Nordics: European View on Employment Law
Contacts
Partner
Sweden
I am head of our Employment group in Stockholm, as well as co-head of Bird & Bird's International Employee Incentives & Benefits Group. With more than 25 years' experience in the employment law field, the advice I provide covers the full range of HR services.
Employees across the Nordics generally have a good standard of education and are highly represented amongst successful technology companies. Collective Bargaining Agreements (“CBAs”) cover as much as 80% of the work force.
Background
The law across the Nordics is codified and case law helps to interpret these laws. Employment laws are mandatory to the protection of the employees and there is no employment at will. Mandatory law includes rules on acceptable grounds for dismissal. Any terms set by CBAs enjoy similar status to laws.
Did you know?
- 50% of the employees are female
- Most of the workforce speak English and there is no obligation to translate policies or to provide bilingual employment agreements
- Fathers take parental leave in the Nordics. It is also a common practice to share the leave amongst parents
- A strong social security system exists in all countries; medical care is free or inexpensive
- Very stable labour market with few strikes
- Employees are typically hard working and loyal
Restructuring programmes: key issues
- In Sweden obligation to consult with the trade unions before deciding to restructure (if there is a CBA in place); obligation to consult also exists in Finland but procedure is different to that in Sweden
- Social selection criteria are normally applied; selection methods differ from country to country. The most drastic method is the “last in– first out” principle in Sweden
- European rules on transfer of undertakings are implemented
- There is no “one size fits all”; rules differ considerably between the Nordic countries
General employment
- The main rule is that employment continues until further notice
- Probationary periods and fixed term contracts are allowed
- Restrictive covenants must be compensated for in Denmark and Sweden but generally not in Finland
This is part of the Bird & Bird: A European view on Employment Law series.
See also:
Latest insights
More Insights
Bird & Bird contributes to CRF's report on The HR Function and Risk Management: Navigating Complexity with Resilience
2 minutes Feb 05 2026