Swedish Supreme Court rules no annual limit on hospital leave

The Swedish Supreme Court has clarified that employees are entitled to five days of leave for hospital visits without an annual limit. In its ruling, the court established that businesses cannot impose a yearly cap or deny new requests based on previous usage of this leave.

Each request must be evaluated individually based on whether it is motivated by a new, independent cause. For example, leave taken for one family member's hospitalization in February does not preclude an employee from requesting leave for a different family member's hospitalization in September. Employers must assess each instance, even if it requires reorganizing shifts or covering previous absences.