This dissertation explores the role of the regulations regarding seniority with respect to employee layoffs. The main focus of this inquiry is to explore the degree to which the regulations protect the groups of employees for which it is intended. The main area of interest is § 22 of the law regarding employment protection concerning protections for employees with long periods of employment and older workers. It contains an examination of the regulatory framework and an empirical survey of how these regulations were applied at a number of workplaces. The survey consists of thirty workplaces and illustrates how the protectionist purpose of the legislation can be minimized or enhanced as a result of the different decisions made by employers or labor unions and the deliberations behind the decisions. The empirical survey also roughly shows the outcome of the application of these regulations with respect to the surveyed groups at the workplaces. / digitalisering@umu