Fixed-term employment

The main principle is that an employment is valid until further notice unless otherwise is agreed. All employments must be announced unless there is an exception in law or agreement. The appointments procedure collects rules for employment of teachers and researchers.

Basis for fixed-term employment according to the Employment Protection Act (Lagen om anställningsskydd)

Probationary employment

Max 6 months. The employment can be terminated by the employer but also by the employee. If the probationary employment is not terminated, it will be re-regulated to an employment until further notice.

Special fixed-term employment (SÄVA)

Maximum 12 months within a 5-year period. Please note that the time spent in an SÄVA is counted separately and should not be added to the time spent in a substitute post.

According to transitional provisions, from March 1, 2022, all employment time in an ALVA will be taken into account when calculating the SÄVA time.

See text about waiver of conversion by SÄVA at the bottom of this page.

General fixed-term employment (ALVA) - the employment basis has ceased

Only valid for employments that started no later than 30^th of September 2022, after that ALVA is replaced by SÄVA.

No more than 2 years in total at KI over a 5 year period.

Substitute employment

No more than 2 years in total at KI over a 5 year period. It has to be a real substitute, work instead of somebody on parental leave, sick leave or otherwise.

Seasonal employment

Not applicable to KI.

Employment of employee after the right to remain employed is no longer valid

The main rule is that these employees should get affiliated, otherwise employed until further notice but they can also be employed on a SÄVA. See KI’s Rules for employment after the right to remain employed is no longer valid.

Basis for fixed-term employment according to Higher Education Ordinance (Högskoleförordningen)

Adjunct Professor

First employment 4 years, can be extended for max 4 years at a time, max 12 years. Extent 20-50 %. Temporary competence from activity outside of the university sector that does not normally exist in the regular activities.
 

Visiting Professor

First appointment max. 3 years, may be extended. Employment can be no more than 5 years in total. Extent 20-100 %. Employed by other Swedish or foreign university/ corresponding.

Assistant professor (biträdande lektor)

The appointment must be least 4 years and max 6 years, the term can be extended under special circumstances as leave from work due to illness, parental leave or other special circumstances. Appointment must be decided before the employment. It´s a merit if a PhD is obtained within a maximum of 5 years before the application deadline. Has the right to apply for promotion to senior lecturer.

PhD student

Employment no more than 8 years when employed at 50 per cent or no more than 4 years when employed at 100 per cent. First appointment no more than 1 year, may be extended by 2 years at a time. Usually, the employment is extended one year at a time. Employment to no longer than one year after receiving a PhD if there is time left at HF. The employment is normally 100 % but if the PhD student request, it can be on part-time, but not less than 50 %. The time spent as a PhD student on scholarship shall be deducted from these periods, i.e. be included in the four years.

Clinical assistant

Maximum 1 year at the time, may be extended to max 3 years in total. Duties within clinical education and research. Only those who have been awarded the degree of Master of Science in Medicine or Master of Science in Dental Surgery or are admitted or have been admitted to third-cycle studies in medicine or odontology may be employed as clinical assistants.

Teaching assistant

Maximum 1 year at the time, may be extended to max 3 years in total. Max 50 % of full-time. Duties within education, administration or participation in research. Only those admitted to first or second-cycle courses and study programs in Sweden may be employed as teaching assistants.

Basis for fixed-term employment according to collective agreement

Postdoc

A postdoctoral position is a fixed-term career development position with a main focus on research as a first career step after the doctoral degree. A person can be employed as a postdoctoral researcher at KI for a maximum of four years, partly under the collective agreement for postdoctoral researchers (PKA) 2 + 1 years and then on a so-called special fixed-term employment (SÄVA) under the Employment Protection Act (LAS) for a maximum of 1 year. The first employment at PKA must be for two years, the employment can then be extended by one year. After that, a postdoc can be employed at SÄVA. A postdoc who is first employed at a SÄVA cannot subsequently be employed at PKA.

It is meritorious if a doctoral degree has been obtained at least three years before the application deadline. If there are special reasons, such a degree may have been obtained earlier. Special reasons refer to leave due to illness, parental leave, positions of trust in trade unions, service in the Swedish Armed Forces, or other similar circumstances, clinical service or service/assignments relevant to the subject area. Employment at the PCA may also be extended on the basis of the above special reasons. However, it must always be extended due to parental leave. A postdoctoral position refers to full-time work.

Adjunct lecturer

No more than 2 years at a time, may be extended without time limit. Normally 20 % of full-time employment. Temporary competence from activity outside of the university sector that does not normally exist in the regular activities. Usually, no salary is paid by KI, it is paid by the main employer
 

Special terms of agreement for certain employments (VASA)

Max 24 months. The purpose is to facilitate employment that promotes general labor market, social and employment policy goals in accordance with section 4 of the Employment Ordinance.

Student worker

Maximum of 4 positions per student, lasting the longest during the semester. Maximum 4 semesters and on average no more than 25% of full-time. Employment must be in parallel with full-time higher education studies (not for doctoral students). The student must have at least 60 credits. Qualified tasks with a clear link to ongoing studies.
 

Guidelines for Employment Conditions for Service Abroad (URA)

Fixed-term employment for service abroad. The employment conditions are regulated in a foreign service contract and are tailored from requirements, assignments and the employee’s situation. More information here.

Fixed-term employment with hourly wage

It is possible to pay hourly wages for people who have a fixed-term contract, which is called intermittent employment. Special fixed-term employment (SÄVA) is used as a basis for employment, in some cases temporary employment can be used. For these people, an employment contract must be written and signed by both the manager and the employee (or sent by email to the employee confirming this). The manager then offers the employee work/employment, which the employee must confirm before the work is carried out. Once the employee has worked, he/she must inform the immediate manager or other designated person of the hours worked. The person must indicate the number of hours worked on each day, preferably using the appropriate form or by email. This is then recorded by the designated person in the PA web. 

Waiver of conversion of SÄVA to permanent employment in certain cases

If you are employed on a special fixed-term employment (SÄVA) and;

• has your main employment through a government permanent employment or
• receives any part of an occupational pension or
• have your main occupation through studies

It is possible, after you have taken up the employment, to waive it from being converted into a permanent employment after a total of 12 months of employment in accordance with the Employment Protection Act (LAS).

In that case, you must report it to your manager and HR at the department. The earliest you can do it is when you start your employment.

You make the notification in writing (see form below) and you renounce conversion for up to six months. If after six months you still want to opt out of conversion, you fill in the form again. You can opt out of conversion up to 24 months (six months at a time), after which there is a waiting period of six months before you can opt out of conversion again.

Time during such a period when you renounced conversion cannot later be the basis for conversion at the employer.

If you have further questions, please contact HR at your department.