“I'll just check my email...” Does this sound familiar? For many of us, the line between work and leisure time is blurred. Working hours, which take up a large part of our waking hours, become something we are constantly connected to. It can be difficult to distinguish between when we are actually working and when we are entitled to rest, which in the long run can affect our private lives, working lives, and our health.
The purpose of this information is to provide you with knowledge and tools to create a sustainable work situation. We want to clarify what rights and obligations exist under the law and collective agreements. However, remember that the greatest responsibility for maintaining the boundary between work and rest lies with you—it is an active choice you make every day.
In this guide, we go through:
Glossary: Important terms that help you understand your working hours.
Rights & Obligations: The basis of your employment.
Focus on overtime: Everything you need to know about working beyond your regular hours.
Union tips & common pitfalls: How to avoid mistakes and secure your rights.
FIn order to discuss working hours, it is useful to be familiar with a few basic concepts. Please note that not all concepts apply to all forms of employment; your personal employment contract and applicable collective agreement always take precedence.
Basic working hours
Regular working hours/Ordinarie arbetstid: The scheduled time during which you are at the employer's disposal to perform work.
Full-time/Heltid: The working hours for full-time employment are 40 hours per week. Through our collective agreement, the number of hours is lower due to allocations to your time bank (reduced working hours/Arbetstidsförkortning).
Part-time/Deltid: An employment where the number of working hours is lower than for a corresponding full-time position.
Work beyond regular hours
Additional time/Mertid: Working hours that a part-time employee performs beyond their regular working hours, up to the full-time measure. According to the collective agreement, additional time now gives the same compensation as overtime.
Overtime/Övertid: Work performed beyond the regular full-time measure. Overtime must always be ordered or approved in advance by the employer, who is also obliged to keep a record of all overtime. For part-time employees, work beyond regular hours is compensated at the same rate as overtime.
On-call time/Jourtid: Time outside regular working hours when you are not actively working but must be available at the workplace to perform work if necessary. The employer is obliged to keep a record of all on-call time.
Standby duty/Beredskap: Time when you are not at the workplace but must be available to report for duty or start work within a certain period of time.
Rest and recovery
Rest period/Viloperiod: All time that is not working time counts as rest period. The basic rule is that rest periods are unpaid, unless otherwise specified in your contract. This includes your daily and weekly rest periods.
Sufficient rest/Tillräcklig vila: This is a general concept that means your rest should be long and continuous enough that you don't risk hurting yourself, your coworkers, or others because of tiredness or an uneven work rhythm. It's about making sure your health isn't harmed, either in the short or long term.
Longer Break/Rast: An unpaid interruption in work during which you are not at the employer's disposal. You have the right to leave the workplace during your break. According to collective agreements, a break must be taken after no more than 6 hours of work.
Shorter Break/Paus: A shorter, paid break for recovery that is included in working hours (e.g., a coffee break). You should be able to take the breaks you need during the working day.
Daily rest/Dygnsvila: All employees are entitled to at least 11 hours of uninterrupted rest during each 24-hour period. Exceptions may only be made in exceptional cases and must be compensated according to clear rules.
Weekly rest/Veckovila: All employees are entitled to at least 35 hours of uninterrupted rest during each seven-day period, if possible scheduled for the weekend.
Flexibility and planning
Flexible working hours/Flextid: A flexible working time model that often allows you to control when you start and end your working day within certain limits. Deviations from the normal working hours of the day are often collected in a "flex bank".
"Time bank"/Tidbank: A collective term for systems where earned time, for example from reduced working hours, is accumulated. The time in the bank can then be taken as paid leave, either as whole days or part of a day.
Shift work/Skiftarbete: Work divided into different shifts where employees replace each other at the same workplace.
Work at inconvenient times
Night/Natt: The period between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., according to the Working Hours Act. Local collective agreements may define the period differently, but it must include the time between midnight and 5:00 a.m.
Night worker/Nattarbetande: A person who normally works at least three hours of their shift during the night period, or who is expected to work a significant part of their annual working hours at night.
Your employment is based on a balance. You have obligations to fulfill, but also strong rights that protect you and ensure a sustainable working environment.
Here are some of the obligations you have as an employee towards your employer. Please note that this list is not exhaustive and that there may be other obligations.
Duty to work: The most basic obligation is to perform the work and tasks associated with the job. This also includes following the employer's instructions and directives.
Adherence to working hours: Working according to your schedule and the rules that apply to regular working hours, flexitime, and breaks.
Obligation to work overtime: The employee is obliged to work overtime that has been ordered in advance by the employer or approved retrospectively.
Limitations on the obligation to work overtime:
The obligation to work overtime is not unlimited. The employee is not obliged to work more overtime than is permitted by the agreement. Both laws and agreements come into play here and limit the amount of overtime that is permitted. More information on this can be found in the section below.
Obligation to perform on-call and standby duty: If the business requires it, the employee is obliged to be at the employer's disposal at the workplace (on-call time) or to be available to perform work remotely or to report to the workplace (standby duty) according to a schedule.
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Obligations in the event of a conflict: During a labor dispute (that does not affect your own personnel category), a civil servant is obligated to perform their usual duties, participate in maintenance work, and perform so-called protective work to avert danger to people or damage to property. Please note that this obligation does not apply if the union calls you out on strike
Follow regular working hours: The employee is obliged to work according to the regular working hours that apply to their type of employment. This includes rules for reduced working hours, flexitime, scheduled time, etc.
Accept schedule changes: An employee is obliged to accept changes made by the employer to the regular working hours. However, the employer must notify the employee of the change at least two weeks in advance, unless otherwise agreed. This may mean that the employee is scheduled for so-called “staggered working hours” outside the normal daytime schedule.
Management of time bank: The time transferred to the employee's time bank must be used in accordance with the rules of the agreement. This means that the employer decides when time can be taken from the time bank within certain limits.
Here are some of the rights you have as an employee vis-à-vis your employer. Please note that this list is not exhaustive and that there may be other rights.
Right to compensation: You are entitled to special compensation for all work during inconvenient working hours, overtime, on-call duty, and standby duty in accordance with the rules of the collective agreement.
Right to daily rest: Every employee is entitled to at least eleven hours of uninterrupted rest per 24-hour period. If this is interrupted, the employee is entitled to equivalent compensatory rest.
Right to weekly rest: Every employee is entitled to at least 35 hours of uninterrupted rest during each seven-day period.
Right to breaks and rest periods: or a work shift longer than six hours, a break must be scheduled. The employee is also entitled to take the breaks needed in addition to the scheduled breaks.
Right to time bank: For each completed working week, time is allocated to a time bank (e.g., 92 minutes for daytime work). The time can be taken as paid leave, cash compensation, or extra pension contributions by agreement with the employer. This is based on full-time employment and is recalulated if you work less than that.
Right to paid leave (permission): The employee may be granted short paid leave (leave of absence) for part of a working day, or in special cases for one or more days, for example in the event of illness or death of a close relative.
Right to vacation: The basis is the 25 days stipulated by law, but the employee is entitled to more vacation days if the right to special overtime compensation has been waived by agreement.
Right to other leave: Leave of absence and study leave are examples of other types of leave to which you are entitled. However, this must be requested in good time so that the employer can adapt the business to your absence.
Right to have overtime and on-call time recorded: The employer is obliged to keep records of all your overtime and on-call time. You and your union representative have the right to access these records. This ensures that the limitation rules are followed and that you receive the correct compensation. However, we would like to see you keep your own records as well.
Right to refuse unauthorized overtime: You are not obliged to work more overtime than is permitted by the collective agreement.
Overtime should be an exception, not the rule. Overtime is work that your employer requires you to perform and that must be done outside of regular working hours. Overtime is regulated by collective agreements, laws, and policies. The basic principle is that overtime should be an exception
When can an employer order overtime?
The collective agreement states that there must be special reasons for overtime to be worked. If overtime becomes regular rather than occasional, this indicates an organizational problem that the employer must solve, for example by hiring new staff.
How much overtime can you work?
Our collective agreement sets clear limits:
General overtime: A maximum of 175 hours per calendar year for “special reasons.” (100 hours of these may be “repaid” through time off at 1.5 times the repaid hour, i.e., up to 150 hours of paid time off.)
Extra overtime: If there are “extraordinary reasons,” an additional 75 hours may be taken beyond the first 175 hours.
Additional overtime: For an additional 75 hours, a local agreement with us in the union club is required. We will then review why the need arose and what measures the employer has taken, whether they have been sufficient, and why they have not worked.
In addition to this, a company can global policies that may be even stricter.
One example is that the company does not allow an employee to work more than 12 hours/day, including travel to/from work, with very few exceptions.
All overtime must be compensated.
There are no exceptions to this. Compensation is usually provided in one of the following ways;
Financial compensation
Time to time bank
3-5 extra vacation days and/or higher base salary.
Here are some important points to pay extra attention to in order to ensure that you receive the correct compensation and that the rules are followed:
“Agreed” waived overtime compensation – The most common pitfall
What this means: You and your employer can reach an individual agreement that you will not receive special overtime compensation. This is most common for managers or those with uncontrollable working hours (e.g., field work). In exchange, you will be compensated with a higher salary and/or more vacation days (3 or 5 extra days).
Union tip: Make sure that such an agreement is in writing and clear. Assess whether the higher salary or extra days actually correspond to the amount of overtime you are expected to work.
This agreement is not something the employer can demand. Keep a record of your overtime. If you notice that your working hours “significantly deviate” from what you agreed upon, you have the right to raise this with your employer.
This change takes effect on April 1, so if, for example, you request this change in October, it will take effect on April 1. Make this request well in advance (no later than February) so that your employer has time to adjust their systems, otherwise there is a risk that the change will be postponed for a year.
The requirement for “ordering” or “approval”
What this means: For work to count as compensable overtime, it must be ordered or approved by your manager. Staying late on your own initiative to “catch up” does not automatically count.
Union tip: Always obtain a clear order from your manager, preferably in writing (e.g., via email). If a situation arises where you need to work overtime without prior order, make sure to get the work approved by your manager as soon as possible afterwards.
Only full half-hours count
What this means: When calculating overtime, only full half-hours are counted.
Union tip: If you work 25 minutes of overtime, you risk not receiving any compensation for that time. If you work 50 minutes, it counts as 30 minutes. Be aware of this rule.
Keep track of your own time
What this means: Even though your employer is required to keep records, mistakes can happen.
Union tip: Keep your own simple logbook of your overtime hours. Compare it regularly with the company's records (e.g., on your pay slip) and point out any errors immediately. Your right to access your employer's records is your guarantee.
What is not overtime
What this means: Time normally spent on necessary preparation and completion work in your position does not count as overtime.
Union tip: The line can sometimes be blurred. If you feel that these “preparations” take an unreasonable amount of time or are in the nature of extra work, you should discuss this with your manager or union representative.
Waiving the entire working hours regulation (Sections 2-5)
What this means: When waiving the right to special overtime compensation, the employer may propose that you also agree to be completely exempt from the provisions of Sections 2-5 of the Working Hours Agreement.
Why this is a pitfall: Signing this means that you are waiving almost all the protective rules that govern your working hours. You lose your contractual right to:
Regulated daily and weekly rest periods: The protection of at least 11 hours of continuous rest per day and 35 hours per week disappears.
Limits on overtime: The ceiling on how much overtime the employer can order (175 hours of general overtime, etc.) is removed.
The employer's obligation to keep an overtime log: The requirement that the employer must document your overtime disappears under this agreement.
Regulated regular working hours: The provisions on a 40-hour week as an average measure no longer apply.
Union tip: Never sign an agreement that exempts you from §§ 2-5 of the Working Hours Agreement without first contacting us at the union for advice. This type of agreement is intended for a small number of employees in management positions or with an extremely high degree of independence. For the vast majority of employees, it means giving up basic protection for their health and work-life balance.
It is entirely possible to agree to waive specific overtime compensation in exchange for a higher salary/more vacation days, but retain the important protection provided by working time regulations. Make sure you know exactly what you are signing.
This guide covers the basics, but every situation is unique. If you are unsure about what applies to you, feel pressured to work too much, or if your compensation is not correct, never hesitate to contact us at Unionenklubben. We are here to help you.
We are here to help you.