Sweden gets 14-month-rule

According to a report by The Scientist, Swedish Parliament has approved of a law effectively limiting temporary employment to a maximum of 14 months (within a 5-year period). Unfortunately, this employment rule applies to all sorts of temporary contracts, including scientific positions.

This law is even more drastic than the infamous "Twelve Year Rule" in Germany, which was initially also meant as a tool to force universities to hire scientists as staff, rather than letting them jump from project contract to project contract.

Unfortunately, though, it has instead become an "expiry date" for young researchers - if you have not managed to secure a permanent position, i.e. professor or staff researcher, within 12 years of scientific employment, you are effecively unhireable - but in Sweden, you do not even get that far as its legislature already cuts off young researchers from even getting a PostDoc.

The ironic fact about this is that Sweden invests a total of 4.3% of its GDP in R&D, which is more than any developed country. Good for those old boys with professor hats on - too bad they do not get any PostDoc's any more - to do all the work...