The calendar year is the qualifying period for vacation. You receive paid vacation for the time that corresponds to your work during the calendar year. You must take paid vacation before unpaid leave; you can refrain from taking unpaid leave.

The number of paid vacation days is calculated accordingly:
Number of days employed divided by 365 and multiplied by the amount of annual holiday.

You have the right to twenty days vacation between June and August.


5.1 Length of vacation

The number of vacation days you are entitled to depends on your age.

Number of Vacation Days

Age Up to the age of 29 From the year you reach 30 From the year
you reach 40
Days 28 31 35


Saturdays and Sundays as well as public holidays are not counted as vacation days. Midsummer’s Eve, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve are regarded as public holidays. For technical/administrative staff this also applies for Maundy Thursday and Bridge days.
 

5.2 Calculation of number of vacation days

For part-time employees with their working hours set so that the number of total working days in a week or on average in a week is normally less than five, the vacation days are calculated according to the following formula:
        5 divided by A multiplied by B = C

A = the number of regular working days which the employee in accordance with their timetable on average is expected to undertake in a week.
B = the number of regular working days which are counted as vacation.
C = the number of vacation days (the number of days is not rounded up).


5.3 Holiday Pay

A supplementary payment of 0,44 % of an employee’s normal salary per month is paid for each vacation day. For those employees that belong to a Trade Union affiliated with Saco-S (The Swedish Confederation of Professions) the supplementary payment of
0,49 % is paid for each vacation day.
 

5.4 Saving vacation

Every employee that has the right to more than 20 vacation days per year has the right to save vacation days for a later vacation. You may save days for as long as you like. You can save a maximum of 30 vacation days. There is a transition rule for employees who had more than 30 saved vacation days on 1st of January 2018. They can save their days until 31st of December 2022.
 

5.5 When to take vacation

You must take your vacation during the current calendar year, except for those days that you are entitled to save (see: 5.4 Saving vacation).

Apply in good time for your vacation. Your Head of Department is responsible for ensuring that vacation is taken. Normally you are entitled to four week’s uninterrupted vacation between June and August. If your employer does not agree with your planned vacation, the employer has to negotiate the matter with your Trade Union, if you are a member of the Union.
 

5.6 Exchanging vacation time for leave

If you are sick or need to take care of sick children during your vacation it is possible to exchange your vacation day for absence because of illness or absence to look after a sick child. The illness must be severe enough that you could not work and you must notify your department, centre, etc, either by telephone or by mail provided the mail is stamped with the date that you are ill on. If you are required to look after your sick children during your vacation, notify your department, centre, etc, and the Social Insurance Agency (“Försäkringskassan”).


5.7 Salary exchange

Employees at Stockholm University can exchange their salary for extra payments to the pension fund that is managed by Kåpan Valbar. The lower limit for salary exchange is 500 SEK. You have to be 23 years or older and you should have a salary that is higher than 44 892 (2020) to be able to make a salary exchange. The deduction is made from your gross salary and reduces your tax.