Higher employment rate – Right of first refusal, Section 25 a of the Employment Protection Act | Word/PDF/Excel

Right of first refusal for increased hours – complete template package under Section 25 a of the Employment Protection Act. For part-time employees who want to request more working hours and employers who need to handle the request, assess the actual need for labor, document qualifications, provide a reasoned response, and check for any required union negotiations.

The difference between the right of first refusal for increased hours and the right of first refusal for re-employment under Section 25 is important: Section 25 a applies to a person who is already employed part-time and wishes to increase their hours, up to full-time. There are specific requirements regarding actual staffing needs, sufficient qualifications, the operating unit, rights of redeployment, and collective agreements.

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Right of First Refusal for More Hours – What Does Section 25 a of the Employment Protection Act Say?

A part-time employee who has stated that they want to increase their hours, up to full-time, may have the right of first refusal under Section 25 a of the Employment Protection Act (1982:80). This requires that the employer's need for labor is met by increasing the employee's hours and that the employee has sufficient qualifications for the new duties. The right applies within the operating unit where the person is employed part-time and does not take precedence over redeployment under Section 7, paragraph 2.

The right of first refusal does not automatically create a vacancy or a right to increase to full-time. The assessment must be based on the actual need. If several people have the right of first refusal, the rules of priority under Section 26 apply. In certain situations, the employer must negotiate with the relevant trade union organization under Section 32 before hiring anyone else or choosing between those entitled to priority.

Separate Right to a Written Response Under Section 6 h of the Employment Protection Act

When a fixed-term or permanent employee requests increased hours, there may also be a specific right to a reasoned written response within one month under Section 6 h of the Employment Protection Act. This right has its own conditions, including at least six months of cumulative employment, that the employee is not on probation, and specific rules regarding repeated requests within twelve months. The Section 25 a request and the Section 6 h response must therefore be assessed separately. A separate question as to why the employment is not full-time may, under certain circumstances, be covered by Section 4 a and a three-week deadline.

Excel Workbook with Nine Tabs

Overview, Requests, Needs, Qualifications, Priority, Negotiation, Decision, Actions, and Read Me. Each log contains up to 100 entries and has administrative status fields. If an employee wishes to increase from, for example, 50 percent to 80 percent, the Excel workbook shows the desired increase of 30 percentage points. The overview only counts filled-in log IDs.

Excel does not determine priority, redeployment, qualifications, priority order, the obligation to negotiate, or which collective agreement rules apply. Personal data and actions must be handled in accordance with the employer's GDPR and authorization procedures.

How to Use the Template Package

1. The employee submits the request. Enter the current and desired hours, the relevant operating unit, the date, and the receipt confirmation.
2. The employer registers the case. Perform separate checks of the rights under Sections 25 a and 6 h of the Employment Protection Act and any collective agreements.
3. Investigate staffing needs and qualifications. Check actual available work, the operating unit, redeployment under Section 7, and any other possible claims.
4. Check Sections 26 and 32. If several employees have priority or are to be hired, priority order and negotiation issues may arise.
5. Provide a written decision. Use the correct version and document the actual decision. If the terms change, correct employment documentation is required.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a part-time employee always have the right to more hours?

No. The right of first refusal under Section 25 a requires, among other things, that an actual need for labor can be met by increasing the hours and that the person has sufficient qualifications.

Must the request be in writing?

Section 25 a requires that the employee has submitted their request. A written request is practically important for proving the content and the date of receipt. The Swedish Work Environment Authority also provides a sample request form.

Must the employer respond within one month?

A separate response rule exists in Section 6 h of the Employment Protection Act and may become relevant when its specific conditions are met. This obligation should not be confused with the right of first refusal itself under Section 25 a.

What happens if several employees request more hours?

First assess who actually has the right of first refusal. Section 26 states how the priority order among several entitled employees is determined. Section 32 may also require negotiation before a decision is made.

Does the right of first refusal take precedence over redeployment?

No. Section 25 a does not apply against someone who has a right to redeployment under Section 7, paragraph 2 of the Employment Protection Act.

Can I use Excel to decide who gets the position?

No. Excel only calculates administrative data and the desired change in percentage points; each legal assessment must be made separately.

Do the documents apply under collective agreements?

They can be used as a working basis, but the applicable collective agreement and any statutory deviations from the Employment Protection Act must always be checked.

Has the package been legally reviewed?

The statutory text and official materials were checked with AI assistance on November 2, 2026. No independent external legal review is documented.

Related Document Templates

For termination due to redundancy, Termination Due to Redundancy – Word/PDF is another product, including re-employment under Section 25 and termination documents. That package does not replace the process for increased hours during ongoing part-time employment under Section 25 a.

Sources, Version, and Delivery

Version 1.0 · 2026-11-02 · Swedish law. Employment Protection Act (1982:80), especially Sections 4 a, 6 h, 7, 25 a, 26, and 32. Swedish Work Environment Authority Forms. Digital download of the ZIP file occurs only after manual linking to Shopify Digital Products and activation of the product draft. The product is created as a DRAFT and is not published automatically.