Forms of employment and time limits

From 1 October 2022 special fixed-term employment (SÄVA) replaces general fixed-term employment (ALVA). A person can be employed on a SÄVA contract for a total of 12 months.

When an employee has had a SÄVA contract for more than 12 months over a five-year period or in a chain (the interval between two employment periods is a maximum of six months) of fixed-term employment periods, the employment turns automatically into indefinite term employment.

If an employee has had at least three employment periods based on a SÄVA contract for a single employer (SLU) in one calendar month, the days in between these periods are also counted as part of the employment period. 

The transition provisions between ALVA and SÄVA regulate that a person employed under a SÄVA contract after 30 September 2022 will be able to count the employment period under ALVA retroactively as of 1 March 2022, in the calculation of when the employment turns into indefinite term employment. 

A person may be employed for a fixed period in a deputyship. A deputyship involves employing someone as a replacement for an employee on leave, to carry out the latter's duties in full or in part. The deputyship must therefore be linked to a particular individual who is on leave or who is carrying out duties completely outside of his normal remit.  The decision must clarify who the deputy is replacing. Exceptions to this can be made for holiday deputies, but in this case it should be completely clear that throughout the duration of the deputyship there is always one employee absent who is thereby replaced by the deputy.

Deputyships can also be used for vacant positions, pending appointment, provided that there is an intention to fill the vacant position, or before it has been decided as to whether or not a person shall be recruited for this purpose.

Note that if a person has been employed at SLU as a deputy for a total of more than two years during a five-year period, the position automatically goes into indefinite-term employment.

In fields of work where the need for labour varies regularly from one period to the next due to changes in nature, the employer may make use of seasonal employment. Agricultural, forestry and horticulture are typical examples of work in SLU's field. Seasonal employment is advertised as a position lasting only for this season and should normally last for more than 3 months, though no more than 10 months.

Once the season is over, the position is terminated without notice from the day after the last day of work. A person who has had seasonal employment for at least six months in the past two years has right of preference for seasonal employment the following year.

If in the event of an employment decision the employer is unsure of how well a person will manage certain work, probationary employment is an option, though the maximum duration is 6 months. If employment is to end after the probationary period, the employee must be given notice of this before it comes to an end. Probationary employment may also be terminated prematurely. Probationary employment may only be used in connection with indefinite-term employment. If the employer knows the person well, there is normally no reason for probationary employment, unless the work is of an entirely different character to what they are used to.

Fixed-term employment is regulated in the Swedish Employment Protection Act (1982:80). The Act stipulates that fixed-term employment in the public sector – a form of temporary employment – will apply until further notice, however for a maximum period of two years.

Agreements on fixed-term employment in the public sector may be reached in the following instances:

• When an employer will be conducting a task for a fixed period following provisions in appropriation directions, a direct commission from a government office, or following agreement with an external party.
• If the need for employment and the task exceeds 12 months.
• If the duties are not part of the employer’s regular activities, and if the task is financed by a special additional budget or external funding.
• Co-determination negotiations must be held before a fixed-term employment decision can be taken.

External funding does not refer to direct government funding for research awarded after an application from an individual or research team. Research at a university is considered part of the employer’s regular activities. The same applies to courses and programmes, including contract education, at higher education institutions. Fixed-term employment in the public sector may not be used to employ a person as professor.

Temporary employment may be offered a person employed for short, isolated periods, for example temporary replacement in an animal shelter, temporary assistance with the harvest, lecturer, etc. These “short” periods are a maximum of three months.

A person employed within a working team whose position is to be terminated within a period of 2 years or whose position is affected by extensive reorganisation may be offered a temporary position.

A teacher in disciplines in the fine, applied or performing arts may be employed for an indefinite period, though for no longer than five years. The position may be renewed. The total period of employment may not, however, exceed ten years.

A teacher in disciplines in the fine, applied or performing arts may be employed for an indefinite period, though for no longer than five years. The position may be renewed. The total period of employment may not, however, exceed ten years.

An adjunct's primary occupation lies outside of academia. An adjunct may be employed for an indefinite period, though for no longer than two years. A position of this nature may be renewed in periods of up to two years, provided the university retains the need for it. At SLU, there must be special reasons for the scope of the adjunct position to exceed 20 per cent. The collective agreement does not apply to adjunct professors; these positions are regulated by the Higher Education Ordinance. (see below)

An adjunct professor's primary occupation lies outside of academia. An adjunct professor may be employed for an indefinite period, but for no longer than a predetermined period. An appointment of this nature may be extended. The total period of employment may not, however, exceed twelve years.

A visiting professor may be employed for an indefinite period, though a maximum duration applies. An appointment of this nature may be extended. The total period of employment may not, however, exceed five years.

The position must always be full-time. If a doctoral student so requests, the position may be for part-time work, though at a minimum of 50 per cent of full-time.

Employment as a doctoral student shall be for an indefinite period, though a maximum duration applies, and the position may not continue for more than one year after the individual has obtained their degree of doctor. The first employment period may be a maximum one year. The position may be renewed for up to two years at a time.

Individuals who have been awarded doctoral grants must, following application, be employed as a doctoral student no later than the point where they have two years full time doctoral studies remaining until finishing their doctoral degree, according to their individual study plan.

A person may be employed as a doctoral student for a total period of no longer than eight years. The total employment period may, however, not exceed the time corresponding to full-time third-cycle studies for four years. For studies which result in a degree of licentiate, the total period of employment may not exceed the equivalent of two years' full-time third-cycle studies.

Deductions from these periods shall be made for the study period during which the doctoral student was not employed.

The total period of employment may however be longer than specified above, if there are special reasons (illness, trade/student union work, parental leave, military service).

Postdoctoral appointment on or after 1 February 2022

This fixed-term postdoctoral appointment is for a minimum of two years and a maximum of three years. The appointment must be for a continuous period and on a full-time basis. The person appointed to the postdoc position will mainly conduct research, but teaching may be included in the duties for up to one-fifth of the working time.

For the postdoctoral agreement to be applicable, the position must have been advertised and the doctoral degree must have been obtained by the time of the appointment decision. It is an advantage if the doctoral degree is no more than three years old at the time of application.

A postdoctoral appointment of less than three years may be extended to a maximum of three years if this is necessary to achieve the purpose of the appointment, namely to develop independence as a researcher.

The appointment may also be extended beyond three years if special circumstances exist, such as illness, a position of trust in a trade union, or clinical service. An extension must be offered to anyone who has been on parental leave during the period of appointment.

Postdoctoral appointment before 1 February 2022

This fixed-term postdoctoral appointment is for a period of two years. The appointment must be for a continuous period.

For the postdoctoral agreement to be applicable, the position must have been advertised and the doctoral degree must have been obtained no more than three years before the end of the application period. Exceptions to this rule may be made if special circumstances exist. Extension beyond two years is possible if special circumstances exist, such as parental leave.

In addition, under the new postdoctoral agreement, appointments which extend beyond 1 October 2022 may be extended for up to a total of three years. A requirement is that the extension is done to achieve the purpose of the appointment, i.e. to develop independence as a researcher. Postdoctoral appointments expiring before 1 October 2022 cannot be extended under this rule.

Veterinarians at SLU who complete their residency may be offered fixed-term employment.

Employment as researcher, postdoc or doctoral student. Funds for these posts are granted from the EU framework programme, either as grants to an individual and an organisation, or to several organisations at once.

See the following page for more information about MSCA.

When hiring a researcher, postdoctoral fellow or doctoral student using MSCA-funding, the SLU routine description must be used (in Swedish).

There is also a specific employment certificate to be used within MSCA. The employment certificate is to be filled in by the department and sent to the HR-specialist for review. After review, the personal administrator at the department register the employment in Primula.