Teachers' working time

As a university teacher, you are subject to specific rules regarding working time. Here we explain how annual working time works, the importance of the work task plan document and your rights when your workload becomes too great. The aim is to provide a clear overview of the rules, but also to clarify the steps you can take if your work situation is not manageable. 

Annual working time 

University teachers normally have annual working hours, which are regulated in appendix 5 of the Villkorsavtal-T collective agreement on terms and conditions of employment. This means that working hours are planned and monitored on a per-year or per-term basis, rather than being governed by a fixed weekly work schedule. The agreement also requires each higher education institution to have its own local working time agreements for teachers. 

Annual working time is a flexible model that takes into account the reality that teaching loads, research and other tasks vary throughout the year. For example, the workload may be higher at the start of a term and lower at other times. It is important that there is room for all the employee’s tasks within their annual working time and that there is both time for recovery and a reasonable workload, not just over the whole year but also over shorter periods. Annual working time should never lead to teachers working excessive hours during certain periods, even if they do not work more hours than permitted over the whole year. 

If you cannot fit in all your duties within the framework of your annual working hours, you should raise the matter with your manager. Anyone who feels that their workload is too great can also turn to their local trade union or a health and safety representative for support. 

To help plan the year’s work, a work task plan document is to be drawn up.  

The total annual working hours are set out in appendix 5, paragraph 3 of the Villkorsavtal-T collective agreement on terms and conditions of employment: 

• 1,700 hours for employees with 35 days' annual holiday leave 

• 1,732 hours for employees with 31 days' annual holiday leave  

• 1,756 hours for employees with 28 days' annual holiday leave  

These figures are based on calculations found in Chapter 4, paragraphs 6-7 of the agreement. 

Work task planning 

Each teacher is to have a work task plan, (sometimes known as a service plan or a duty plan). A work task plan is to be produced in consultation between the teacher and their manager. The purpose of the plan is to allocate annual working hours to the teacher’s various duties, such as teaching, research, administration and skills development. 

It is the employer's responsibility to ensure that the work is planned in such a way that all tasks can be done within the framework of the employee’s annual working hours. If overtime is required nevertheless, this must be compensated for according to the applicable rules. For this to work in practice, it is important that the teacher continuously informs the manager of all work that actually takes time, including work not included in the original plan. 

The work task plan should reflect the actual content of the work. Some higher education institutions use generic models to calculate the time spent on each task, while others use the actual time spent. For individual teachers, it is therefore essential to discuss with the manager whether the time allocated is reasonable and realistic. If new tasks are added during the year, the plan should be updated to reflect these changes. 

It is always the manager who formally approves the work task plan, but this decision is to be preceded by consultation with the teacher. If you do not think that your plan is reasonable or correctly structured, you should contact your local Saco-S representative as soon as possible. The union can then request a negotiation, but this must take place within five days of the plan being set. 

What you should think about and what support you can receive 

A key aspect of annual working time is the continuous dialogue with your manager. As a teacher, you need to make sure that your work task plan is up to date and accurate, so that it can be followed and so that your workload does not exceed the levels stipulated in the collective agreement. 

If you feel that your workload is too heavy, you should inform your manager immediately. You should not take any decision to work overtime yourself, as this may result in you working more than agreed without the right to compensation. However, if you and your manager agree that overtime is necessary, it is important that this is documented in writing by a manager with the authority to do so. The documentation should clearly show that the work is outside of the agreed work task plan and is therefore to be regarded as overtime. You should not rely on verbal agreements, as they are difficult to verify afterwards. 

If you have an excessive workload, it is also important to regard it as a work environment issue. You can turn to your health and safety representative for support. They can help you to assess the situation and take the matter further if necessary. 

Finally, you can always contact your local Saco-S association. The union representatives can check whether the employer is complying with the relevant collective agreement, support you in your discussions about the work task plan and, if necessary, request a formal negotiation. If, for example, the employer refuses to pay for agreed overtime, the union can take the matter further. 

What you can do if your workload becomes too great 

As a teacher, you have several options. The first step is always to talk to your manager and ensure that your work task plan is updated to reflect your actual workload. If this is not enough, or if you feel that the matter is not being taken seriously, you should contact your local health and safety representative, as excessive workload is a work environment issue. If you still cannot reach a satisfactory solution, you can contact your local Saco-S association. They can check whether the employer is complying with the collective agreements, support you in your dialogue with your manager and, if necessary, request a formal negotiation.  

So there are always several people that can help you: first your manager, then your local health and safety representative and the local trade union association at your higher education institution. 

You can find the contact details of the local trade union associations here. 

Further information

The full text of Villkorsavtal-T can be found on the Swedish Agency for Government Employers’ website (in Swedish).