Is there a 4-day week in Sweden?
No. Sweden has no four-day week law or national scheme. The Working Hours Act sets ordinary working time at no more than 40 hours a week, and shorter schedules come from trials run by employers and municipalities.
The latest is a Karlstad University-led pilot, reported in February 2026. Eleven organisations, nine Swedish and two Norwegian, tested the 100:80:100 model (100% pay for up to 20% less working time) for six months, most starting between November 2024 and January 2025. Across both countries, average stress scores fell from 3.2 to 2.6 on a five-point scale and perceived productivity rose 13%. Eight organisations reported lower sick leave, and ten of the eleven chose to continue with shorter weeks (February 2026). The organisations chose to take part, there was no control group, and the report says the significant changes were small.
Earlier, Gothenburg ran a six-hour day at the Svartedalen elder-care home from February 2015 to the end of 2016. According to SVT, 80 assistant nurses worked six hours and kept their full-time salary, 14 extra assistant nurses were hired, and the cost was eight million kronor a year. A half-year report found less stressed staff and fewer sick leaves. The project ended after New Year 2017, when the trial period was due to end; a council critic disputed the sick-leave gain and put the cost near ten million kronor.
Latest developments
Karlstad University and The Rework publish Sweden-Norway pilot results
Eleven organisations (nine Swedish, two Norwegian) tested a shorter week for six months. Average stress scores fell from 3.2 to 2.6 on a five-point scale and perceived productivity rose 13%; ten of eleven chose to continue. No control group.
4 Day Week Sverige & Norge (Karlstads universitet and The Rework, February 2026) (opens in new tab)
4-day-week trials in Sweden
What each pilot reported. Figures are the organiser's own, from the linked report.
4 Day Week Sverige & Norge pilot (nine Swedish organisations of eleven)
Run by Karlstad University, Boston College, 4 Day Week Global, The Rework (4 Day Week Sverige), PaceLab
- 9 companies
Eleven organisations in Sweden and Norway (nine Swedish) tested the 100:80:100 model (100% pay for up to 20% less working time) for six months. 269 staff answered the baseline survey and 212 the follow-up. Stress fell from 3.2 to 2.6 on a five-point scale; eight organisations reported lower sick leave; ten of eleven chose to continue. No control group; significant changes were small.
Perceived (self-rated) productivity rose 13% (7.1 to 8.0 on a ten-point scale); work intensity stayed unchanged. Of ten organisations reporting business results, five improved and five were unchanged.
- Mental health: The share who never experienced anxiety rose from 46.5% to 64.6% (a share of respondents).
- Physical health: Physical health score rose from 3.1 to 3.5 on a five-point scale.
- Sleep: 24 minutes longer sleep a night on average (6.6 to 7.0 hours).
Svartedalens six-hour day trial (Gothenburg)
Run by City of Gothenburg (Göteborgs Stad), Svartedalens elder-care home
- Feb 2015 – Dec 2016
- 1 company
- 80 employees
SVT reported 80 assistant nurses (64 full-time, 16 part-time) working six hours a day on full-time pay, with 14 more hired. A half-year report found less stressed staff and fewer sick leaves. SVT put the cost at eight million kronor a year; a 2017 council critic disputed the sick-leave gain. Ended after New Year 2017; no final evaluation found.
- Mental health: Half-year report (SVT, October 2015): less stressed staff.
Jobs in Sweden
Account Manager
AWIN · Hybrid · Stockholm, Sweden
4 Day Work Week
Who offers a 4-day week in Sweden
We do not list a company with a 4-day week in Sweden yet.
Suggest a companyHow Sweden compares
Sweden, the labelled dot, against the other countries we cover.
Average weekly hours
13th shortest of 25 countries, level with the median of 37.3.
Netherlands 31.3 to South Africa 42.3
See all 25 countries
| Country | Hours |
|---|---|
| Netherlands | 31.3 |
| Denmark | 33.3 |
| Germany | 34.5 |
| Norway | 34.6 |
| Australia | 35.4 |
| Austria | 35.6 |
| Finland | 35.6 |
| Switzerland | 35.7 |
| Belgium | 36.0 |
| Ireland | 36.0 |
| United Kingdom | 36.3 |
| France | 36.9 |
| Sweden | 37.3 |
| Iceland | 37.4 |
| Japan | 37.5 |
| Spain | 37.5 |
| New Zealand | 37.6 |
| United States | 38.2 |
| Lithuania | 39.0 |
| South Korea | 39.4 |
| Brazil | 39.5 |
| Chile | 39.8 |
| Poland | 39.9 |
| Portugal | 40.0 |
| South Africa | 42.3 |
Usual weekly hours on the main job, all employed people, from the OECD (latest year, 2024 or 2025). It includes part-timers. No comparable figure for: Canada, Philippines, United Arab Emirates.
Statutory paid leave
Joint 2nd longest of 26 countries, 5 days above the median of 20.
United Kingdom 28 to United States None
See all 26 countries
| Country | Days |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 28 |
| Austria | 25 |
| Denmark | 25 |
| Finland | 25 |
| France | 25 |
| Sweden | 25 |
| Iceland | 24 |
| Brazil | 22 |
| Portugal | 22 |
| Spain | 22 |
| Norway | 21 |
| Australia | 20 |
| Belgium | 20 |
| Germany | 20 |
| Ireland | 20 |
| Netherlands | 20 |
| New Zealand | 20 |
| Poland | 20 |
| Switzerland | 20 |
| Chile | 15 |
| South Africa | 15 |
| South Korea | 15 |
| Canada | 10 |
| Japan | 10 |
| Philippines | 5 |
| United States | None |
The legal minimum a year, in working days on a five-day week, before public holidays. Definitions differ: some countries set weeks or calendar days (converted here), the UK lets public holidays count and the United States has no national minimum. Each country page says what its number covers. No comparable figure for: Lithuania, United Arab Emirates.
Working in Sweden
Working hours
The average employee works 37.3 hours a week (OECD, 2025), counting part-timers. Under the Working Hours Act, ordinary working time may not exceed 40 hours a week. General overtime is capped at 48 hours over four weeks or 50 hours in a calendar month, and at 200 hours a year. Every employee must have at least 11 consecutive hours of rest in each 24.
Paid leave and holidays
The Annual Leave Act gives 25 vacation days each vacation year. Saturdays and Sundays do not count as vacation days, and public holidays, Midsummer Eve, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve are treated like Sundays.
Part-time and flexible work
In 2025, 19.4% of employed people aged 15-64 worked part time: 26.5% of women and 12.9% of men (Eurostat).
Remote work
In 2025, 42.2% of employees aged 15-64 worked from home at least sometimes: 10.9% usually and 31.3% sometimes (Eurostat).