The landing technicalities

A couple of weeks back we conducted a poll asking the Newbie community, ‘How different is the business behaviour or work culture in Sweden compared to that of your home country?’ And 90% of our readers voted: ‘Very different’. No wonder then, that for a newbie in Sweden, feeling at home at work doesn’t come so easy.

Quick guide to What is it really like to in Sweden (updated for 2025).

Written by our Content Manager and Writer, Nidhi Dhingra

We went on to ask, ‘What, for you, makes the work culture in Sweden so different?’, and heard back from both newbies and oldbies in Sweden, originally from or having worked in countries across Europe, Middle east, Asia and the Americas, in varying professions.

Putting together the many conversations and our own experience together, here’s the bitter-sweet (though, mostly sweet) of working in Sweden:

Clear employee rights and work structure

‘In Sweden, I would say, employees have clear rights; also working hours, responsibilities and suchlike are more structured. In Yemen, most people work overtime, and job descriptions are quite vague so one person can have several roles’, says Rasha, a Social Media Researcher and Analyst.

‘Another thing that I saw can be described as “I do only my job, nothing more nor less”. Compared to Syria, where I admit that roles are not so clear and expectations not as it is here, but you can still feel that the workflow is almost never disturbed by just saying “not my job” when I can really and clearly do the task in question’, adds Sami, an Office Administrator and Coordinator in Gothenburg.

Work life balance is sacred

It won’t be an exaggeration to say that most countries do not give even one-fifth of the mind space to the idea of work-life balance that Sweden does, where it’s woven into the very fabric of society.

Sweden’s celebrated parental leave policy of 480-paid-days, reduced working hours, and a five-week long vacation during summer (mandated by law, no less!) are only the tip of the iceberg. There’s an impressively long list of benefits that the government offers, particularly to make it easier for parents. For instance, offering out-of-school hours care at a low price; a parental benefit that allows one to stay at home with their young children instead of working, if they so choose; and VAB – paid leaves to stay home with a sick child.

‘There is an understanding with regard to personal or family issues, like your child’s health or need for family time. Also, you have the option to choose what kind of tasks you want to work on, and the flexibility to plan your work timings according to your convenience (obviously within limit)’, notes Manini, a Software Developer, originally from India.

Ask anyone what they would most miss about working in Sweden, and it’ll be the quality time it allows one with self and family.

No prizes for over-working

Overworking is not celebrated in a Swedish organisation – at all. Rest assured that there will be no calls or emails past working hours or during vacation time.

‘In Singapore, if you leave at 6 pm, it’s like a crime. There is an unsaid mandate of staying till 7.30 pm, whether you have work or not’, Suresh, a Senior Solutions Engineer tells us. ‘Dubai is kinda similar; you don’t leave for home before your boss does’, says Hysen, a Director-Sales & Marketing.

In Sweden, working extra very often to impress your boss will only tell him or her that you can’t manage your workload very well. It also increases the risk for the company that you could burn out, have more days of sick leave, and feel overall less satisfied with your current workplace. Most Swedish workplaces want you to feel good and not squeeze that last drop of working power out of you. ‘Holidays in Sweden are to be respected and enjoyed’, notes Shanalie, an Internal Audit Specialist, from France.

That said, ‘it is also important to remember that while the system allows for work-life balance, it’s left up to the individual to ensure that he or she does not overwork. Your manager may not be to help you with it on a regular basis’, clarifies Naresh, a Digital Data-Analytics Lead.

Fika (or coffee) break, twice a day

<p id=”a-couple-of-weeks-back-we-conducted-a-poll-asking-the-newbie-community-how-different-is-the-business-behaviour-in-sweden-compared-to-that-of-your-home-country-and-90-of-our-readers-voted-very-different-no-wonder-then-that-for-a-newbie-in-sweden-feeling-at-home-at-work-doesn-t-come-so-easy-we-went-on-to-ask-what-for-you-makes-the-business-behaviour-or-work-culture-in-sweden-so-different-and-heard-back-from-both-newbies-and-oldbies-in-sweden-originally-from-or-having-worked-in-countries-across-europe-middle-east-asia-and-the-americas-in-varying-professions-putting-together-the-many-conversations-and-our-own-experience-together-here-s-the-bitter-sweet-though-mostly-sweet-of-working-in-sweden-clear-employee-rights-and-work-structure-in-sweden-i-would-say-employees-have-clear-rights-also-working-hours-responsibilities-and-suchlike-are-more-structured-in-yemen-most-people-work-overtime-and-job-descriptions-are-quite-vague-so-one-person-can-have-several-roles-says-rasha-a-social-media-researcher-and-analyst-another-thing-that-i-saw-can-be-described-as-i-do-only-my-job-nothing-more-nor-less-compared-to-syria-where-i-admit-that-roles-are-not-so-clear-and-expectations-not-as-it-is-here-but-you-can-still-feel-that-the-workflow-is-almost-never-disturbed-by-just-saying-not-my-job-when-i-can-really-and-clearly-do-the-task-in-question-adds-sami-an-office-administrator-and-coordinator-in-gothenburg-work-life-balance-is-sacredit-won-t-be-an-exaggeration-to-say-that-most-countries-do-not-give-even-one-fifth-of-the-mindspace-to-the-idea-of-work-life-balance-that-sweden-does-where-it-s-woven-into-the-very-fabric-of-society-sweden-s-celebrated-parental-leave-policy-of-480-paid-days-reduced-working-hours-and-a-five-week-long-vacation-during-summer-mandated-by-law-no-less-are-only-the-tip-of-the-iceberg-there-s-an-impressively-long-list-of-benefits-that-the-government-offers-particularly-to-make-it-easier-for-parents-for-instance-offering-out-of-school-hours-care-at-a-low-price-a-parental-benefit-that-allows-one-to-stay-at-home-with-their-young-children-instead-of-working-if-they-so-choose-and-vab-paid-leaves-to-stay-home-with-a-sick-child-there-is-an-understanding-with-regard-to-personal-or-family-issues-like-your-child-s-health-or-need-for-family-time-also-you-have-the-option-to-choose-what-kind-of-tasks-you-want-to-work-on-and-the-flexibility-to-plan-your-work-timings-according-to-your-convenience-obviously-within-limit-notes-manini-a-software-developer-originally-from-india-ask-anyone-what-they-would-most-miss-about-working-in-sweden-and-it-ll-be-the-quality-time-it-allows-one-with-self-and-family-no-prizes-for-over-workingoverworking-is-not-celebrated-in-a-swedish-organisation-at-all-rest-assured-that-there-will-be-no-calls-or-emails-past-working-hours-or-during-vacation-time-in-singapore-if-you-leave-at-6-pm-it-s-like-a-crime-there-is-an-unsaid-mandate-of-staying-till-7-30-pm-whether-you-have-work-or-not-suresh-a-senior-solutions-engineer-tells-us-dubai-is-kinda-similar-you-don-t-leave-for-home-before-your-boss-does-says-hysen-a-director-sales-marketing-in-sweden-working-extra-very-often-to-impress-your-boss-will-only-tell-him-or-her-that-you-can-t-manage-your-workload-very-well-it-also-increases-the-risk-for-the-company-that-you-could-burn-out-have-more-days-of-sick-leave-and-feel-overall-less-satisfied-with-your-current-workplace-most-swedish-workplaces-want-you-to-feel-good-and-not-squeeze-that-last-drop-of-working-power-out-of-you-holidays-in-sweden-are-to-be-respected-and-enjoyed-notes-shanalie-an-internal-audit-specialist-from-france-that-said-it-is-also-important-to-remember-that-while-the-system-allows-for-work-life-balance-it-s-left-up-to-the-individual-to-ensure-that-he-or-she-does-not-overwork-your-manager-may-not-be-to-help-you-with-it-on-a-regular-basis-clarifies-naresh-a-digital-data-analytics-lead-fika-breaks-twice-a-day-the-9-30-am-and-2-30-pm-fika-break-in-offices-is-the-holy-grail-in-sweden-quips-sachin-a-senior-software-developer-living-in-xxxx-for-swedes-the-fika-or-coffee-break-is-

<

Further Re