5 Things That Shocked Me About Sweden - Just a Brit Abroad

[@anders630]

Something that surprise some: in februari/march you can see ppl just stand still outside staring at the sun, if you lived through a few winters here you'll understand.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

haha good point Anders! I've actually spoken about that in one of my videos as well, and reached the same conclusion. I thought it was strange and then I experienced winters like this winter, with literally 2/3hrs sunligh5 across a month... and then I understood!! haha. Thanks for stopping by my video though, I hope you enjoyed it🤩there's certainly lots more on the way🙌🏻

[@SinaFarhat]

Allemansrätten is the key for our love of nature!

[@JustaBritAbroad]

I think you're right Sina!! maybe that's why we tend to go a bit further away from home in the UK to explore our nature, because we don't have the same "access" to our own nature! I love being able to explore wherever I like here🤩🤩

[@attesmatte]

@@JustaBritAbroad Where in Sweden do you live?

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@attesmatte Östergötland!

[@AmongRocks]

Yes, we are thought from a young age to take care of nature and not disturb the animals and at the same time learn to love being in nature. when your five it is easy to see mud as fun. One girl (18) I walked with in the forest complained about how dusty everything was and the spiderwebbs. But she grew up in a city center

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@AmongRocks its interesting because we grow up with a similar perspective and similar relationship with nature, but without the freedom with allemansrätten. but its definitely a good lesson to instill for children🤗

[@lyndahuggus4880]

You just summed up my Swedish husband without meeting him. Hardworking, DIY enthusiast, outdoor sport freak, sweet addict and nature loving😄

[@JustaBritAbroad]

haha really?😅that's so funny😂have we found our archetypal Swede?😉 maybe I need to talk to him to work out what other trends and stereotypes to talk about next time😅😅😅

[@lyndahuggus4880]

@@JustaBritAbroad yes. Ask him about social etiquette over here. Especially in Stockholm 😊

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@lyndahuggus4880 hehe I'll bear that one in mind, thanks for the heads up!! And for watching my videos! I hope you enjoyed what you saw!

[@robertjonsson5750]

As an swedish electrician i must say that a little too many swedes should instead hire an electrician to do the electric work, instead of fumble with it themselves...😏

[@JustaBritAbroad]

haha preach it Robert🙌🏻 at least I have someone to ring now next ti me I get into trouble😉 I definitely dont want to try tampering myself😅

[@romuruotsalainen1903]

Getting an electrical chock 3 times (not counting electrical fences on the country), I think you are 100 % correct. But I have also learned to be more careful and always use the right equipment. :P

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@romuruotsalainen1903 another very good public safety message haha

[@Calistarius79]

Well...Robert is maybe restraining him self here a little in what he is saying... because I am pretty sure that here in Sweden most types of electrical work and instillations in your home, and in houses and buildings in general, is actually *illegal* for people who do not have the education, but especially do not have the license, to do electrical work and instillations etc. On the extreme end of things you could actually go to jail for doing such work your self if you do not have the license to do so.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@Calistarius79 yeah somebody else had mentioned the illegality component. Definitely worth choosing someone trained and equipped anyway from a safety point of view, but that's also another factor to take into mind!!

[@Bag_monkey]

When starting working in Copenhagen, at the introduction meeting, we were told: Yes, the pay is good, there is a fortune in overtime, but remember: It's just a job. Do not forget about your family. Don't let this job destroy your personal life. I never forgot that :)

[@katam6471]

The background to eating sweets on Saturday is that dental health in Sweden was rather bad back in the days. In the 50s experiments proved that suger caused dental caries. After that, Medicinalstyrelsen made a campaign to get people to eat more candy once a week rather than a little every now and then, and launched the concept of 'lördagsgodis'.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

oh really? I didn't realise it had come from an experiment! These days, i think its a really good method for limiting sugar intake for children!

[@hannaosterlund5974]

Yeah THOSE experiments hehe…

[@steinovehaugnes3922]

​@@JustaBritAbroad It was an experiment at Vipeholmanstalten 1945 - 1955 on people with developmental disability, without the consent from relatives. sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vipeholm We have the same tradition with candy only on saturdays in Norway as well because of the results from these experiments. In Norway we call it "lørdagsgodt".

[@claricee3418]

we are handy because the introvert in us HATES calling someone and inviting unknown people into our homes... no thanks xD

[@JustaBritAbroad]

hahaha you make a great point😅 if you do it yourself, you don't have to ask someone random😆

[@Etswe]

@@JustaBritAbroad We are also handy because to hire someone professional costs a fortune.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@Etswe yeah I heard that was the case after posting this video - had no idea it was quite so crazy to pay someone to help!

[@attesmatte]

30-40 minutes away from home is "in the neighborhood" if you live in the north. 😜

[@asalal0398]

Indeed

[@JustaBritAbroad]

hahaha good point Sara!! And us Brits call the other side of town "down the road" to the annoyance of all my local Swedes, so maybe we'd fit in quite well in the North😂

[@JustaBritAbroad]

are you also from the north? fun!

[@attesmatte]

@@JustaBritAbroad I'm from (and live in) Jämtland, the most beautiful landskap in Sweden! 😁 (Yes, I'm very biased. 😜 😂)

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@attesmatte oooh I'm yet to explore Jämtland, but its on the list!!

[@xpqr12345]

The "handyman" thing about us Swedes is very likely due to the tax rules, or at least due to how they have been. Since any kind of service job is relatively expensive in Sweden, people tend to not hire a handyman for small things but to do it themselves instead. And over time, "small jobs" turns into "quite big jobs", if you have the time and energy to do it yourself. And as for vacations, I am reasonably certain that the law allows up to four weeks in a row, during June, July and August.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

yeah, I think you could be right actually! I've heard a couple of people suggest that could have something to do with it! And you're right about the 4 weeks point, I slightly misquoted it, oopsie! happy weekend!

[@jmolofsson]

I beg to differ. Having (had) one grandfather who was a farmer and one who was an electrician and an engineer, I've always seen the chief reason not in taxation but in the idea that also a handyman ought to get decently paid, covering also the traveling time. And if you can't afford the decent pay, which basically only better people can, like academics and successful businessmen, then you have to do the work yourself.

[@akersjon278]

Yes, you nailed it when it comes to us Swedes doing a LOT of DIY during their summer vacations. If you are driving in Sweden from the middle of June until the end of August you will se lots and lots of cars towing trailers around that are absolutely brimming with different building materials. And if you follow the cars towing empty trailers you will wind up at one of the many big builders merchants we have here. For a few weeks each summer these stores look just like the big retail stores do a couple of days before Christmas. With massive amounts of people running around, empty shelf's, and arguments about who really laid their hands on the last concrete garden path tiles first... If you go out into the suburbs or to areas with many summer cottages you will hear the sound of construction everywhere, during all hours, mixed in with the sound of lawnmowers, trimmers and chainsaws. It's not at all uncommon to hear a Swede sigh really deeply the first day back at work after his or hers summer holiday, and then to follow that sigh with a statement like this: - It's so nice to be back at work, finally I can get some rest! My vacation almost killed me this year, I had so much I had to get done! And more often then not this statement kicks off a long discussion among his/her coworkers about what everyone else "got done" during their summer vacations. Statements that often starts with some sort of caveat as to why they didn't get even more stuff done. Excuses like: -Oh well, my mother in law stayed with us for two weeks, and my wife forbade me working during her stay. We were at the beach almost every day! (whilst shaking his head to show his disappointment with this fact...). Or: I hurt my back carrying lumber the first week, I told you that over the phone , didn't I Erik? (looking to a coworker for confirmation that he really was hurt, and not just lazy...). And then it rained almost constantly the next two weeks as you all know, soo...) 😉👍

[@JustaBritAbroad]

hahaha how funny! glad to hear my impression wasn't completely wrong though! I don't think I could be quite so industrious in my summer!! haha

[@akersjon278]

@@JustaBritAbroad Well, I might have exaggerated just a little bit (for comedic purposes), but it is a genuine Swedish cultural trait to be self sufficient, and a big part of that sufficiency is to do DIY projects and other things like vehicle maintenance and repairs. We also like to grow and gather our own food by hunting, fishing and gathering berries and mushrooms. There are very few things you can flex with in Sweden without everyone around you thinking you are a braggart (and being one of those is a big no, no here...). But telling someone how full of moose meat and fish your freezer is, and how well stocked your larder is with home made preserves are a couple of those... 😉

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@akersjon278 haha fair enough, yu might have noticed that I do the same in some of my videos!! I had no idea though that hunting and gathering were the exceptions to the bragging rule!!😂

[@possaah]

It's actually 4 weeks of vacation during the summer. Om inte annat har avtalats, ska semesterledigheten förläggas så, att arbetstagaren får en ledighetsperiod av minst fyra veckor under juni-augusti. Thats the 12 § in the Swedish vacation law (semesterlag (1977:480)).

[@JustaBritAbroad]

Good point! Thanks for pointing that out Dennis, my bad!

[@linussamuelsson2927]

Är det inte så att ja 4 veckor under de månaderna men minst 3 ska vara sammansatta? Så att du kan få 3 veckor i Juni och 1 i Augusti?

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@linussamuelsson2927 jaså? jag har ingen aning faktiskt!

[@vladtheinhaler93]

@@JustaBritAbroad The rational behind the three-week minimum is that it takes a couple of weeks to switch from 'job' mindset to a 'leisure' mindset, plus then at least a week of actual leisure to recharge and regenerate. It's basically a preventative measure against burnout. Working back in the UK, with my days off scattered with a few days or a week here and there, they felt like a chance to catch my breath, but still continually treading water..

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@vladtheinhaler93 yeah you make a good point! with the British model it can sometimes feel like you've not had time to come down from the work properly!

[@madamelupinella7747]

As Swedens little brother (Norwegian), I now do understand why 2 of my aunts moved there in the 1950's. Always loved Sweden.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

how interesting to get a perspective from someone whose lived close to the Swedish lifestyle and culture and has another angle on things. how does it compare to life in Norway?

[@mockupguy3577]

I was so happy when I found a Karamellkungen stand in Canterbury (as we are into Kent here).

[@JustaBritAbroad]

Ah I love Canterbury! That's very close to where I'm from actually🤩 such a pretty city! and always nice to find some creature comforts from home, right!

[@perhir01]

I think one reason we swedes are so good at "closing our laptops and going home" is that we have strong workers rights and the prevalence of unions and collective labour/bargaining agreements (CBA) they negotiate. Something like 82-83% of the private sector is covered by a CBA and 100% of the public sector. The few CBAs that I've read all regulate overtime and how often and how many breaks a worker gets. CBAs is also not limited to manual labourers and retail workers, but teachers, health care workers, engineers and so on all have their own CBAs. Even one of, if not the, largest food delivery services called Foodora signed a CBA with the Swedish Transport Workers union in February 2021.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

yeah good point actually! unionisation hasn't been such a strong or widespreasd movement in the UK!

[@EmilReiko]

@@JustaBritAbroad Thatcher broke the neck of the unions and made life for everyone more miserable

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@EmilReiko thank goodness we've moved on from those days right haha

[@dennisbohman3848]

Det faktum att vi som anställda bara får lov att arbeta 200h övertidstimmar per år har nog även det sin lilla roll. Efter det så måste arbetsgivaren begära 100+100h och kunna motivera det, blir det för ofta kräver fack att det anställs fler.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@dennisbohman3848 är det så? hade inte märkt det själv! intressant då!

[@rogerdanblad]

Don't know how it's abroad... But here it's more or less a human right to get free coffee at the work place. I still haven't worked at a place where there's not a coffee machine...

[@JustaBritAbroad]

another good point Roger! I've had both experiences when I've been working abroad. but its more often than note the case that you bring your own in England, or contribute to an office fund to get your coffee. The workplace rarely provide it free of charge!

[@rogerdanblad]

@@JustaBritAbroad well if I'm not mistaken, the three biggest consumers of coffee per person in the world are the Fins , the Dutch and us Swedes.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@rogerdanblad I've heard that too actually, I do believe :)

[@lindatisue733]

No, not a right in the US. Bigger places have a vending machine with awful coffee, some smaller places will have a coffee fund honour system.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@lindatisue733 that's exactly how it is in the UK too actually, in the majority of places at least! I can imagine its a surprise when people first move away from Sweden haha

[@uffepuff439]

The law actually says you have the right to up to 4 consecutive weeks off in the summer, which most people do in july.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

yep, you're totally right Uffepuff! that was a miss quote on my part haha thanks for pointing it out though! will you be having a four week summer this year? :)

[@bpthegod7440]

As a fellow Swede, I have to agree on the first point you made. Almost every day I stay between 15 minutes - 1 hour extra every day at work, just getting a little bit more done. I do it without pay aswell. Can't really explain why but it feels good afterwards as I know I probably got a lot done etc.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

thanks for your thoughts on this one! and impressive to hear about your dedication to your work! I know what you mean about liking to feel like you're on top of things though. I'm sure lots of people can relate!

[@aggeisme]

As a swede, I honestly didn't know other countries didn't have Lördagsgodis!(saturday candy/sweets) It's such a fundamental "tradition" for me!

[@JustaBritAbroad]

nooope! we've been deprived our whole lives Agge!! can you imagine?! that's real pain for you😅 never will I be without them again!!😆

[@TravelingisFREEDOM]

This seems to be a very nice place, I hope I can visit sometime in when all this is over. Seeing and sharing places like this is why I love traveling and make videos so much!

[@JustaBritAbroad]

Ah fantastic! I’m glad you think so☺️ Sweden is beautiful and well worth a visit when you get the chance! Where are you travelling from?

[@TravelingisFREEDOM]

@@JustaBritAbroad I have actually been there once before in Malmo, I loved it. I am in Costa Rica. Greetings!

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@TravelingisFREEDOM wow Costa Rica? I've heard amazing things!!

[@tsubasa504]

It's funny because the thing that shocked me the most when I left Sweden was how useless people were att DIYs 😂 I mean, sure we don't know how to do everything in Sweden but if you want to do it just try. Things usually work out. And I've always been more pleased with my own results than the results of others, which just makes it incredibly fulfilling

[@JustaBritAbroad]

exactly Jessica!! You guys are really good at working it out for yourselves if you don't know immediately how to do something - whereas I think lots of the rest of us get scared and call for help immediately😅 still though, a good skill to have for sure!! hope you enjoyed the video😊

[@elin8632]

Love the editing in this video, hilarious 😂

[@JustaBritAbroad]

haha thanks Elin!! I tried to keep it quirky and fun for those of you watching all the way through😂

[@jemakrol]

I love the way you deliver and make these videos! As for the working hours and discipline - an addition: I believe that working for late is connected to what kind of business, company or employment you have. Self emplyed people seems to have to work their a***es off to get things going usually. Start ups have no limit either. My first job was a Game Developer for a startup. Hey, I had a bed near my desk, need I say more?That was ages ago though. Now I am one of those you describe, hehe. Regarding the three weeks in the summer. It's also strongly recommended to have four consecutive weeks. The whole point of this is to actually have time to wind down and disconnect from work. That way you (are thought to) come back to work with new energi and motivation. I can only speak for myself but to be it works. It's awesome. :)

[@JustaBritAbroad]

Thanks Jens! That's so fun to hear!! And there's certainly a lot more to follow! And you're certainly right about the distinction between different types of businesses. I have friends working for start ups that have described exactly the situation you're talking about! As for the holiday, to be honest, I do understand why you guys do it, and it is usually the nicest part of the year, so it makes sense to have lots of time off then🤩 its just for me personally, and the background I've come from, I can't see me moving away from spreading my holiday throughout the year, just because I like to break up the year a little bit with milestones of holiday and activities to look forward to. But of course i understand that everyone is different and that wont work for everyone!

[@johnpersson]

Great and correct observations! Be interested to hear your take on Jantelagen too. I've lived here for 16 years and have discovered how much it underpins the Swedish mentality, both positively and negatively.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

thanks John! so glad to hear you enjoyed the content - and I'll certainly take your suggestion onboard and add it to my list🤗 I agree with you that it would be an interesting one to explore! really fun to hear that you'll be following my uploads, great to have you along for the ride!

[@Tim_Nilsson]

You can demand 4 weeks consecutive vacation. It used to be three and many Swedes still believes that's the case. It has been 4 weeks for probably 15-20 years.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

thanks for clarifying Tim! maybe that's why I was so certain it was 3 weeks - it must be because so many people have mentioned it at work and the likes. even nicer if its four!

[@Tim_Nilsson]

@@JustaBritAbroad No problem. ;) This is a discussion I'm quite used to. It feels like I have it with my co-workers every bloody year. =P Those "3 weeks" seems to be heavily ingrained in people... If you want a source: lagen.nu/1977:480 Paragraph 12.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@Tim_Nilsson oh really?😅 yeah I think you might be right, because I was convinced a Swedish friend told me it was 3 weeks after claiming to have it looked it up😂😂 clearly didn't do that very well then did they haha

[@andreasosterberg8833]

Stockholm is very different from the rest of Sweden if I might say so myself. here's a long story. To give people an example, I've been in Stockholm 4 times in my whole life (I'm 20) and 2 of these times I slept over at a friend who lives in Stockholm and the only reason why I could get there was because he was extremely nice to pay the ticket both for the trip there and back. This was my 3rd and 4th time. the other 2 times I was so little I could barely even remember how it looked like, but at this time this happened I was 19 and my friend and I lived together at a school and he bringed his friends with him and I was one among them. Anyways to sum it up this was my experience... Seeing Stockholm almost 1.5 years ago was amazing. Going through the tunnel only to end up seeing Stockholm from the train was amazing (First time in a train as well), The apartment I came into was bigger than I had ever seen, I was shocked and I had to take pictures because of how amazing it looked. The buildings around me was at least 5 to 6 times larger than anything I had seen in my entire life. They had tunnelstations that I had only seen on TV. Outside markets, stalls and everything that my town would only see once per year. Outlets on pillars that you could charge your phones when your battery was low. People riding electrical scooters back and forth instead of walking. A cinema bigger than I could ever imagine. Stores with so many stuff I could not comprehend what I was seeing. The view, looking out at the sea seeing the biggest boats I could imagine, seeing amazing bridges and then walking over it the next second only to stand at a mountain seeing all of Stockholm. I've never been in Göteborg or any other big city except Norrköping so maybe these cities are more impressive, but for an outside perspective Stockholm got a lot of stuff going. Here's the thing though... While we were there it was a lot harder to breath because of the amount of people and gas that was in there. I could feel how the air became thinner as we got closer to the city. It's not something I'm used to so for me it was pretty annoying. So if you really wanna see how Sweden is you truely should go outside Stockholm and visit the smaller towns because they are extremely different. For me going into Stockholm feels like another country because how vastly different it is from where I live. But ye, great video and I subcribed =) My english might be rusty so please go ahead and correct me =)

[@JustaBritAbroad]

thanks for the comment Andreas, it was really interesting to read your story and your experience of Stockholm! I'm actually not living in Stockholm, you've actually been there more times than me😂 I've been twice so far! I'm living in the same region as you, Östergötland! So the Östgötska way has definitely affected my experiences of Sweden😂 hehe but I really like Gothenburg and you're right that its a different experience entirely to be in Norrköping for example. So fun that you enjoyed the video though and decided to subscribe! I've got lots more on the way, starting tomorrow with the first of this week's 2 videos! Fun to know you're going to be along for the journey! And no need to apologise for your English, you did amazing!! It was almost faultless!!

[@andreasosterberg8833]

@@JustaBritAbroad Thank you! It was a fun video to watch. I was too naive and thought you lived in Stockholm, sorry about that :). Many people who come to Sweden only get the beauty to visit Stockholm and not much more and I just wanted to shed some light for others how different it truely can be for someone who has barely been there. Thank you again for reading and have a good day =)

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@andreasosterberg8833 you don't need to apologise! just thought I'd explain🤗 but I'm glad that you enjoyed it and wanted to leave a comment. So fun to know you're watching my videos🤩but good memo for other people that there's a life outside Stockholm and so much more to see!!

[@TalesOfWar]

Capital cities are like this in most countries. They get all the fancy stuff and give a rather false impression of the country as a whole. It's like this in London for us Brits, and to be honest most people outside of it don't really like the place. It's a big, polluted, fake shit hole that gets all of our tax money for shiny things to benefit nobody outside the M25 (the ring road motorway around it). Like you said, you need to visit the regional cities and smaller towns to really get a sense of a country. In my visits to Sweden I went to stay with a friend who lives on the west coast south of Gothenburg so my experience has been of a more typical "normal" town rather than the "make it impressive for the tourists" spots like Stockholm.

[@malinandtom]

The nature point is the one that gets me. It's probably the single main reason that I love living in this country, we live for exploring and being outdoors. Definitely different from Nottinghamshire, where I'm from!

[@JustaBritAbroad]

oh you're from Nottinghamshire? fun! I've not spent much time in that part of the country, perhaps I'll have to add it to my list. But as you say, the nature and freedom in nature is a big part of the attraction here for sure!

[@fredrikmoller629]

My boss asks all the time how much work I have and if im alright so I dont work to much. Then I can leave some work or she find someone else to do it. I can say no to things she ask me to do if I feel I have no time. Thats the culture in Sweden. Been working for 17 years and all have been like that.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

oh right? its interesting to hear how different it is in different countries!

[@darkwolf4434]

That might be in your workplace specifically.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@darkwolf4434 that's a good point actually, the experience is probably fairly different in different workplaces and probably across different professions too?

[@darkwolf4434]

@@JustaBritAbroad Yeah, when I was an industrial electrician I had to stay a little longer when I fixed important systems in a mining Company.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@darkwolf4434 yeah fair enough! I can completely understand why there might be different requirements based on responsibilities like the one you described!

[@joshuarantoniocorteslopez2041]

This video is very complete, you really try very hard, very good work 👍🏻

[@JustaBritAbroad]

thanks Joshuar! really fun that you enjoyed it🤗 there's plenty more on the way, so I hope you'll continue to follow along!! any topics you'd like to see me cover soon?

[@darkiee69]

The weeks 28-32 are known as the industrial holiday.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

I've never heard that before, but thanks for telling me!

[@edvins8863]

@@JustaBritAbroad it’s because back in the day that’s when the factories would close down for vacation. But nowadays the holidays are more spread out between the employes so that the factory can keep running all year.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@edvins8863 yeah I heard that recently Edvin! makes a lot of sense how the tradition started but these days, as you say, much more sensible to try and spread out a little bit more!

[@Dudikowski]

Lördagsgodis (Saturday Candy) came about in the 50/60s after recommendations from Medicinalstyrelsen (the medicinal board). Less Caries after one big load of candy compared to eating candy all through the week. The study behind these new findings is one of Swedens darkest moments in history though. Look it up on Wikipedia.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

Thanks for the fact check, might have to take a look into that, I had no idea!

[@Dudikowski]

@@JustaBritAbroad No problem, I don't think it's common knowledge. I don't want do make excuses for it but back in those days regard for all human life was just not the same as it is now. Not just in Sweden.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@Dudikowski have a great weekend!

[@lindatisue733]

Wish my Swedish engineer was into fixing things. I have to do everything that involves a screwdriver or pliers. I have learned a lot about bike repair.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

ah no Linda haha what a shame! you must be super handy if you're holding up the hands on side of the family!!

[@stellanstellan8708]

The so called "industrisemestern" is now a bit of a thing from the passed. Usually it meant that pretty much most of July and a bit of August all closed down and died as it was easier to have no action in the work shops than a trickle over a longer time. Today many employers, depending on what service or what they produce, adhere to a two period system, early and late vacation, during the summer months of June-August. As the summer holiday for school kids is something like 10 weeks many parents split the time working/staying with the kids and going away with the entire family. Working during the summer time is not such a bad time as it is usually very relaxed and casual anyway, you can loaf around the work place and take as many fika breaks as you please.

[@anthonyredmond6713]

@ Stellan Englund Can I ask you is it very unusual in Sweden to ask an employer for vacation time outside of the early and late system? Like to request vacation time in September or October? I read somewhere that to request vacation in September would be met with a reaction like "who do you think you are asking for holiday time in September" Do most people take their vacations between June to August and after that would be very unusual? Thanks.

[@stellanstellan8708]

@@anthonyredmond6713 My own experience is that is usually not a problem to ask for time off at other times. Many parents wants to do things with their children at the other big times for holidays: Christmas to New year , Sports leave in February, Easter leave in March/April, sometime during autumn is also another week off from school. Depending what you do for a living it may be possible to combine work and vacation time. Some employers may actually be grateful for someone taking the rudder during summer months or they would have to close it all down. It all depends on what you do but I can´t really see any problem as long as you tell the boss a bit in advance. Some say Swedes are the most traveled folk in the world, I don´t know if that is true but just the rumor about it may say something about how easy it is to get away from the desk or lathe. Many have weekend houses meaning they may quit work bit early on Friday and come back home on Sunday or even go straight to office on Monday morning.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

Yeah, I've noticed that too! Especially if you work in an industry with an international facing client base. Its not possible to just shut down for a period when it could be your busiest in another country!

[@JustaBritAbroad]

To weigh in with my own two cents Anthony, I've never found this to be a problem so far. I continue to take my holiday as I did in England, with a weekend here and there, some days in May and some in October etc and no one has ever really had a problem with that so far!

[@JustaBritAbroad]

Good point! really depends what industry you're in to be honest I would imagine :)

[@rightbackatyou6805]

Alot of britts i knew in Sweden ( not Living there atm ) were suprised that everyone goes to the gym in Sweden and everyone is so ”sporty”.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

YES! this is such a good point!! how did I miss this😂😂 my very first reflection when I visited Sweden the first time was this! I remember going home to my parents and saying "they eat so much fika but they probably need it to survive the hours they all seem to put into the gym" haha

[@JustaBritAbroad]

thank you!!

[@sondersonics7534]

Ah yes. I’m a swede and quite literally everyone I know goes to thr gym or do some sort of exercise

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@sondersonics7534 too true! I've actually got a video about this coming out next week, and how its changed my approach to working out haha

[@sondersonics7534]

@@ninahersson-daniels501 What more can you do in london?

[@tonykeer]

oh tank you brit for speaking abute the posetive stuff we do make more videos like this we swedish ppl needs to hear this stuff is makes us feel better and we need to hear it

[@JustaBritAbroad]

There's certainly more where this came from Tony! So I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it and thanks for watching. Next week I've got a video coming about habits I've picked up here in Sweden, which I think you might really enjoy, for example!

[@marieandersson5730]

About number two: Swedes seem to be so handy...Well, there is a logic explanation. We do this a couple of lessons in school, every week for 6 - 7 years. Half the part is sewing and stuff like that. Fabrics. The other part is making things in wood or metal. I don't know the english words for it. Check up "syslöjd" or "träslöjd" if you want to 😊. I like your videos. It is almost as educating for me, about brits, as it is for brits learning about swedes 😊 Have a very nice day. ❤

[@dalink79]

Damn it! I don't seem to be very swedish at all. 1. I don't leave work until late. 2. I'm not handy at all. 3. I barely go out into the nature. 4. I sure as hell do not eat 80 kg of sweets per year. That is insane! Who eats more than 1 kg of sweets, every week?

[@JustaBritAbroad]

haha there's certainly always exceptions right Mathias😂 interesting to hear that you're not out exploring the nature though? its so pretty out😱🤩

[@ralagesson91]

Well if you don't know yourself how to do something, most of the time you got a friend or someone you can call. Which is a great way to have them over have social interations, offer them a FIKA, dinner or maybe just a cold one talk some shit about the weather. Its great! :)

[@JustaBritAbroad]

haha for sure! its great to have someone handy you can call on to get the job done💪🏼👌 I'm always impressed by you guys haha

[@TeamJesusGo]

Yes, breaks and private life is important for overrall health wich increases productivity. 😁

[@JustaBritAbroad]

Don't disagree with you there Berenice! I'm definitely here for that approach🙌🏻

[@lifeisastruggle5517]

I have four weeks holiday and everyone is entitled to it according to law. the fifth that is also paid, I always choose to use for the rest of the year or I can choose to save it. I now have 35 vacation days saved that I can choose to use, for example, when I go abroad on vacation.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

that's right! they sure are🤗 wow, you've done well to save so much of your vacation though - is there something in particular that you're saving it for?

[@j4sph3r1337]

the ''local'' handyman in Sweden is your friends here xD

[@JustaBritAbroad]

definitely Jesper😂 especially for someone like me who otherwise has no idea what they are doing😳😅

[@fhalaris6982]

My Handy man is my dad ❤️😂

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@fhalaris6982 does he take bookings?😂I'm always up for the help!!

[@fhalaris6982]

@@JustaBritAbroad hahah, maybe. A bit long from you though. I live in a smaller city in Dalarna :)

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@fhalaris6982 ah that sucks! would perhaps be a little bit long of a commute for some DIY tips now wouldnt it😆😆

[@Bumbledora]

I can't cook (my husband can and that's his passion) but I'm a bit handy. However, my husband is very handy so we pretty much try to do things ourselves. Yes, sweets... my favourite sweet is Ahlgrens Bilar. lol! But, I'm on a diet so no sugar or sweets for me. Kent! I've been there (mind you, it was the wonderful year of 1986, probably long before you were even born). I went there to study English in Broadstairs and got to see the whole coast of Kent. So beautiful! I wanna go back. I actually want to travel around the whole U.K. but the pandemic you know. I have something to look forward to though :) Thanks for a nice video, Greg! :)

[@JustaBritAbroad]

how interesting that you mention just Broadstairs, as I finally got to go back and visit home a couple of weeks back for a family wedding, and I actually stopped by Broadstairs and got to enjoy the last of the summer sun. I love it down there, its so pretty! thanks for watching and happy Sunday!

[@Bumbledora]

@@JustaBritAbroad Congratulations to the wedding in your family! Yes, I remember how beautiful it was. One day I do would like to go back :)

[@jarpa153]

You are more efficient if you have a break 2-3 times during the working day

[@JustaBritAbroad]

definitely! can't argue with that at all🤗

[@ingvartorma9789]

For most of us Swedes, the weekend is important because then it is time to relax in addition to those who work the weekends. That's why we have "fedags cozy" so it says that now it's no job the next day, that's why it has become a tradition to have a Taco evening or eat something else good and relax. You watch a movie or something on TV. "Saturday candy" is another day to celebrate that you are free from work and the children from school. Then you buy sweets to just relax and enjoy the holiday.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

Yeah, you're right there Ingvar! I'm a bit fan of fredagsmys och lördagsgodis! Nothing wrong with kicking back, relaxing and making the most of life once in a while, right?

[@TheAustralianHealthShow]

great video :) I subbed this channel nice perspective of Sweden and Swedish people.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

thanks man! so fun that you thought so! there's lots more to come - I upload twice a week on a Wednesday and Sunday - so hopefully I'll be able to offer lots more perspectives as the weeks roll by. Anything you'd particular like to see me cover?

[@rasmuswi]

Fun fact: the law also says that you are allowed to "save" one holiday week per year, sof up to five years. The Idea is that if you want to, you can be off during the entire school summer holiday once every six years. Just take four weeks of holiday for five consecutive years, then you will have five saved weeks. Combine them with the five weeks you are entitled to the next year and you get ten weeks of vacation.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

thanks for the fact Rasmus! I've heard that a couple of times from various different people, and its such a fun idea if you want to work towards a sabbatical and go travel or something, for example, instead of taking tjänstlledig! thanks for sharing :) hope you enjoyed the video!

[@ukboss9506]

It's illegal to do your own electrics without being qualified

[@callewretstrom689]

Thanks that was the first thing i wanted to post about. Also walking with water pipes will void your home insurance unless your certified. But yes many people will still do it.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

good point! was more of a joke to make my point on this occasion but good to emphasise that its not a place to be messing around with in your own home!!

[@jsvensson8234]

Not entierly true. Some things you are allowed to do (if you know what yore doing), some not. Here are some of the things that are allowed: Man får montera skarvsladdar och reparera eller byta ut delar i trasiga skarvsladdar och apparatsladdar. Det är också tillåtet att byta ut strömbrytare och vägguttag på högst 16 ampere och man får byta ut fast installerad armatur, dock ej i badrum.

[@redscale82]

It’s more like an insurance thing, isn’t it.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@redscale82 for sure! not worth tampering with things you can't be responsible for!

[@mikaelkarlsson635]

1000 prenumeranter! Congrats. 😀

[@JustaBritAbroad]

Tackar Mikael! Så otroligt spännane att så många människor vill hänga med!🤩

[@madalenabrazil]

Hej! We have right to 4 consecutive weeks during the summer 🥰🌞💐

[@JustaBritAbroad]

yep, you're totally right Madalena! my bad😅 thanks for putting me right! hope you enjoyed the video though and that you'll be sticking around for more to follow!

[@dennysigfalk4886]

If you work extra you have right to extrapay (overtidsersättning) overtimewages

[@JustaBritAbroad]

You sure do😃unless your contract specifies that you're reimbursed some other way of course

[@spartan.falbion2761]

This is a Stockholm thing. I've worked some crappy jobs, and always had a lunch break (of course, with free coffee).

[@annab7943]

I love pick and mix as much as the next Brit but the Swedish version looks so intimidating

[@JustaBritAbroad]

haha do you mean because of how much choice there is??

[@annab7943]

@@JustaBritAbroad I wouldn’t know where to start!

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@annab7943 yeah fair enough! I'd buy one of the prepacked buckets then, so you don't have to do the guessing and digging yourself haha

[@Calistarius79]

@@annab7943 The best way to start is to pick one side, and then check the content of each box of candy in each column as you slowly work your way along the rows to the other end... and as you go you pick what you know you like, and/or what you feel looks good. And if you are not sure if you are going to like something or not... then Lösgodis already have a solution for you! Because by the sheer nature of "Lösgodis" you can pick what ever you want, and how much of it that you want. So if you find some candy you are uncertain about you can take just 1 or 2 or a few of them, amongst all the other candy you took that you know you really like! That way, each time you go and buy Lösgodis, you can try out a few new candies without having to buy an entire bag of for example pre-packaged ones, and still have lots of candy that you know you like on top of that! :D This is at least my "Lösgodis technique"... XD

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@Calistarius79 haha love that you've got a technique for it! and you can bet I'll be using it next time I go to pick my sweets (aka tonight!!)

[@toddbonin6926]

American here. (Please be kind.) I work 10 hour days, many days each week. In the past two years, I’ve had only one week off. I took off of work 90 minutes early today, and I felt guilty. I’m so jealous of the Swedes, but I’m 55 and my life is almost over. It’s not like I can ever get this time back. 😢

[@JustaBritAbroad]

Hey Todd! thanks for stopping by👋🏻 funny that you hopped in, as I have a video coming out just next week about the comparison between Sweden and America with an American friend of mine, so it'll be interesting to see if you recognise the differences. Wow one week off? that's mental! I feel for you! but 55 isn't that old, you've got plenty of life left to live, let's make sure it counts from here on out right!

[@toddbonin6926]

@@JustaBritAbroad I can’t wait to see the comparison video. I love your channel!

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@toddbonin6926 aww thanks Todd! so fun to hear your enjoying my videos! The comparison videos will be coming next Wednesday and Sunday :) this afternoon, I'm posting about my experience learning Swedish🤗hope you're having a fun weekend!

[@ceciliarichter2458]

I'm a Swedish single woman who owns a house - and I'm not handy at all! I definately need a handyman! And the right one is not easy to find.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

ah no Cecilia! Glad to know I'm not the only un-handy person left in Sweden😂but I must admit, I'm not surprised to hear that its hard to find the right one, especially since everyone seems to DIY their household jobs, there's not a need for many handymen so then its hard to find them!

[@ajl8198]

Swedish berries are my favourite candy I’m so happy to hear that they love sweets goes to show you sugar is not so bad for you the Swedish people look pretty darn healthy to me

[@JustaBritAbroad]

from my experience they certainly balance the sweet intake with a lot of healthy living, outdoor time and exercising! so I guess its a case of everything in moderation, right?

[@TalesOfWar]

I always stock up on salted liquorice when I'm there lol.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@TalesOfWar I totally understand why! strange concept, until you get hooked😆

[@danhanqvist4237]

That work-balance thing... It largely depends on in what kind of industry you work. For many professionals life is much more like London.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

yeah I assumed as much Dan! like you say, certain jobs and professions have that sort of a mentality and culture, I suppose for historic reasons. And over the years as jobs have decreased and people have had to do more with less time, I guess it hasn't made it any easier!

[@Mikeatthenet]

Well regarding the long summer vacations, their root is in what we used to call the industrial vacation. In the past the industri used to always close four weeks in July, for reparing machines etc, so at that time most people got four weeks in july. Lately this is less static and severlsl industries tries to spread out vacation over the full summer and aavoid those total stops for the traditionsl four July weeks.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

Ah right? Thanks for the information! I’d figured there might be some industrial history at play here. But interesting to hear that the tides seem to be changing and people seem to be spreading them out more from the traditional weeks!

[@Mikeatthenet]

@@JustaBritAbroad If you google ”Industrisemester” you will get more history on it. Sweden got 2 week vacation law in 1930’s, extended it to 3, 4 and now 5 weeks. As mentioned lately the old ”Industrisemester” when everybody got vacation the same weeks in July is changing and the tendency is to spread it more and the peak is moving into August.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@Mikeatthenet i think it makes sense to spread it out more these days! industry habits have changed after all!

[@Mikeatthenet]

@@JustaBritAbroad Sure. At that time economy was mainly local per country and you could easily close the country for 2-4 weeks. Today business is global and nobody accepts manufacturing to be clised for a month, and people go on vacation more and then it is better to spreaad it out.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@Mikeatthenet yeah exactly, globalisation certainly changes things in that way!

[@novilabrown4571]

My husband is from England and said the same things when he moved here. He also thought (still thinks) the banks are terrible in sweden, not very helpful. He thinks that Swede's are bad at queueing in shops (especially if a new cashier opens up to ease up the massive queue, everyone just rushed to get there first xD ). And he says that paying for a carpenter or electrician for example is so so expensive in Sweden, maye that's why we learn to do a lot for ourselves ;)

[@JustaBritAbroad]

thanks for sharing Novila! interesting to get a fellow Brit's perspective😂you're not the only one to make the case that perhaps everyone here is doing their handy work due to price, so I'm beginning to think there might be some truth in that😅 I've heard similar comments about the banking side of things, but my experience has been fairly mixed I'd say. feel like it depends which bank you use! thanks for watching though and I hope you'll continue to follow along!

[@MrSkalleCalle]

This year i am forced to take 4 weeks vacation, during summer.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

yeah I've heard of that being quite common in some professions! I guess it depends whether they want to have production up and running in the summer or whether they'd prefer to shut down and save costs completely right!

[@broderperdurabo]

I worked for a brittish company in Sweden, and at 16:00, i went home.

[@ronnierojo275]

Thank you

[@beaconofwierd1883]

Electrical is a thing people shouldn’t do on their own :p Recently moved into an appartment where someone had drilled a hole through a metal casing with live wires inside it, stuck a new wire in there and just left sharp metal pieces sticking out of the hole. I noticed this because when we were painting we had to remove the plastic cover and the sharp metal pieces cut through the wires and the the breakers flipped.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

completely agree with you here, leave electrics to the professionals🙏🏻 otherwise we end up with situations like you just described, not ideal!! hope you figured it out!

[@beaconofwierd1883]

@@JustaBritAbroad called an electrician and he fixed the problem :p

[@F1rstWorldNomaD]

Never worked in Stockholm but I have close friends how have and are. As far as I've been told, the whole working though your lunch is not very common unless you're in a higher up position looking to climb even higher and even there it's not even the norm. Staying over is very much depending on where you work and how much you care about your work. I believe this is applicable to all of Sweden. I've had jobs where I've stayed over 3 or 4 hours a day but those were jobs based on commission, sales etc. You have a very low base salery and everything above is based on how many sales you do. The % are generally really good in these types of jobs (between 30 and 50%) so a single extra sale a day could basically double your salery, going from 20k~ to 40k~ is not trivial. This makes a strong insensitive to stay over. But outside these types of jobs, I've never seen anyone stay over regularly to get the job done, it's always if there is a rather sizable benefit for the employee themselves and I think that's pretty much the general mindset. Very few people would work overtime just to make a good impression.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

interesting to get a comparison point with Stockholm, thanks for sharing! Can completely understand why monetary and provision-based incentives could result in longer working days though!

[@kjelljohansson1799]

Hi Brit. hm. You say that the employer must give you three weeks hollyday in the summer,thats right but you as employed are guilty to take three weeks a row in the summer too, so that is a two way roule. That is for to guarante you get a good rest. you cant take a week now and then five times a year. And you can also save your fifth week untill next year, Now im not sure but i think you also can save up to tre weeks (three years) before you take it out.

[@BosisofSweden]

The next time you picture "handy men", when you spend some years in Sweden, half of them are going to be girls/women ...

[@JustaBritAbroad]

you're right! that's kind of why I made the point about "everyone's handy" rather than talking specifically about the men, because I'm continously impressed by how handy everybody is, regardless of age or gender :)

[@Ayanshlomate]

Very well said. I agree to all of them.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

thanks man! glad you enjoyed the video and could relate. plenty more on the way!

[@BeingSwenglish]

Haha, we both covered the sweets topic, great minds think alike! I shoot my 'Fact Fredag' at the beginning of each week and schedule it :) congrats on the 1k dude, your channel is shooting up in subs!!

[@JustaBritAbroad]

clearly both got sweets on the mind ey 😂there's so many different pick and mix options here that its kind of hard not to get obsessed!! Yeah, I saw you were doing a Friday series now, recently caught the ikea one. Nice job! And thanks for the congratulations! its really fun to have reached 1,000🤗

[@ArchieArpeggio]

You would propably noticed exact same things in Finland as well if you would´ve moved here instead ow Sweden. Biggest difference is that we don´t propably eat so much candy even though we he also have "karkkipäivä" same way that we eat candy mostly saturdays. It was big thing as a child but now as adult at least i don´t consume candy as much. Instead candy we consume much more coffee here by some reason :D.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

interesting to hear Archie! I'm yet to get to visit Finland but its certainly on the list!

[@benjiarehart2878]

I live in the U.S., and I so want to move to Sweden.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

ah you do? Hopefully my videos will be really helpful for you then🤩 if you subscribe, you can follow and watch my adventures and experiences of Sweden to help prepare you for when you make the move too!!

[@andersbackstrom4633]

You are a bit wrong about the summer holidays. We are actually by law allowed to have at least 4 weeks off during the summer. Not 3 weeks😄 I usually have 5 weeks off in the summer. Working for the state I have 7 weeks payed vacation each year. Others usually have 5-6 weeks.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

Thanks for the comment Anders!😊 a couple other people have mentioned that I misquoted the allowance by a week, so thanks for pointing that out🙏🏻 wow, 7 weeks? I used to work for the state in England and I'd have loved to have had anything close to that😅

[@Sekreterare75]

There are laws that regulate work. The workweek is 40 hours, on average 8 hours a day. If you work more than 5 hours in a day you MUST have a break of at least 30 minutes no later than 4 hours after you start. Overtime is also heavily regulated and tend to be expensive for employers. Anything more than 40 hours in a week is overtime

[@JustaBritAbroad]

how interesting Eva! I wasnät familiar with the break rule after working for 5 hours. Interesting! we have a similar system when it comes to regulated hours and overtime in England too, and I think 40 hours is also our cutoff. Though most workplaces pay your lunch break in England, which I've found isn't so often the case in Sweden?

[@Sekreterare75]

@@JustaBritAbroad No, those mandatory 30 minutes (may be more but not less) are your own time and you are free to leave the workplace. Thus it is not paid.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@Sekreterare75 ah okay! I always think its so interesting to learn how it differs in different countries :)

[@beorlingo]

All of this must have been very shocking! Hope you're ok now, though!

[@JustaBritAbroad]

haha nearly 2.5 years later and yes, I'm just about recovering now thanks😉 kind of you to "check"😅😅

[@stefansoder6903]

4 consecutive weeks in june, july or august, that's the law!

[@attesmatte]

I was just about to say this. You're entitled four consecutive weeks, not three. 👍

[@JustaBritAbroad]

oops my bad Stefan! Thanks for pointing that out :)

[@JustaBritAbroad]

thanks Sara, my bad :)

[@tordjarv3802]

It is illegal to do your own electrical work without a propper electrician license in Sweden. You are allowed to change your own lightbulbs and fuses but that's about it. I have a friend who bought a new laundry machine, but because there where no porpper outlet it was required by law that an electrician installed it for him, even though all he had to do where connect two wires. So no, Swedes do not do their own electrical work, and if they do you should tell lawenforcement.

[@indraallian6371]

You are just too kind. Im blushing here. But we do a lot of overtime in sertain branches, Tampering with many electric installments are against the law. And Im terrible at doing practical work like building things. Thanks to a strong union movement we have a long vacation that we love to take in the summer and you know why if you been here a while. To be honest Great Brittain has a lot of stunning nature too. Cornwall, Lake district and the Scottish highlands just to give a few examples. We are few people in a big country so having a lot of nature nearby comes "Natural" he he. Anyway Great video. Everyone loves to be praised 😎

[@TheAustralianHealthShow]

You could do a great video about Swedish Rugby :) look up the local teams and film and do some interviews you would do a great video about it.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

ooh that's a good idea! I've not tackled sport yet... get it😉

[@TheAustralianHealthShow]

@@JustaBritAbroad haha

[@isaks3243]

I do more often than not work a lot of overtime! Last summer did I average 250 hours per month

[@JustaBritAbroad]

wow Isak, that's some looooong days by the sounds of it! kudos to you for managing that!

[@isaks3243]

@@JustaBritAbroad long weeks to be honest, I managed 142 hours in 12 days and 2 days rest after that to do the same thing again the next 2 weeks. it was pretty crazy but I pretty much had no choice. I had a deal with my employer that even tho a lot of people (5/7) were going to have to leave the company due to covid putting sticks in the wheels for the company. but he really wanted me to have work so he found a job where I was in a hostel during the nights and worked my ass off during the days cause I knew that I only had a maximum amount of months before I was going to loose my job too. so I wanted to get in as many hours as humanly possible so I could have the money to renovate my house and live a good life until i found another job. the problem tho is that I pretty much fell in love of working like that and I take every chance I have for as much overtime as possible but I have one thing that is more important than working, and that is the kids I coach in mountainbiking. so saturday mornings are holy and I won't miss one if I don't absolutely have to.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@isaks3243 wow, impressive that you've managed to make such a work routine work. You must have incredible work ethic, kudos bro! And nice that you have your Saturday mornings to look forward to - almost Saturday again!!

[@Calistarius79]

Could the reason why you feel Swedes are good at going home when our work day is supposed to be over, be because the standard Swedish work day is not 8 hours, but rather 9'ish? Where most Swedes will spend 45 hours a week at work? That 1 extra hour is ment for breaks during the workday... it is almost universal that at least a section (maybe even all) of that 1 extra hour is used on lunch (common split though is 15 min morning break/breakfast, 30 min lunch break, and 15 min afternoon fika break). At the same time we do not get payed for this hour as well, since it is not considered part of the 8 hour workday. Because as far as I know, at least about America and maybe Britain as well, the standard work hour day over there is actual 8 hours... and then any breaks or lunch is part of those 8 hours as well. Where as here in Sweden neither lunch or large breaks (10-15 minuts) are part of your 8 hour work day, and are instead added on top of that... so many/most Swedes spends a total of 9 hours a day at work (unless they eat lunch somewhere else). Because I think this might be why we might have no problem with just finishing up and then leave work when the clock hit's 4 pm (7am to 4 pm is probably the standard Swedish work day... our version of "9 to 5" I guess)... since we have already spent up to 8 hours working when the day is over (minus any pauses the employer allows you to take... "break" = none paying rest during the workday, "pause" = payed rest during the workday)... so no need to go for overtime when you have already worked for 8. XD

[@JustaBritAbroad]

could well be! I don't know how common it is for people to get paid for their lunch breaks in other countries but as you say it could well have an effect here! but you make a good point!

[@ilpoheinola6440]

My Swe employer guarantees me 4 weeks vacation. Last year I had 7 weeks off work due to how my shiflts was arranged. I work 3 weeks and am aoff 13 days.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

7 weeks? Wow, impressive! But you're right about the 4 week guarantee. I misquoted the rule apparently, as lots of people have pointed out to me in the comments that we're allowed longer if we want it🤗

[@snusnn]

I mean, we are handy for sure, but some things needs to be done by professionals. Few things about electricity etc requires a permit to work with.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

yep, totally agree with you there!👌 always best to ask for help when it could be dangerous to do it yourself!

[@haraldthorsson]

Me a sweadish person who is sitting in my room with sweats in july both my parents are having some time of and my dad is building a grill area just outside my window.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

haha wow, I've never seen this video proved so right in so few words until this comment haha. hope you enjoyed the video though by the way, and thanks for stopping by! enjoy your summer!

[@dtkedtyjrtyj]

3:02 Can confirm, all swedish waters contain giant sharks. They don't taste sweet, so we mostly leave them alone.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

haha I wondered when someone was going to notice that!! I always put in little joke clips and scenes for comedic effect, just to keep people entertained😂

[@ericanoren5212]

I’m living in England atm but I am from Sweden and I miss allemansrätten so much 😭😭 I feel like a freaking prisoner here in England

[@JustaBritAbroad]

Oh really?🙀 what part of England are you in? I know parts are better than others at being open for roaming and exploring so that’s why I ask haha

[@ericanoren5212]

@@JustaBritAbroad well Benson is pretty close to Wales so we usually go there 😅 but I still can’t pick berries and walk in whatever field or Forrest I want can i? That’s the trouble 😅 I’m used to just walking outside my door and explore, here I have to drive for an hour to go to a park that allows me to walk on a path 😆

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@ericanoren5212 I actually didn't know it was so restricted in Wales! that's not the impression we get as outsiders, but I appreciate it probably cant compare to the openness of alleansrätten!

[@ericanoren5212]

@@JustaBritAbroad no not in Wales, Wales is more free, but England sucks! That’s why we go to Wales 😆 And apparently Scotland has something close to allemansrätten a friend of mine said 😁

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@ericanoren5212 yeah that's right! there's quite a lot of opportunity to explore and enjoy out in Scotland! and lots of beautiful landscapes for sure!

[@olasjoberg2111]

vacation... the right is, by law to have 4 weeks in the summer (vacation period) where 3 weeks is consecutive..

[@JustaBritAbroad]

good point, oops!

[@olasjoberg2111]

@@JustaBritAbroad you mentitioned it in one of your previous shows... i see the reversed chronologicaly... :) and, omg, a youtuber that replyes :)

[@floro7687]

Where have you been in the UK? Remember having about a two hour job to be done in Immingham on a Saturday. An offer of double overtime was instantly rejected. "Are you crazy, today is football"

[@JustaBritAbroad]

really? where was this? I'm from down south, where things tend to not be so industrial or traditional, so without any more background I'd assume you were up near Manchester or somewhere to get a response like that. Down in the south, people would eat your hand off for such an opportunity, as most jobs don't offer overtime for weekend shifts in the UK :)

[@floro7687]

@@JustaBritAbroad Immingham in the Humber River! Before The Milk Snatcher I remember the shipyard in Birkenhead. Two men welding in a forepeak. The bulb went out, and they started yelling for light about 1100 am. No luck that day, tried to have a crewmember change the bulb, but no way. Continued at 0800 the next morning. 3 hrs later a Union man came and replaced the bulb!.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@floro7687 oh right, that makes a lot of sense then actually! its a very different setup to down south, as I've understood at least😊

[@floro7687]

@@JustaBritAbroad If you say so your Goodself. I knewa man who was renovating a fishing vessel. He got a very good offer from a small shop in the South of England. Work was not fast, but good quality, no shortcuts. One day two women came with two horses. "We will do the lathe work today" the workshop owner said. So the two horses were going around and around the entire day. The Norwegian owner of of the vessel said: "why do you not buy an electric motor, and you can use the lathe any time you need it" "Definitely not, there are so many benefits with this, the hores get a good workout, we do not have to invest money in a rarely needed lathe, and the girs get a bottle of sherry" said the Englishman.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@floro7687 haha what a story! almost sounded like you were setting me up for a joke!! Had me waiting for a punch line😅 hehe hoppas att du trivs i England!

[@PennyAfNorberg]

Pluming and eclectic ( 230v or greater) isn't that good to thinker with if you don't know how for that we actually have plumbers and electricians

[@JustaBritAbroad]

completely agree with you Penny! Best to let someone who knows what they're doing take over at that point!

[@etvurd]

I live in Sweden and it is My motherland! / Jag bor i Sverige och det är mitt moderland!

[@JustaBritAbroad]

Så kul att du hittade min video Eyvind! Du kommer ifrån ett väldigt vackert land då! Hoppas att du gillade videon!

[@etvurd]

Ja

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@etvurd men vad bra :)

[@thinkawhile6884]

Thanks

[@JustaBritAbroad]

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you enjoyed the video!

[@NickJohnzon]

Actually, the Law states that everybody is entitled to 4 weeks uninterupted vacation in the period between June1 and August 31. That law has been since 1977..

[@JustaBritAbroad]

Yep, you're right😊 even more summer to enjoy🤩

[@antonsax]

They do everything themselfs because the trades people here are extremely expensive and inclined to overcharge. Swedes are not paid for their lunch hour and actually work an extra hour to make it an 8hr a day , and tea/coffe breaks which give Brits 30-45mins a day 'down-time' is not enshrined in their work culture, even though the law allows for 5 mins per hour toilet time = 40mins/day. It suprised me that Swedes won't have a beer/wine for lunch and that they literally work 8hr days. I was under the impression they worked 35-38 hour weeks like in Germany. The doctors cost the the equivalent of £20 per visit (up to a limit of about £100) and prescriptions cost about £18 so there goes the idea of a 'free' health service and a high tax system to pay for it. Lately I have been extremely surprised by the waitng time at an emergency center at the hospitals and the fact that there is no social contract with the public regarding response time of emergency services in an emergency.I believe in London with a population of 10 million, there is a contract of between 3-8 mins response time. I had to deliver my son myself , on the kitchen floor waiting on an ambulance to come, which eventually came after 35 mins of my first call, during early night with no traffic on the road. A visit to the doctor does not mean a head to toe examination to explore general health as well as your ailment....but more likely a 15min consultation where you will then be 'recommended' to a 'specialist'.?????? Union fees are extremely high and I largly suspect they work more on the side of 'harmony' with the employers rather than their members rights(my feeling). Finally you mention how they like sweets , but many Swedes can't afford to go to the dentist and seems to be some sort of 'black art' in this country....where dentist charge ridiculous amounts of money for some very basic dental services. I don't want to sound too negative, in Sweden they have many wonderful ideas but I do expect that much more from my high taxes.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

Hey Anton! As someone who grew up and worked in England, I don't know how common the "tea/coffee break" you mentioned is. Perhaps that was a tradition in the past, but its definitely not something I ever experienced. Then again, if that is the case in some work places, I guess its equivalent to fika break in Sweden, right? You're right about the cost of the doctors though! Sorry to hear about your experience with your son though, that's mental! Funny that you should mention the tax point though as my latest video (which I just put out) is all about the cost of living here in Sweden and how it compares to England haha

[@i-3307]

Malmo shocked me!

[@JustaBritAbroad]

I've only been to Malmo the once to be honest!

[@Jarptchow85]

Any respectable employer values work and free time value. I do not know what industry you are working in but this is very important for your health and they, at least on paper, want you to have a healthy life outside of work.

[@Embrace731]

What you don’t know yet... Is that Kent - is actually (for real) not only the best, biggest and most stunningly impressive band in Sweden, Europe and on the whole entire planet! And they have truly made the utmost powerful, beautiful and astounding songs ever! The swedish equivalent to Embrace, Coldplay, Keane, Radiohead, Verve, Depeche Mode, Cure, of this great country... Discover: ”Mannen I Den Vita Hatten”, ”Dom Andra”, ”Utan Dina Andetag”, ”400 Slag”, ”Max 500”, ”Petroleum”, ”Klåparen” ”M”, ”999”, ”747”, ”Sjukhus”, ”Det Finns Inga Ord”, etc. You will honestly adore all of these (Spotify) and there are more than 120 just as good with this stunningly amazing and unbeatable band 🙏🏻

[@JustaBritAbroad]

oh really? I've not heard of them, but maybe I'll have to take a look! maybe they'll make my next biggest shocks in Sweden video - a new music interest!! cool to hear how passionate you are about their music though!

[@Embrace731]

@@JustaBritAbroad Cool! Please check out those ten songs and start from there... They are mind-blowing in every way possible 😎 open.spotify.com/track/1BhVnF9HSmbJChRuAxPEIp?si=tLN_W0UGQuSAMNKJBJlc2Q&dl_branch=1

[@Embrace731]

@@JustaBritAbroad They played to 120 000 people in three days on their three final gigs of their farewell tour here in Stockholm a few years ago and that was the 7th time I saw them in concert! kzbin.info/www/bejne/iHeQk2Wio9ehaaM

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@Embrace731 haha thanks for linking me up🙌🏻 you'll have to check in after a few weeks and see if I've bought concert tickets yet hahaha

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@Embrace731 oooh interesting, might have to take a look!! seven times?!? I'm impressed!!

[@StaffanSwede]

You probably know by now what the Swedish winter is like. A not too qualified guess is that we need a decent holiday to "soak the summer up like a sponge" in order to cope with what lies ahead. ;-) Videos like these are great for they tell different personal experiences from life in Sweden (or where one happens to live). Before the internet and KZbin, Sweden was an odd country in the northern outskirts of Europe, all girls were beauties, the entire population had a strong sexual drive and all Swedes would probably roam the streets nude together with polar bears - who at least were decent enough to wear a fur when out and about. Personal stories from life in Sweden keep the stereotypes away and I thank you for it.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

Thanks Staffan! So glad to hear that you enjoyed the video and my style of content. Much more to follow, so I hope you'll continue to follow along. I'll try to keep it real, so people don't have to do the guessing themselves 😅😉

[@lesalmin]

I'm shocked to hear that you managed to find 5 shocking things in the least shocking country of the world ;-)

[@JustaBritAbroad]

haha hope you found them interesting! and if you did, consider subscribing for more to come🙌🏻

[@Shadowthevampire]

The bad thing is EVERYTHING shuts down, wanna talk to a psychyatrist too bad wait 2 months, wanna go to your local nurses and doktors (not hospital ofcs thats always there 24 /7) but I mean the small house with nurses and doktors where you go for everyday stuff like acne or rashes and stuff idk the english name but thats basicly shut down aswell or atleast evry few work there really hard to get a time also its hard to get anyone to answer the phone or book a time at an official establishment in summertime. Everything just stops...even the tv stops showing good tv like from haveing vampire dairies to haveing like nothing else than football or boring stuff until fall they just stop in the middle of a season andl ike nope this returns in fall...almost to force people to go outside more in summer xD its what it feels like anyways.

[@onomatopoetisk]

Quite a few think they are handy but when you move in somewhere new you see the result of some peoples’ ”skills” up close... It’s not all impressive. There can be a lot of visions and motivation, but not neccesary that much knowledge before starting something. Maybe there are just many doers in this country.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

haha fair comment KL! Its good to have a desire and a passion for something, but its also worth doing things well - especially if you are planning to live with them for a while! Nothing wrong with picking up something new, but its also important to know your limits🤗

[@BHPTV]

What part of sweden do you live?

[@JustaBritAbroad]

in Östergötland🤗 how come?😊

[@trixycat]

Eöööö I can unfortunately not agree regarding the sweets thing. “Lördagsgodis” or Saturday sweets .. is for kids? :) .. this so that they don’t eat candy during the week days :) When I lived in England I believe that it was more adults eating sweets than in Sweden :) We do love our fika, but fika is 90% of the time just coffee :)

[@JustaBritAbroad]

oh really? interesting to get another perspective on this! I'm totally onboard with the lördagsgodis tradition though, I love it! though I'd be surprised if we ate as many sweets as the Swedes seem to. Would be fun to be able to compare though!

[@thegamingrage1737]

Tbf, alot of city folk of sweden call for help

[@JustaBritAbroad]

yeah I've heard this too to be honest! I get the impression its a growing trend :)

[@avve9001]

You need to be a handyman here because labour cost is extreme in Sweden.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

oh right? I wonder how it compares to England, for example :)

[@avve9001]

@@JustaBritAbroad with an average salary (30-35 000 sek) you have to work 3-4 hours on your own job to earn the net amount of money to hire a carpenter or plumber for 1 hour. So it's very tempting to do the job yourself if you have the time and skills or time to acquire the skills.

[@JustaBritAbroad]

@@avve9001 is that so? well when you put it like that, it all makes sense😳 totally understand what you mean!! problem for me is it would probably take me twice the time, and then it becomes less efficient haha