ansiennitet

Ansiennitet, or length of service, is a concept used in labor relations to describe the amount of time an employee has been employed by a particular employer. The term is common in Nordic countries and other European contexts and is closely related to the broader idea of seniority. It is typically calculated from the date of hire and is used as a basis for various rights and benefits, such as recall after layoff, priority in job assignments within a workforce, vacation accrual, and, in some cases, wage progression or eligibility for certain bonuses.

Calculation and scope of ansiennitet can vary. It generally refers to continuous service with the same employer, but certain breaks may or may not count toward the total, depending on national law, sector regulations, or collective agreements. Periods of approved leave, temporary layoff, or other specified interruptions may be creditable in some contexts, while in others they may reset the measure of service. The exact rules are often defined by contracts, company policies, or sector-specific agreements.

Applications and implications of ansiennitet include priority in recall after redundancies, scheduling preferences, and entitlements that improve with length of service. While it can provide job security and predictable career progression, seniority-based systems are sometimes criticized for limiting merit-based advancement and for entrenching older workforce segments.

In practice, ansiennitet is governed by a combination of national labor laws, collective agreements, and employer policies, and its importance and treatment can differ markedly between countries, industries, and organizations. See also: seniority, tenure, and employee benefits.