[sce]

In Norway the standard hours are 8-16 (8am/4pm) which includes half an hour lunch. I believe that in Sweden it's 8-17 (8 hours work, 1 hour lunch).

It's also normal to have three months of notice (and it's not optional for the worker). It's not uncommon that they'll let you leave with a shorter notice if you ask for it, unless they really need you during that time (for e.g. training new staff).

[devolve]

Don't forget that Sweden also has 25 days minimum of vacation time annually. USA is, from what I gather, one of the few countries in the world that does not have a legally required minimum annual leave.

To be let go earlier is not only a problem of asking, it's also that you are entitled to three months of salary. So, most of the time, they would like to keep you in order to not have triple the salary costs (one for you, one for the new guy and (virtually) a third for whomever is occupied with training the new guy instead of doing their regular job).

[iconfinder]

In Denmark it's 9-17 with 30 minutes break. Also three months notice is the norm.