulations or collective agreements

The Swedish labour market is subject to extensive regulation regarding various types of leave. In addition, a number of special provisions apply to the public sector.

Normally, it is you, as the manager, in consultation with the nearest HR department, who decides whether an employee should be granted leave or not.

Law, regulation or collective agreement

In certain cases, law, regulation or collective agreement entitles an employee to leave, which means that you cannot refuse the employee’s request for leave if the conditions for the leave are met.

The Leave of Absence Regulation

In other cases, leave may be granted provided that you assess that the leave can be approved. You must then balance the organisation’s interest in the employee being at work against the employee’s interest in being granted the requested leave.

Such a balancing of interests is carried out, for example, in the case of leave assessed under the Leave of Absence Regulation. When processing an application, it is important, as an employer within a public authority, to be consistent in accordance with the so-called principle of equal treatment in the Instrument of Government (Chapter 1, Section 9 of the Instrument of Government).

Contact your nearest HR department for more information.

Inform the local staff organisation

When deciding on leave under the Leave of Absence Ordinance, the employer must inform the local staff organisation of the intended decision before a decision is made.

The local staff organisation has the right to request negotiations on the intended decision within five working days, in accordance with the collective agreements. These provisions replace the provisions regarding the employer’s obligations under the Co-determination Act (MBL).

Leave provisions within the public sector

To provide support for handling leave matters, the HR Division has produced a quick guide that provides an overview of the most common leave provisions within the public sector. However, the overview is not exhaustive and in some cases further support may be required from your nearest HR department, for example when deciding to reject an application or if it is necessary to terminate a period of leave.

Contact your nearest HR department for more information.

Paid leave

As shown in the overview of the most common leave provisions, certain types of leave may be granted with pay.

Paid leave for visits to doctors and dentists, as well as leave in connection with the serious illness or death of a close relative, when moving house, and for certain trade union representative duties, is regulated in our central collective agreements. 

Such leave may be granted provided that the conditions for the leave and the right to continued pay are met.

Contact your nearest HR department for more information.