Questions to ask a Swedish employer before accepting a job

Here you are, living in Sweden, and you’ve finally got that elusive job offer. You’re about to accept, but wait! There are several questions you should be asking your employer first. And many of them relate to mysterious ‘collective agreements’.

But what on earth is a collective agreement, we hear you ask?

Collective agreements (kollektivavtal) are a fundamental part of the Swedish model (not to be confused with Malin Åkerman) and, put simply, are an essential component of working life in Sweden.

“The working market in Sweden is not based on law but on the conditions established between trade unions and employers in collective agreements,” says Annika Creutzer, who is one of Sweden’s leading financial journalists and an economics advisor.

Find out how to get the most from your working life in Sweden

So now I know what it is, does this company have a collective agreement?

Chances are your potential employer will have a collective agreement. Approximately 90 percent of employees in Sweden are protected by these agreements and reap the perks such as extra vacation, better sick pay, more generous parental leave and a far bigger pension. All public sector jobs are covered by them and it tends to be generally only start-ups that opt out of them.

his all sounds great, but will I get an annual pay rise?

Yes! A collective agreement means that you are free to negotiate your salary and annual pay rises. In some sectors, the pay increase can be as much as 3 percent year-on-year.

If you're a member of Saco, a politically independent central organisation for 23 unions, you get access to the best salary statistics in Sweden along with advice and information about salary negotiations. This really comes in handy when the time comes to negotiate your own salary, which is something you're always advised to do yourself.

Another good thing to note is that you can also get financial compensation for doing in-service training such as extra courses that often involve exorbitant fees.

So what happens if I slip and break my leg at work? Am I covered?

Again yes!

You get extra compensation if you miss work through illness or get injured in the workplace. Sweden’s Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan) already pays out up to 80 percent of your salary (but only up to a salary of 28,000) and the remaining 20 percent can be topped up with a collective agreement.

What’s more, with a collective agreement you could get around 75-90 percent of your full salary if you’re off work due to sickness or injury. This is just one area where it can really make a difference for people in high earning jobs.

The calculator below helps you work out how much sick pay you would get with a collective agreement compared to without, as well as you how much more compensation you would get if you injure yourself at work.