Purpose: This study aims to examine how psychological contracts among senior assistant nurses are shaped by the expectations they hold of each other in the elderly care sector. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative thematic analysis was conducted on transcribed semistructured interviews with 15 experienced health-care employees (assistant nurses and health-care assistants) from a large public organization in Sweden. Findings: The findings show that values emphasizing uniformity in workload, responsibility and rewards are central to assistant nurses’ psychological contracts. They are expected to care for coworkers and recipients, uphold professional caregiving ideals and ensure fair work distribution. However, these expectations are frequently breached due to role conflicts, workload imbalances and a lack of cohesion within teams, leading to frustration and perceived injustice – issues that are often overlooked by employers. Despite these challenges, factors such as job satisfaction, workplace acceptance, coworker support, task autonomy and adherence to caregiving principles help mitigate the impact of breaches. Practical implications: To increase psychological contract fulfillment, health-care employers can, for example, oversee workload so that work tasks are distributed evenly between employees, enhance role clarity, initiate workplace dialogue concerning responsibilities and prevent conflicts by increasing the line manager’s presence in day-to-day work. Social implications: Amid ongoing workforce shortages, high turnover rates and an aging population, organizations face increasing challenges in recruiting and retaining skilled personnel. This challenge is particularly pressing in the health-care sector, where shortages of qualified staff are expected to intensify in the coming years. Originality/value: This study concludes by arguing that psychological contract research needs to move beyond the employee–employer focus and pay greater attention to the role of collectively shared norms, ideals and expectations, particularly in team-centric workplaces or contexts where collective ideals are strong.