Checklist: what you should do after receiving a dismissal notice

A dismissal notice often comes unexpectedly. This list helps you avoid missing anything important during the first few weeks. It does not replace an assessment of your case.

On the same day

• Ask for written notice if you have only been told verbally. Notices of dismissal and summary dismissal must be in writing (Sections 8 and 19 of LAS).
• Write down the date and time you received the notice. Time limits normally run from that point.
• Do not sign anything you do not understand. An agreement to leave your employment may affect your rights.
• Note the grounds given by the employer: redundancy, personal reasons, or summary dismissal.

During the first few days

• Keep the dismissal notice, your employment contract, and any applicable collective agreement.
• Preserve emails, messages, performance reviews, and payslips relating to your employment, to the extent you are permitted to do so.
• Write down what happened before the dismissal: conversations, warnings, or conflicts. See also what it may mean if you have been dismissed without warning.
• If you suspect that redundancy is a pretext, note any signs of sham redundancy.
• Contact your union if you are a member. If the union does not pursue the matter, you can get a second opinion.

Within two weeks

• Decide whether you want to challenge the dismissal. If you want it to be declared invalid, you must generally notify the employer within two weeks (Section 40 of LAS). The time limit may differ in certain cases.
• Consider whether you want to return to work or whether damages or a settlement would be more appropriate.

During the notice period

• Check your notice period under LAS and that your salary is being paid as usual.
• Register with the Swedish Public Employment Service and contact your unemployment insurance fund as early as possible. The rules on benefits may be affected by how your employment ended.
• If you have been dismissed on grounds of redundancy, consider notifying the employer in writing that you wish to exercise your priority right to re-employment.
• If you are offered a severance payment or buyout agreement, have someone review it before you sign.

If you have been summarily dismissed

In a summary dismissal, employment ends immediately, without a notice period. As a general rule, the same time limits apply to challenging the decision, so act quickly.

If you would like help reviewing your situation, you can describe it for a free initial assessment.