Staff
Family gets the pizzeria going. Good staff make it grow. Do everything on the books from day one.
An employee costs roughly the salary plus 40 percent. A pizza baker usually earns SEK 25,000 to 32,000 a month. You must register as an employer with Skatteverket, pay tax and contributions every month and sign everyone into the staff register (personalliggare) – including family.
Before you hire your first person
Three things that must be in place. All of them are simple:
- Register as an employer with Skatteverket – free, online
- Get a staff register (personalliggare) – everyone who works signs in every day, including you and your family
- Get insurance for your staff – ask your insurance company about a restaurant package
- Put the employment contract on paper. Salary, working hours, trial period. Templates are on verksamt.se.
Working on the books – why it is worth it
Cash-in-hand wages look cheap. They are expensive. Skatteverket inspects pizzerias often, and the fines are big. Legal employment protects you and the employee: sick pay, pension and paperwork that counts with the Migration Agency and the bank.
- Always pay through the bank, never cash from the till
- Even family members who help out must be signed into the register
- A bookkeeper or a payroll program handles the tax for you, for a few hundred kronor a month
Find and keep good people
The best pizza bakers rarely change jobs through job ads. They are found through people you know. And they stay where the schedule is fair and the pay arrives on time.
- Ask your network first – friends, relatives, the mosque, the church, the club
- Post the schedule at least a week ahead
- Food during the shift is cheap and means a lot
- Train more than one person on each task – then you can handle sick days
Good help for you as an employer
Three services that make the staffing side easier:
Arbetsförmedlingen
FreeThe Swedish Public Employment Service. Advertise for free. Also ask about hiring subsidies – sometimes you can get help with part of the salary for someone who has been out of work for a long time.
Visit siteFortnox
Payroll & booksHandles payroll, taxes and bookkeeping in one program. The most common choice among small businesses in Sweden.
Visit siteVisita
IndustryThe restaurant industry's organisation. Members get help with contracts, rules and legal matters when something goes wrong.
Visit siteCommon questions
What does an employee cost per month, in total?
Count the salary plus about 40 percent. An employee with a SEK 28,000 salary costs you around SEK 39,000 with employer contributions and holiday pay. The pizzas have to pay for that – do the maths before you hire.
Can I hire family members?
Yes, and it is common. But the same rules apply: sign them into the staff register, pay proper wages through the bank and write a contract. It protects both them and you.
What are the rules for hiring someone without Swedish citizenship?
The person needs the right to work in Sweden – a residence permit with a work permit, or EU citizenship. Check and save a copy of the decision before the person starts. That is your responsibility as an employer.
Team in place? Time to get seen.
Google, signs and word of mouth. How customers find you.