Thursday, September 25 | 2025
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.
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.
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
‘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
Great respect for time
Punctuality is the norm in Sweden, and it is very important to play by this rule if you’re to make a good impression on your teammates. A 2-pm meeting means that your colleagues will be ready for you five minutes prior. Hustling into the meeting room at 2:05 pm will only be seen as unprofessional.
This rule, in fact, extends to Swedish social circles as well. ‘When you set an informal appointment in Sweden, let’s say a 12.30-pm lunch, ten days from now, no one feels that it needs to be confirmed closer to the day. Whereas in Brazil, it is smart to check again if your lunch mate is still up for it’, shares Ivy, a Compliance Counsel.
It is not for nothing that Swedes are notorious for pulling out their calendars to schedule even informal engagements with family or friends.
Open and relaxed work environment
‘Openness and fairness is not just preached, it is part of the work culture’, observes Sachin, from India.
‘Workplace hierarchy is very palpable in our country [Yemen], while here you kinda forget who’s the boss and who’s the “subordinate”. It’s relaxed; you don’t need to be extra respectful or extra careful with what you say and how you behave,’ shares Shatha, currently an Administrative Assistant.
‘It took me a year to realise who my boss was in my previous company!’, quips Tatyana, a Freelance Video Editor from Bulgaria.
On the contrary, in Swedish organisations, subordinates often have more responsibility in conducting negotiations or closing a deal. ‘Top-down chain of command doesn’t work here. Best ideas mostly come bottom up’, says Atul, a Group Manager – Technology. ‘You can contradict the management with no hesitation, and the feedback is often received very well’, adds Koneru, a Naval Architect and Marine Engineer.
Even so, while a difference of opinion is easily expressed, it is most often shared as “maybe”, “perhaps”, “that’s interesting”, “let me get back to you”. So remember not to take these responses as an approval or agreement. Swedes don’t like direct confrontation and try to avoid it as much as possible.
Faith in the individual
When looking for a job in Sweden or working with a Swedish organisation, know that your word will be taken as your guarantee. ‘Here, you are accepted for the resume you share’, says Suresh, who’s worked in multiple countries in expat roles.
An adjustment for many is that supervision from the manager is a far cry; an individual is assumed to be responsible enough for his/her work and commitments. ‘Receiving feedback on your performance is rare. You don’t know if your work was appreciated or not unless you really ask for it’, Manini tells us.
Promises are honoured
‘A big difference to Bulgaria is that Swedes don’t promise their clients things that are impossible to achieve, be it a deadline or completing a task. They are more realistic. In Bulgaria they would say “yes yes no problem, we fix it”, but most often they are unable to deliver’, remarks Tatyana.
Built on consensus
Process-driven
‘There isn’t much out-of-the-box thinking in Sweden. Also, both organisations and individuals take forever to open up and hence collaborations can be challenging’, shares Vidhya, a Data and Information Architect.
Private and professional are separate
Lagom
Career growth
‘Salary growth within the company is nowhere near that of the Asian countries, where hikes could be as high as 15-20%. It is a pretty flat curve in Sweden; of course, as a socialistic approach’, shares Koneru. The only sure shot method for receiving a worthy pay raise is by changing jobs.
‘From a title point of view, to rise is hard unless you are in a non-Swedish management organisation or can speak and write fluent Swedish. You might be popular with your co-workers, but that does not imply a promotion’, thinks Naresh.
Gender equality is hyped
Despite Sweden being high up on gender equality, ‘it is doubly-hard for women to rise to leadership positions here’, feels Vidhya, from India.
Social security
Working in Sweden comes with an ample number of security benefits, such as the unemployment insurance (arbetslöshetsförsäkring) that gives a basic sum to almost anyone who is looking for work in Sweden.
‘Generally Swedes are very secure knowing that, no matter what, the state will take care of them if they get sick or lose their job’, observes Magnus, Director-Business Control on an expat role in the US. ‘Americans on the other hand are generally less risk-taking, for they don’t have the government supporting them. So they are very wary of challenging authority.’
Many a times, even for one born in Sweden doesn’t necessarily mean that they know the ins-and-outs of business behaviour. Fret not though – if you’re working in Sweden, irrespective of where you are in your experience of the country, we have just the course for you: Business behaviour: Accepted and expected behaviour in the Swedish job market.
It is designed and taught by Annmarie Palm, an expert in the development of work relationships and communication, and author of the book, Business behavior: Uppför dig – eller tappa affären, which translates to “Business behavior – behave or lose your business”.
‘This fast-paced course takes you through all the questions you might have about the work environment in Sweden. Simple tips that will take you far in your career.’ – Anna Hochdorfer
Go ahead, and sign up for the course here.
About the Author
Hej hej! I’m a writer and illustrator originally from India; and now call both India and Sweden home. I have had a 2-year stint in Gothenburg — easily the best two years of my adult life. An explorer at heart, I travel often; armed with a curious mind, a sketchpad, notebook to scribble in and my taste buds – exploring by-lanes, discovering treasures, gaining new friends and experiences.
