Working conditions and employee benefits

This is a brief summary of your working conditions and benefits as an employee at Uppsala University. More information can be found on our intranet, Medarbetarportalen.

In case of a disagreement between these translations and the Swedish text, which constitutes the basis of the information, the latter shall take precedence.

Contents

Salaries

Salaries are set on an individual basis. 

Salaries are normally paid on the 25th of each month. If the 25th falls on a Saturday, salaries are paid on the 24th, and if the 25th is a Sunday, salaries are paid on the 26th.

Salaries are paid through the bank Nordea. If you do not have a Nordea account, you can receive your salary through another bank by submitting a transfer order to Nordea. Ask the HR administrator at your host department for assistance.

You can read your pay slip in the personal reporting function on the intranet, Primula web.

Working hours

Working hours are 40 hours per week for full-time employees.

Single days falling between public holidays and a Saturday or Sunday are not workdays.

Teachers in full-time positions are expected to work as follows: 1,700 hours/academic year (employees from the age of 40), 1,732 hours/academic year (employees 30–39 years old), and 1,756 hours/academic year (employees up to 29 years old).

Some departments apply a local agreement on flexible working hours. This means that employees have the option of selecting working hours within certain set parameters. Your HR administrator will provide you with more information.

Reduced working hours

On the following days, normal working hours are reduced by the number of hours stated below:

  • Epiphany – 4 hours
  • Maundy Thursday – 2 hours
  • 30 April, falling on a Monday–Thursday – 2 hours
  • 30 April, falling on a Friday – 4 hours
  • Day before All Saint’s Day – 4 hours
  • 23 December, falling on a Friday – 4 hours

Public holidays

  • New Year’s Day – 1 January
  • Epiphany Eve – 5 January
  • Epiphany Day – Moving date, the Thursday before Easter Sunday
  • Good Friday – Moving date, the Friday before Easter Sunday
  • Easter Eve – Moving date, the Saturday before Easter Sunday
  • Easter Sunday – Moving date, first Sunday after full moon, after spring equinox
  • Easter Monday – Moving date, the Monday after Easter Sunday
  • May Day – 1 May
  • Ascension Day – Moving date, sixth Thursday after Easter Sunday
  • Sweden’s National Day – 6 June
  • Whitsun eve – Moving date, the day before Whit Sunday
  • Whitsun day – Moving date, the seventh Sunday after Easter Sunday
  • Midsummer’s Eve – Moving date, Friday before Midsummer's Day
  • Midsummer’s Day – Moving date, Saturday 20 June to 26 June
  • All Saint’s Day – Moving date, Saturday between 31 October and 6 November
  • Christmas Eve – 24th December
  • Christmas Day – 25 December
  • Boxing Day – 26 December
  • New Year’s Eve – 31 December

Holiday entitlement

  • Employees up to 29 years old: 28 days
  • Employees 30–39 years old: 31 days
  • Employees more than 40 years old: 35 days

Standard holiday

According to a local collective agreement, standard holiday applies to teachers (including researchers, postdocs, doctoral students, assistants with doctoral grants and teaching assistants) meaning that holiday is registered during the time of year when there is no tuition, starting Monday after Midsummer. The standard holiday is entered into the salary system by the salary unit in October, so you do not need to apply for holiday yourself.  

If an employee with standard holiday wants to have his/her holiday at another time (i.e. make an exception from standard holiday), an agreement signed by the head of department no later than 31 May should be sent to the salary unit. If the exception is approved by the head of department, the employee must apply for holiday him-/herself through Primula web. 

Holiday bonus

For each day of holiday, a holiday bonus of 0.44% of the salary is paid (for members of the union SACO-S, the sum is 0.49%). The bonus is paid in the same month in which the holidays are taken.

Paid leave

If you have been granted leave in accordance with the Leave Act, you are entitled to pay without deduction during the leave, as follows below:

Reason

Time

Serious illness, death, funeral, estate inventory proceedings, or distribution of an estate within the family or one’s closest relatives

One working day for each purpose and if needed time for travel, maximum 10 working days per calendar year

Moving house, if reimbursement for relocation costs has been agreed upon

Up to 3 working days

Moving house in other cases

One working day

Union representation

Up to 10 working days per year

Examination or test

Up to 5 working days per year

Sick leave

If you fall ill, you should notify your workplace as soon as possible. If the illness lasts for more than 7 days, a doctor’s certificate must be presented.

Rules currently apply throughout the labour market regarding a so-called qualifying day in the event of illness.

For the first 2–14 days of illness, you receive sick pay from UU. Sick pay amounts to 80% of your current daily salary. From the 15th day, the Social Insurance Agency pays sickness benefits.
 

Insurance

Personal injury insurance

All employees at Uppsala University are covered by personal injury insurance during work hours and when travelling directly between the place of residence and the workplace. More information about the personal injury insurance is found at AFA.

Service Group Life Insurance

The service group life insurance provides financial protection for an employee´s surviving husband, wife, registered partner, cohabitant and children, in case the employee should die before the age of 65. More information about the service group life insurance is found at SPV.

Business Travel Insurance

The University has taken out a group insurance policy covering all domestic and international business travel on behalf of Uppsala University. For travels outside of the EU/EEA you need to bring a ‘Swedish state business travel insurance certificate’, which can be obtained from the HR administrator at your host department. For travels within the EU/EEA, you need to bring a European Health Insurance Card, which can be obtained from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency.

VDU glasses

Employees who work for more than one hour a day in front of a computer screen are entitled to VDU (visual display unit) glasses paid for by Uppsala University. Eye tests and glasses have to be bought through the optician chain Synoptik and a signed order (rekvisition) from your department should be brought to the optician. The form to be used for the signed order is found on our intranet, Medarbetarportalen. The HR administrator at your host department will provide you with more information.

Pensions scheme

As an employee at Uppsala University, you will receive a pension from several sources. The base is formed by the national retirement pension paid by the Swedish Pensions Agency (corresponding to 18.5 percent of your salary and other taxable benefits). From Uppsala University you also will receive a government employee pension through the Occupational Pensions Agreement. This part is administered by the National Government Employee Pensions Board (SPV). The government employee pension consists of three parts: defined-benefit pension, complementary occupational pension, and individual retirement pension. You can read more about your government employee pension at SPV.

Parental leave, parental benefit and temporary parental benefit

You have the right to 100% parental leave until your child turns 18 months, with or without parental benefit from the Social Insurance Agency. After that, you have the right to partial parental leave until the end of the school year your child turns 12 years old. If your child is ill, you can obtain temporary parental benefit when you stay at home to look after the child. More information about parental benefit and temporary parental benefit is found at the Social Insurance Agency.

Parental leave pay

When you are on parental leave, you receive parental benefit from the Social Insurance Agency. On top of this, parental leave pay is an extra sum of money which you receive from Uppsala University. It comprises 10 percent of your current daily salary and is paid for a maximum of 360 days per child. More information is found on Medarbetarportalen.

Medication subsidy

Costs for medical prescriptions covered by the high-cost protection scheme* are reimbursed in full by the University. The reimbursement will be paid through the salary system, after you have sent in the receipts for your costs to the Salaries Office.

*) The high-cost protection scheme is a system subsidized by the government, meaning that you pay a maximum of SEK 2,200 per year for medicine. Once you have paid this sum, medicine is free of charge.

Health-care compensation

Uppsala University offers reimbursement for medical treatment, SEK 95 per treatment session. You can also be reimbursed for some dental care (i.e. oral surgery), psychological treatment, and X-rays (the amount is SEK 95 per treatment session) and for physiotherapy (SEK 55 per treatment session). For psychological treatment, X-rays, and physiotherapy, a doctor’s referral is required. Moreover, hospital treatment is reimbursed SEK 70 for each day of treatment. The reimbursement will be paid through the salary system, and you are asked to send in your receipts to the Salaries Office.

Occupational Health Service

Uppsala University has agreements with Previa (Uppsala) and Avonova (Visby) for occupational health services, meaning that employees can visit them for work-related problems. Visits to the occupational health service are free of charge.

Wellness and fitness activities subsidy

As an employee at Uppsala University you are offered an exercise and keep-fit subsidy of SEK 2,000 per year. The subsidy is offered for activities that are covered by the Tax Agency’s rules for exercise and other wellness – for example aerobics, spinning, football, bowling, and tennis. To be reimbursed, you need to register your expenses for wellness subsidy in Primula Web. If you have any questions about the fitness activities subsidy, the HR administrator at your department will be happy to help you.

Wellness hour

Full-time employees are allowed to spend one hour of their workweek on health and wellness activities. Please note that this allowance is conditional on your manager’s approval. Your wellness hour is proportionate to the scope of your employment. For example, if you work 50% of full-time, you are entitled to 30 minutes and if you work 75% of full-time you are entitled to 45 minutes. The hour includes change of clothing/transportation and cannot be accumulated over several weeks.

Museums and Gardens

Mummies, dinosaurs, old books, gardens and beautiful art – the large scientific, artistic, and cultural collections have been tended in Uppsala since the Middle Ages. Uppsala University’s museums  and gardens are an important resource to research and education, for visitors, and for the people of Uppsala. For employees at Uppsala University admission is free.

Service certificate and testimonial

On request, the HR division issues a certificate of service (tjänstgöringsintyg). This certificate contains details of all employment at Uppsala University: the position, department and the duration of the employment. If the employment has lasted for a long period (at least six months), the employee normally receives a testimonial (tjänstgöringsbetyg), which contains details of the employment  as well as work duties and an appraisal of how they have been performed. The testimonial is issued by the employee’s immediate manager.

Professional development

For Uppsala University, it is important that during your employment, you are given the opportunity to both maintain and develop your expertise in line with developments in your field. The University offers a wide range of courses for employees; of which some are offered in English. Please see Uppsala University’s intranet Medarbetarportalen for more information.

Equal opportunities

At Uppsala University, all employees and students must be able to work and pursue studies on equal terms. Everyone must be treated with equal respect and understanding. Equal opportunities mean that all individuals, without regard to sex, transgender identity and/or expression, ethnicity, religion or other belief, disability, sexual orientation, or age, enjoy the same prospect for performing optimally. For the University, equal opportunity is a matter of both justice and quality, and the University actively pursues work for equal opportunities and against discrimination. This work is guided by the Discrimination Act and the University’s Equal Opportunities Programme and the Action Plan for Equal Opportunities and the Action Plan for Equal Treatment of Students.

Last modified: 2022-10-20
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