Leave of absence

A leave of absence is a period during which an employee is away from work without pay but retains the right to return to the job later. While on leave, you are still considered employed and therefore not classified as unemployed — which means you are generally not eligible for a-kassa.

Exceptions when compensation may be granted during leave

Normally, compensation is not available during a leave of absence, but there are two exceptions — provided all other conditions are met:

Health reasons: If you are unable to perform your current duties or any other tasks with your employer due to health reasons, and you are no longer entitled to sickness benefit because Försäkringskassan considers you capable of working elsewhere in the labor market.
Other employment: If you are on leave from a part-time job to perform another job with equal or higher working hours, and the two jobs cannot be combined.

Anyone on leave must explain the reasons for their leave in their application.