Green Party wants 35-hour week as step to four days

Sweden's Green Party wants to cut the normal full-time working week to 35 hours with no loss of pay during the next parliamentary term, as a first step towards a four-day week.

Co-spokespeople Amanda Lind and Daniel Helldén front the 2026 manifesto. In its election manifesto, the party says shorter hours would give people more time for family, rest and civic life. Its detailed policy says four days would not necessarily mean Monday to Thursday: shorter daily shifts, rolling schedules or time banks could also count. The party wants the change negotiated with unions and employers and introduced in stages.

Sweden's current law caps ordinary working time at 40 hours a week, although collective agreements can set different rules. The Green proposal is a manifesto promise, not an enacted change, and it gives no start date or final cost.

It also lacks a parliamentary majority. In March's decision, the Riksdag rejected motions to shorten working hours. A Green Party and Left Party reservation backed a 35-hour week, while governing parties argued that working time belongs in collective bargaining and warned of costs for employers and welfare services.

An official review from the National Institute of Economic Research found that productivity and employment gains were unlikely to fully offset lost hours, implying lower GDP and tax revenue. The Green Party argues lower sick leave and staff turnover could recover part of the cost and wants an inquiry. For workers, nothing changes unless Parliament later passes a reform or collective agreements change.

DailySweden

DailySweden's desk of editors, reporters, researchers and investigative journalists. We bring readers factual, truthful and objective reporting on the issues that matter to them.

Contact the editorial desk ›